In the following passage some words have been deleted. Fill in the blanks with the help of the alternatives given. Select the most appropriate option for each blank.
Scarcity is not created by war; ___(a)___ is a permanent characteristic of all human ___(b)___and has been faced by the whole human ___(c)___. It springs from the fact that the material resources of the world are ___(d)___ and that our ability to make use of those resources is even more limited ___(e)___ our ignorance.

Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank No.(e).

Directions: In the following questions, sentences are given with blanks to be filled in with an appropriate word(s). Four alternatives are suggested for each question. Choose the correct alternative out of the four as your answer.

Politics is the last ______ of scoundrels. 

Groups of four words are given. In each group one word is 011acorrectly spelt. Find the correctly spelt word and mark it in your Answer-Sheet.

Rewrite the sentence in direct speech.

Prabhu said that he was not going to college.

Choose the correct alternative which will improve the part of the sentence given in quotes.

Both Santhosh and Rohit have 167 English papers due 'in' Tuesday.

Choose the correct transformation from assertive to interrogative:
 Man cannot die better than facing fearful odds. 

Select the option that will improve the underlined part of the given sentence.
 I keep telling myself how I am lucky to have such wonderful sisters.

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions as directed.

We expect individuals (I) to take charge of their lives, to assume responsibility for their decisions. But when individuals group together, a problem arises. Groups can’t take charge of themselves, nor can every member simultaneously take charge of the entire group. Someone from the group is invariably asked to show the way, to become the primary agent, to lead. Yet, not everyone who occupies high office is a leader. A person who merely (II) or has management skills is not a leader. Moreover, not everyone who assumes the role of a leader is able to play it well. What qualities then make for a leader? Which (A)virtues are required to provide ethical leadership? I suppose there is little new (III). But let me still give it a shot in the hope that it serves as a good reminder. And in the election year, why not focus on qualities necessary for political leadership?

If a person is chosen to lead the group, it is her responsibility to take care of the interest of each person of the entire group. This often (B)____ putting collective interest before her own interest or that of her

preferred group. For this to happen, she must first be able to identify the common good, to have a grasp of what is acceptable to all, to have an inclusive vision. This requires an infinite capacity to listen to others, to learn from them, to have the intellectual ability to critically examine and evaluate what everyone wants and needs, and then put them all together. Since this intellectual formulation can only be the first step, an estimate of the real quality of a decision is not known until it is implemented; ______(C) _______.
 This requires him to keep his ear to the ground, listen patiently to criticism to judge if his policies are working. He must not be defensive when criticised, or evade uncomfortable questions, but face criticism head on and be able to sift the wheat from the chaff. It also necessitates that a leader show flexibility and an ability for course correction by admitting mistakes. He should know that one’s stature is not diminished by accepting fallibility. A leader must be a good communicator, and that is greatly helped if he has a way with words. But all the rhetorical flourish is of no avail if the speech lacks sincerity and conviction. Finally, a good leader knows that nothing can be achieved without the collective expertise and wisdom of a support team.
 It is equally tempting to pick those one has taken a fancy to, who are personally loyal. But such people often lack spine. (D)Fearful people with poor ability can never offer good advice to their leader and could allow bad decisions to prevail that push the country down a ruinous path. Besides, they are often among the first to backstab the leader once out of power. Thus, personal likes and dislikes too must be set aside.

Which of the following words can replace the word given in bold in (A) without changing the meaning of the sentence?