SSC CGL English Sectional Mock Test 04

1. Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow. Cities around the world are rediscovering the humble bicycle. For decades, urban planning was built around the motor car: roads were widened, footpaths were narrowed and parking lots replaced parks. The result, in many places, was traffic jams, polluted air and streets that felt unsafe for children. In recent years, however, a number of cities have begun to reverse this trend by building networks of cycle lanes that are separated from motor traffic. The benefits are easy to see. A bicycle produces no exhaust, takes up only a fraction of the road space of a car and costs very little to maintain. Regular cycling also improves the health of riders and lowers their risk of heart disease. Shopkeepers, who once feared that fewer cars would mean fewer customers, have often found the opposite: people on bicycles stop more often and, over a month, spend more. Yet the bicycle cannot succeed on its own. People will cycle only if they feel safe, and they feel safe only when their lanes are protected from fast traffic. A painted line on a busy road is not enough. The lesson from successful cities is simple: infrastructure comes first. Once safe routes exist, riders follow.

   Q1.Which of the following best expresses the main idea of the passage?

   • A.Cycling is popular only in a few European cities.
   • B.Cities are returning to the bicycle, but people cycle in large numbers only when safe, separate lanes are built.
   • C.Cars should be banned from the centres of all cities.
   • D.Cycle lanes always reduce the income of shopkeepers.

2. Q2.According to the passage, why did the fears of shopkeepers prove wrong?

   • A.Cyclists buy more expensive goods than car owners.
   • B.More cars came to the market after the cycle lanes opened.
   • C.The government paid them for every cycle lane built.
   • D.People on bicycles stop more often and spend more over a month.

3. Q3.The word fraction, as used in the passage, means:

   • A.a small part
   • B.a broken piece
   • C.a quarrel
   • D.a large share

Start the test to answer these. Correct answers and explanations are shown after you submit.