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                  Reading Comprehension




1. Read the passage below and answer the questions based on understanding of the passage.  : 

Communication media have evolved along with technological transformations and progress. Man’s inborn need to communicate led to the first medium for the global transmission of information – the printing press, followed by the rotary printing press. But the need for information has always been in continuous growth, so that inventions such as telegraph had to be adopted for information transmission by waves. Indeed, the radio was one of the society’s great technological and democratizing advances. But there is no doubt that television has succeeded in making McLuhan’s idea of the existence of a television tribe a reality. Large companies, which control access to information by methods that are close to being a monopoly, wage fierce battles in order to control mass media, especially television.
The “fourth power’ collects, disseminates and preserves a great quantity of information. This information is thematically diverse and exists in a wide variety of formats and media. In order to control such an important business asset, almost all television broadcasters have set a documentation service that is responsible for satisfying journalists’ information needs and for the maintenance of the firm’s intellectual and cultural heritage.
Documentation centres are just the visible aspects of a great documentation web involving different classes of documents, varied media and the diverse requirements of end users. The computerization of documentation structures is a reality that is sustained by a constant exchange of information between documentalists and communication scientists, aimed at enabling the preservation of information and access to this information by means of a standard set of parameters.
The thematic descriptors must describe, viewed and referred content in the audiovisual documents with precision. Thematic identification has a special importance since it is the usual method for accessing information. For these fields, different television companies use different proprietary ad hoe tools, with thesauri being the formula employed to control vocabulary. There have also been experiments aimed at developing effective tools based on faceted classifications. The fact that audiovisual information has to be analysed from two different perspectives in order to understand the challenges offered by this kind of document should be considered. The visual and the sonorous sometimes are complementary, and consequently must be studied and analysed by the information manager. Sound and visual tracks do often collaborate to create a joint informative message, but it is also very common the case where both contribute to create quite different meanings.

1. The first medium for global transmission of information was (A) Radio (B) Printing Press (C) Television (D)Telegraph

2. The intellectual and cultural heritage of television broadcasting firms is maintained by (A) Communication media (B) Journalists (C) Television (D) Setting up a documentation service

3. A standard set of parameters is needed for (A) Establishing documentation centres (B) Meeting diverse requirements of users (C) Preservation and access to information (D) Exchange of documents 

4. For organizing information, television companies use tools such as (A) Thesauri (B) Faceted classification (C) Non-faceted classification (D) Thematic descriptors 

5. Audio-visual information has to be analysed for (A) Information management (B) Understanding the challenges offered by such documents (C) Collaborating sound and visual tracks (D) Locating information from different places 


2. Read the passage given below and answer the questions based on your understanding of the passage. 

 In the late 1990s the publishing world launched a new system into the information and publishing world called Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs). DOIs are alphanumeric character strings that identify objects in an electronic environment.
DOIs are universal, unique and permanent identification tags for online content that is registered in an online directory. DOIs can cover any form of digital files such as text, image, video, audio or even software. DOIs can also cover many levels of content. For example, it might tag an entire book, a chapter in the book, illustrations, individual sentences, or perhaps the book’s index. It is a system that identifies creation endeavours and uniquely marks the content of these items. It is intended to individualize information units on the Web.
DOIs can be placed in a variety of places, such as in the object itself, in an information structure that contains the object, on a Web page that describes the element, in a database or as an entry in an indexing system.
The identifier tags have no intrinsic meaning, as a classification code does. They are content labels, each being unique and without duplicates. The identifiers are stored in a directory that allows the lookup of the current Internet address of the copyright owner and where the information now resides. The author, publisher or current owner is responsible for maintaining the response page, which presents data about the information item and the conditions of its use.
The directory of DOIs routes inquiries to the up-to-date sites on the Internet for accessing the content of the object. When addresses change, the directory will route the query to where the content is currently located or to where information is given concerning how to obtain it. Over time, when objects move around or change ownership, the directory keeps tabs on these changes.
Although the major purpose of the DOI system is the management of intellectual property, indexing and abstracting services, as well as document delivery services will find DOIs a useful tool.

1. What are DOIs? (A) DOIs are numbers which identify object in traditional environment. (B) DOIs are identifiers consisting of alphanumeric character strings for printed materials. (C) DOIs are alphanumeric character strings for electronic serials. (D) DOIs are alphanumeric character strings for electronic sources of information available on-line.

2. What are the materials covered by DOIs ? (A) DOIs cover books and journals. (B) DOIs cover texts, images, audio visual materials in digital form. (C) DOIs cover electronically available S & T information. (D) DOIs cover digital format in US and Europe only.

3. Do DOIs play any role in grouping of information sources? (A) DOIs constitute the eclassification scheme to group sources of information. (B) DOIs are not class numbers as such and have nothing to do with arrangement. (C) DOIs play the dual role of identifying and grouping. (D) DOIs are only like traditional class numbers in e-form.

4. What is the major purpose of DOI system ? (A) To organise e-resources on the Net. (B) To manage intellectual property. (C) To provide bibliographic description of digitized resources. (D) To control free access to eresources

5. How does DOI system operate? (A) Routes inquiries to designated Document Supply Libraries. (B) Routes inquires to up to date sites of digital libraries. (C) Routes inquiries to national e-resources depositories. (D) Routes inquiries to relevant sites on the Net.


3. Information is a resource whose generation consumes time and money and whose use conserves time and money. The industrial environment in India is making a quantum jump in the field of technology absorption and innovation. New companies, both in the public and private sector, have been started in the past two years and most of the monopoly business is coming to an end. In other words, the industrial environment is becoming more and more competitive. Information is one of the major resources which will help the company win a competitive edge. Electronics industry is both an important and competitive industry. It has grown 514% from 1970, with an average growth rate of 15% per annum. It is hoped that by 1990 the computer industry would be a Rs. 665 crore sector. There are more than 100 companies in India now manufacturing computers. The survival in this industry by a company largely depends on its openness to adopt new technologies, introduce state-of-the art products, new marketing strategies etc. For this the company needs information on the technology, environment and competition. The types of information generally sought by a company include economic information, legal information, information on personnel relations, public relations, technology trends, market trends etc.

1. Industrial environment in India is making a quantum jump because (A) Information is a resource whose generation consumes time (B) Information is a resource whose generation is money (C) Information is a resource that consumes money and time (D) Information absorptions and innovation in the field of the technology

2.Monopoly in business is coming to an end because of a (A) Information (B) Money flow (C) Competitiveness (D) Lack of information

3. Information is a major resource which (A) helps company to lose money (B) helps company to achieve popularity (C) helps company to have an edge in competition (D) helps company to gain better manpower

4. Electronics industry is both an important and competent industry as it (A) is growing at the rate of 15% (B) is growing at the rate of 500% (C) is growing at the rate of 14% (D) is not growing at all

5. The types of information usually sought by companies are (A) economic and legal information (B) information on personnel relation (C) information on technology and market trends (D) all the above

4. To meet the challenge of change, much thought is currently being given to information studies, curricula and the requirement of a more broad-based education for the information scientist of the present. A developing country like India cannot afford to neglect these aspects of manpower training which is crucial to the success of development efforts. In the context of proliferation of literature, the information professional can hardly keep track of the information requirements of his clientele, unless he is well versed in modern information handling methods. Manpower for our libraries and information centres is presently drawn from library schools run by the universities and two specialised information science programmes offered by the DRTC and NISCAIR. Certain studies have revealed that “professionals trained by special institutes are far better in the information fields than their colleagues, the products of the University Departments.” It is pertinent at this point to design and formulate curricula in respect of the various levels of training to be imparted. Any consideration of the system of training to be meted out has to be at par with the present set up, function and purpose of the existing information centres.

1. Now a days much thought is given for (A) Curriculum requirements (B) Broad based education (C) Information scientists (D) All the above

2. India cannot afford to neglect the aspects of manpower training because (A) of proliferation of library schools (B) of in-sufficient provision of library schools (C) they are crucial to the success of development (D) they are not crucial for the success of development

3. Specialized information science education institutes produce better professionals as (A) library schools fail to produce good professionals (B) library schools are unable to meet the demands of the society (C) they have better curricula and infrastructure (D) they do not have good curricula

4. LIS education is now pertinent to (A) design curricula (C) have status quo in curricula (B) follow existing curricula (D) reduce the curricula

5. Training for librarianship must be at par (A) with the old set up (B) with the future set up (C) with the present set up (D) with the previous set up

5. Digital devices measure and display discrete quantities. Most clocks, for example are analog in nature and have hands that sweep along a continuous scale as do the needles on speedometers Digital clocks, however, display discrete numbers standing for the time. The numbers are either there or they are not, and they click into position virtually instantaneously. In fact, speed and accuracy are distinguishing features of most digital devices, because analog equipment comes in a poor second on both counts. A valid comparison can be made between slide rules, which are analog, and pocket calculators, which are digital.
Accepts information in a unitary form, i.e., letters, symbols and numbers. These may represent anything the computer user wishes. All calculations and processing of the incoming data are done on the digital computer. Thus, all the mathematical rules and functions may be applied and the results are printed out in conventional letters, symbols or numbers. Thus, these are general purpose computers suitable for information processing in general.
“Hybrid” computers have been developed to take advantage of the strength of both analog and digital devices. Typically, analog computers will measure physical quantities such as temperature or pressure and then relay the data to digital computers, which, because of their greater speed and accuracy, can perform statistical computations on the data easily. The output is then displayed in a convenient form for the human beings responsible for conducting or monitoring the operation in question.
Because of their unique capabilities for symbol manipulation, digital computers loom for more important in applied information science than the other types, and it is to them that we shall be referring when we speak of computers from now on.

1. The distinguishing features of digital devices are : (i) Speed (ii) Accuracy (iii) Timeliness (iv) Easy to Carry (A) (i) and (ii) (B) (ii) and (iv) (C) (iv), (iii) and (i) (D) (ii), (iii) and (iv)

2. Digital clocks are analog in nature because (A) they have two hands (B) their hands sweep along on a continuous scale (C) they show time (D) display discrete numbers standing for time

3. Hybrid computers are developed to take advantage of (A) strength of analog devices (B) strength of digital devices (C) strength of both analog and digital devices (D) strength of none of the above

4.  Analog computers measure physical quantities because of (A) the temperature and accuracy (B) their greater speed and accuracy (C) the human beings (D) the complexities in operations

5. Digital computers assume more importance in applied information science becauseof (A) the lack of capabilities for symbol manipulation (B) the capabilities for symbol manipulation (C) the capabilities for digital manipulation (D) the lack of capabilities for digital manipulation

6. To survive, thrive and beat the competition in today’s brutally competitive world, one has to manage the future. Managing the future means managing the information. In order to manage the information, in order to deliver high quality information to the decision makers at the right time, in order to automate the process of data collection, collation and refinement, organizations have to make Information Technology (IT) an ally, harness its full potential and use it in the best way possible.
We have seen that in today’s competitive business environment, the key resource of every organization is information. If the organization does not have an efficient and effective mechanism that enables it to give the decision-makers the right information at the right time, then the chances of that organization succeeding in the next millennium are very remote.
The three fundamental characteristics of information are accuracy, relevancy and timeliness. The information has to be accurate, it must be relevant for the decision-maker and it must be available to the decision-maker when he needs it. Any organization that has the mechanism to collect, collate, analyse and present high quality information to its employees, ‘thus enabling them to make better decisions, will always be one step ahead of the competition. Today, the time available for an organization to react to the changing market trends is very short. To survive, the organization must always be on its toes, gathering and analysing the data-both internal and external. Any mechanism that will automate this information gathering and analysis process will enhance the chances of the organization to beat the competition.

1. Which factors force organisation to use IT to harness information? (A) Explosion of sources of information (B) Availability of latest information on real time basis (C) Time, volume and complex nature of information on real time basis (D) Information needs of users are inter-disciplinary in nature

2. Major obstacle in taking accurate futuristic decisions is (A) availability of more information (B) cut-throat competition (C) Everchanging socio-economic and political situations (D) Globalisation

3. Which is the most appropriate tool to make better use of information? (A) Well qualified and experienced information professional (B) Depth classification and indexing (C) Experts in domain knowledge (D) Information technology

4. What is the critical characteristic of information delivery system for making its use effective? (A) Efficient channels of communication system (B) Ability to develop appropriate information products (C) Right information, delivered at right time (D) Developing quality photocopying and fax facility

5. What is the crucial decision for an organization to take to beat the competition? (A) To create a mechanism to access, organise and process information within an organisation (B) To establish a separate department for acquiring and processing information (C) To strengthen the libraries already existing in the organisation (D) To collaborate with university and national and international information systems.

7.