GATE AG 2023 • Q8 MCQ • 2 Marks

Section 8: General Aptitude

Verbal Aptitude

Subtopic: Reading Comprehension

Question Statement:

The World Bank has declared that it does not plan to offer new financing to Sri Lanka, which is battling its worst economic crisis in decades, until the country has an adequate macroeconomic policy framework in place. In a statement, the World Bank said Sri Lanka needed to adopt structural reforms that focus on economic stabilisation and tackle the root causes of its crisis. The latter has starved it of foreign exchange and led to shortages of food, fuel, and medicines. The bank is repurposing resources under existing loans to help alleviate shortages of essential items such as medicine, cooking gas, fertiliser, meals for children, and cash for vulnerable households. Based only on the above passage, which one of the following statements can be inferred with certainty?

Options:

  • (A) According to the World Bank, the root cause of Sri Lanka’s economic crisis is that it does not have enough foreign exchange.
  • (B) The World Bank has stated that it will advise the Sri Lankan government about how to tackle the root causes of its economic crisis.
  • (C) According to the World Bank, Sri Lanka does not yet have an adequate macroeconomic policy framework.
  • (D) The World Bank has stated that it will provide Sri Lanka with additional funds for essentials such as food, fuel, and medicines.

Official Answer Key:

C

Step-by-Step Solution & Explanation

The first sentence states the World Bank will not offer new financing “until the country has an adequate macroeconomic policy framework in place”, which directly implies that Sri Lanka currently lacks one — matching (C). (A) reverses cause and effect: the passage says the (unspecified) root causes have starved the country of foreign exchange, not that lack of foreign exchange IS the root cause. (B) is not stated — the passage says Sri Lanka “needed to adopt” reforms, not that the Bank will advise on them. (D) is contradicted: the Bank is “repurposing resources under EXISTING loans”, not providing new/additional funds. Answer: (C).

Practice This in Real CBT Exam Interface

Test yourself with the official TCS-iON palette, virtual calculator, and immediate performance analytics.

Launch CBT Mock Test