English Quiz for Upcoming IBPS Bank Exams – Set 24 | Comprehension

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words/ phrases have been written in bold to help you locate them while answering the questions.

Consumers in India are, generally speaking, victims of avarice of both the manufacturer and the seller. Even service providers cheat them on one pretext or another. When mobile application-based taxi services were introduced in cities like Delhi and Mumbai, they were seen as providing respite to customers who used to be fleeced by auto and taxi drivers — most autos in Delhi as elsewhere refuse to go by electronic meters even now. All this was supposed to come to an end when Ola and Uber, the App-based services were introduced. Huge hoardings that said taxis were available at `8 per km came up in the national capital. The demand for taxis has gone up even more now with the Delhi government reintroducing the odd-even scheme from April 15.

However, users of the App-based services found to their dismay that the so-called ‘surge pricing’ was popping up frequently, asking them to cough up as much as seven times the usual fare for every ride. The operators insist it’s a demand-supply phenomenon — the application itself does the calculation to arrive at the final fare. They also claim it helps them supply as many vehicles as possible. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has come down heavily against surge pricing, terming it ‘daylight robbery’. Thanks to him, two prominent service providers have stopped surge pricing with the result that now such taxis are almost impossible to get in Delhi! In their defence, the companies further argue that 80 per cent of the hiked fare goes to the drivers and call it an ‘incentive’ for them to make their services available. This has not found favour with the Kejriwal government which has impounded several such vehicles. In fact, Kejriwal has gone further and announced he would ban surge pricing for good.

While fleecing is unacceptable, the Chief Minister also cannot escape responsibility for not providing dependable public transport to Delhiites. But the larger question is should surge pricing be allowed? The operators need to clarify how the prices are exactly calculated. Their practice seems no different from the so-called dynamic airfares. Free market play is fine but unhealthy practices are not. Surge pricing does border on unfair practice.

1. Why is surge pricing unfair? Answer in context to the passage.

a) The per capita income of Indians is low.

b) Most taxi services refuse to ferry to a certain place.

c) Government has banned autos.

d) The process of calculating the price is not explained by the operators.

e) None of the above.

2. What is false in context to the passage?

a) Autos in Delhi refuse to abide to the electronic meters.

b) The surge prices by the taxi services are increasing day by day.

c) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has come down heavily against surge pricing, terming it ‘daylight robbery’.

d) The surge pricing practice is same as airfare.

e) The taxi services claims the surge prices helps them to provide as many vehicles as possible.

3. What are the causes mentioned by the taxi service providers for surge prices?

a) It’s a demand-supply phenomenon.

b) It helps them supply as many vehicles as possible.

c) 80 per cent of the hiked fare goes to the drivers.

d) None of the above.

e) All of the above.

4. What can be the title of the passage?

a) The unfair surge in cab fares.

b) Taxi price surging.

c) Surge pricing- Detailed Report.

d) Unhealthy practices.

e) Consumerism

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5. What according to the author should be the responsibility of the Chief Minister?

a) To decrease the surge prices.

b) To penalize the auto drivers who don’t use electronic meters.

c)  To provide dependable public transport.

d) To make sure the operators clarify how the surge pricing is calculated.

e) None of the above.

6. Which are the taxi service providers mentioned in the passage?

i) Taxi for Sure.

ii) Uber.

iii) Ola.

a) Only (iii)

b) (ii)& (iii)

c) (i) & (iii)

d) (i) & (ii)

e) Only (ii)

Choose the word/phrase which is similar in meaning to the word/phrase printed in bold in the passage

7. Claim

a) Profess

b) Demand

c) Recourse

d) Say

e) Refuse

8. Fleecing

a) Frustrating

b) Deceiving

c) Joking

d) Offering

e) Disappointing

Choose the word/phrase which is opposite in meaning to the word/phrase printed in bold in the passage.

9. Avarice

a) Greed

b) Generosity

c) Longing

d) Degeneracy

e) Thrifty.

10. Dismay

a) Pleasure

b) Distress

c) Anxiety

d) Frighten

e) Scare