Saama Technologies – Verbal Aptitude


Directions(1-7): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.

Though the US prides itself on being a leader in the World community, a recent report shows that it lags far behind other industrialized countries in meeting the needs of its youngest and most vulnerable citizens. The US has a higher infant mortality rate, a higher proportion of low birth weight babies, a smaller proportion of babies immunized against childhood diseases and a much higher rate of adolescent pregnancies. These findings described as a “quiet crisis” requiring immediate and far reaching action, appeared in a report prepared by a task force of educators, doctors, politicians and business people. According to the report, a fourth of the nations’ 12 million infants and toddlers live in poverty.

As many as half confront risk factors that could harm their ability to develop intellectually, physically and socially. Child immunizations are too low, more children are born into poverty, more are in substandard care, while their parents work and more are being raised by single parents. When taken together, these and other risk factors can lead to educational and health problems that are much harder and more costly to reverse.

  The crisis begins in the womb with unplanned parenthood. Women with unplanned pregnancies are less likely to seek prenatal care. In the US 80% teenage pregnancies and 56% of all pregnancies are unplanned. The problems continue after birth, where unplanned pregnancies and unstable partnerships often go hand in hand. Since 1950, the number of single-parent families has nearly tripled. More than 25% of all births today are to unmarried mothers. As the number of single parent families grows and more women enter the workforce, infants and toddlers are increasingly in  the care of people other than their parents.

Most disturbingly, recent statistics show that American parents are increasingly neglecting of abusing their children. In only four years from 1987-1991, the number of children in foster care increased by over 50%. Babies under the age of one are faster-growing category of children entering foster care. This crisis affects children under the age of three most severely, the report says. Yet, it is this period – from infancy through preschool years – that sets the stage for a child future.


Question 1 :

The main focus of the passage is on the plight of

Options :
a. Orphaned children
b. Teenage mothers
c. Low birth weight babies
d. None of these

Answer :
c. Low birth weight babies

Question 2 :

Which of the following does not constitute ‘quite crisis’ in the USas per the task force report?

Options :
a. Lower proportion of new born babies with normal weight
b. Higher incidence of adolescent girls becoming mothers
c. Lower rate of babies surviving childhood diseases
d. Increasing cases of teenage couples getting divorced.

Answer :
d. Increasing cases of teenage couples getting divorced.

Question 3 :

Which of the following statements is not true in the context of the passage?

Options :
a. The number of single parent families today is approximately three times that four decades ago
b. The number of children in the US entering foster care has decreased after 1991
c. In the US, the number of infants living in a poverty is about 3 million
d. Only 20% of all the pregnancies in the US are planned

Answer :
b. The number of children in the US entering foster care has decreased after 1991

Question 4 :

The number of children born to married mothers in the US is approximate, how many times the number of children born to unwed mothers?

Options :
a. 1.5 times
b. 2 times
c. 3 times
d. 3.5 times

Answer :
c. 3 times

Question 5 :

The task force report seems to be based on the data pertaining to the period

Options :
a. 1987 – 91
b. 1950 onwards till date
c. 1987 onwards till date
d. 1950 – 91

Answer :
d. 1950 - 91

Question 6 :

Babies of what age are the fastest-growing category of children entering foster care.

Options :
a. under one
b. over one
c. Infancy to preschool
d. None of the above

Answer :
a. under one

Question 7 :

According to the report, how many of the many of the nation’s infants and toddlers live in poverty?

Options :
a. 12 million
b. 4 million
c. 3 million
d. None of these

Answer :
a. 12 million

Directions(8-10): Which of the phrases (A), (B), (C) and (D) given below each below each sentence should replace the word/phrase printed in the bold in the sentence to make it grammatically correct? If the sentence is correct as it is given no correction is required, mark(E) as the answer.


Question 8 :

Since the girl did not want to be disturbed while studying, she left the phone off hooks.

Options :
a. of hook
b. off the hook
c. for the hook
d. No correction required

Answer :
b. off the hook

Question 9 :

Since the officer was overburdened with work, her collegue decided to gave her hand.

Options :
a. giving hands
b. giving her a hand
c. giving her handful
d. No correction required

Answer :
b. giving her a hand

Question 10 :

Despite having passed out from school over 10 years back, most schoolmates has keep touch with each other.

Options :
a. has kept in touch
b. keep touched
c. are kept touched
d. No correction required

Answer :
a. has kept in touch


Directions(11-15): Read each sentence to find out whether there is any grammatical error or idiomatic error in it. The error, if any, will be in one part of the sentence. The number of that part is the answer. If there is no error, the answer is (E). (Ignore errors of punctuation, if any)


Question 11 :

a. A property dealer was

b. shoot dead by four unidentified jacket-clad men

c. while taking a morning walk

d. in a park

e. no error

Answer :
b. shoot dead by four unidentified jacket-clad men

Question 12 :

a. The auditions for the first ever

b. reality-based pop hunt, is

c. going on in full swing

d. with numerous entries came in.

e. no error

Answer :
d. with numerous entries came in.

Question 13 :

a. To curbing the spread of violence,

b. authorities brought under curfew

c. more areas in the state, where

d. three youths were killed.

e. No error

Answer :
a. To curbing the spread of violence,

Question 14 :

a. Not only was the actress over the moon

b. as winning an award, but was

c. also deeply touched by the support

d. she got from the industry

e. No error

Answer :
b. as winning an award, but was

Question 15 :

a. Hectic sheddules can

b. take a toll on anybody and

c. the solutions to this is

d. a quick holiday to some exotic location

e. No error

Answer :
c. the solutions to  this is

Directions(16-20) : Fill up to blanks picking out from the choices.


Question 16 :

We are ____ to have him ____ here to make this function a great success.

Options :
a. pleased, over
b. sure, come
c. wonderful, again
d. happy, arrive

Answer :
a. pleased, over

Question 17 :

The state Govt. staff ____ threatened to launch an indefinite strike from next month to ____ their demands.

Options :
a. have, press
b. were, meet
c. did, get
d. had, press

Answer :
a. have, press

Question 18 :

The speech ____ with subtle threats has resulted in ____ tension.

Options :
a. replete, increased
b. followed, continuous
c. started, reduced
d. full, escalating

Answer :
a. replete, increased


Question 19 :

By long queues and bad weather the voters ____ their way to the polling stations ____ a lot.

Options :
a. going, dropped
b. encouraged, prepared
c. making, suffered
d. undaunted, made

Answer :
c. making, suffered

Question 20 :

The counter Clerk was very busy and ____ not pay any ____ to the customer’s request.

Options :
a. can, help
b. could, respect
c. had, cash
d. did, attention

Answer :
d. did, attention

Directions(21-25) : In each of the following questions, a part of sentence is given in bold. Below each sentence, four choices numbered (A), (B), (C) and (D) are given which can substitute the part of the sentence in bold. Find out the choice which can correctly substitute that part of the sentence. The number of that choice is the answer. If ‘No correction needed’ is your answer, the choice is (E).


Question 21 :

We must take it granted that he will not come for today’s function

Options :
a. have it granted
b. took it as granted
c. taking it granted
d. take it for granted

Answer :
d. take it for granted

Question 22 :

The train will leave at 8:30 pm, we have been ready by 7:30 pm so that we can reach the station.

Options :
a. should have
b. are
c. must be
d. were

Answer :
c. must be

Question 23 :

She unnecessarily picked up a quarrel with him and left the party.

Options :
a. picking up
b. picked
c. picked on
d. has picked up

Answer :
b. picked


Question 24 :

He has the gut so rise from the occasion and come out successfully.

Options :
a. in rising from
b. to raise with
c. to rise against
d. to rise to

Answer :
d. to rise to

Question 25 :

I need not offer any explanation, my behaviouris is speaking itself.

Options :
a. speaks about itself
b. has been speaking
c. speaks for itself
d. will speak to itself

Answer :
c. speaks for itself

You may also Visit :

Saama Technologies – SQL & RDBMS

Saama Technologies – Logical Reasoning

ATOS Sample Questions – Aptitude

Leave a Reply