Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.…
2022
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words have been given in bold to help you locate them, while answering some of the questions.
A tourist's paradise, India is a magnum of diverse geography and cultures, offering 30 World Heritage sites, 25 biogeographical zones and attractive beaches. Tourism in India accounts for 6.8% of the GDP, and is the third largest foreign exchange earner for the country with USD 18.13 Billion. Neglecting the promotion of tourism is harmful to the Indian economy. In recent years, there has been an increased realization that the tourism growth potential can be harnessed as a strategy for Rural Development. With 69% population living in rural India, and almost 6.5 million village units spread across the country, India plays a vital role in harnessing rural tourism. The geographical diversity of India makes it a unique spot for harnessing rural tourism which can include tourist sites like desert, mountains, plains, plateaus, islands and coasts in different regions. India showcases a variety of cultural patterns having different lifestyles, practices, art and craft, and festivals. These can be incorporated and _____________in the form of rural tourism.
Factors such as increasing level of awareness, growing interest in heritage and culture, and improved accessibility have fueled a move of trends towards rural tourism. This will not only preserve the culture and heritage of the country, but will also generate employment in the villages since it can be leveraged to provide skill development in tourism related job roles such as that of guide, driver, cook, housekeeping and hospitality to the tourists. Ministry of Tourism specifies that any form of tourism that showcases the rural life, art, culture and heritage at rural locations, benefits the local community economically and socially, and enables interaction between the tourists and the locals can be termed as rural tourism. Rural tourism may include multiple facets such as farm tourism, cultural tourism, nature tourism, adventure tourism, and eco-tourism. The country has seen successful rural tourism models in states such as Kerala’s backwater, Karnataka’s forest, and Tamil Nadu’s temple.
Which of the following words is a synonym of HARMFUL given in the passage?
- A.
detrimental
- B.
ameliorate
- C.
fugitive
- D.
consorted
- E.
None of these
Attempted by 5 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Concept
A synonym is a word that carries the same or nearly the same meaning as another word. To pick the correct synonym, fix the precise sense of the target word first, then test each candidate against that exact meaning — not against a vaguely related idea. “Harmful” means causing damage, injury or loss; so its synonym must also denote “causing harm or damage.”
Application
In the passage, “harmful” describes the effect of neglecting tourism on the Indian economy — it causes damage. The word that means “causing damage or harm” is detrimental (de·tri·men·tal: tending to cause harm). It matches the sense of “harmful” exactly, so detrimental is the synonym.
Contrast
ameliorate — means to make something better or improve it; this is the opposite of harming, so it cannot be a synonym of “harmful”.
fugitive — means a person who is fleeing or running away (or, as an adjective, fleeting/short-lived); it has nothing to do with causing damage.
consorted — means kept company with or associated with someone; it describes association, not harm.
“None of these” — does not apply, because a clear matching synonym (meaning “causing harm”) is present among the choices.
Result: the synonym of HARMFUL is detrimental.