National Outreach Programme

May 2006 – Exam for the English section

Read the following text before answering questions 1 and 2

Five years ago I made a speech alleging that 22 industrial family groups had come to dominate the
economic and financial life of Pakistan and that they controlled about two-thirds of industrial
assets, 80 per cent of banking and 79 percent insurance.
At that time, Pakistan was still living through a period of great euphoria. President Ayub was
completing his tenth term in office and the country was cheerfully celebrating his first decade of
development. Pakistan had undoubtedly done extremely well economically under President Ayub’s
pragmatic leadership and almost all key economic indicators pointed to a fast rate of expansion.
The growth rate in the gross national product had been nearly 6 per cent a year for a decade and a
healthy export performance of 8 per cent a year had defied many predictions.
However, some of us who were living closely with the economic management of the country had
already begun to develop our doubts about the long-term viability of such a pattern of growth.
While the world was still applauding Pakistan as a model of development – since outside donors
always need some success stories for their own comfort – we were getting quite concerned that all
was not well with the distribution of benefits of growth.
Some of the indices were fairly disturbing. The real disparity in the per capita incomes of East and
West Pakistan had more than doubled during this decade even though we were reluctant to admit it
publicly. The real wages of the industrial workers, concentrated in a few key urban areas had been
reduced by about a third by a combination of inflation and weak bargaining power of the unions.
Personal income inequalities had increased substantially.
If we are to evaluate properly the role of the 22 families in Pakistan, we must see it in the
perspective of the capitalist system that the country has evolved over time. In blunt terms,
Pakistan’s capitalist system is still one of the most primitive in the world. Under it economic
feudalism prevails. A handful of people, whether landlords or industrialists or bureaucrats, make all
the basic decisions and the system often works simply because there is an alliance between various
vested interests.
Unfortunately, most of the criticism of the 22 families in the past five years has been directed to
individual family groups rather than to the reform of the basic framework of capitalism. The
present Government has introduced some limited reforms by abolishing the managing agency
system and introducing a more progressive labour policy as well as by taking away management
though not ownership, of certain key industries. However, these are rather small patches on a
thoroughly rotten fabric of a primitive and feudal economic system. What is required is a fairly
drastic surgery if a move towards a more enlightened and socially responsible capitalism is to be
made.
Pakistan badly needs to broaden the base of its economic and political power to evolve a
development strategy that reaches out to the bulk of the population; and to innovate a new lifestyle,
which is more consistent with its own poverty and its stage of development. This is not going to be
easy because in the past, modernization was foisted on a basically feudal structure in which
political participation was often denied, growth of responsible institutions stifled and free speech
curbed, and where all economic and political power gravitated towards a small minority.
The slogan of 22 families, therefore, has been rather overdone in Pakistan and taken too literally.
At times, it has become a convenient camouflage for action against a few individual industrialists
rather than reforming the economic, as well as social and political institutions. This is sad because
the 22 families are a symptom, not a cause. The basic problem is not the 22 families, individually
or collectively, but the system that created them, and it is time that Pakistan looked to the basic
causes of its problems and not merely to the symptoms.
Adapted from: Haq, Mahbub Ul, 1973. System is to blame for the 22 wealthy families, The London
Times

1. According to the text,

1.1. How much was the growth rate in the gross national product?
Above 6% a year for a decade
Almost 6% a year during 10 years
About 6% a year for over a decade
6% a year during 10 years

1.2. Why do outside donors need success stories?

To reassure themselves
To comfort their citizens
To prove they are right
To assess their ownership

1.3. What had doubled during that decade?

The per capita income of East and West Pakistan
The real disparity of East and West Pakistan
The gap in the per capita income of East and West Pakistan
The inequality of income of East and West Pakistan

1.4. Why had the real wages of industrial workers been reduced to a third?
By a combination of an increase in the general price level of goods and services and unions’
negotiation skills
By a combination of an increase in the general price level of goods and services and the
unions’ feeble ability to influence the setting of wages
By a combination of strong inflation and weak unions
By a combination of an increase in the general price level of goods and the unions’ influence in
setting of wages

1.5. Why does the system work this way?

Because there is an alliance between various vested interests
Because there is an alliance of landlords, industrialists and bureaucrats
Because it is one of the most primitive capitalist system in the world
Because landlords, industrialists and bureaucrats make all the basic decisions

1.6. What does Pakistan badly need?

To develop a strategy that reaches out to the bulk of the population
To broaden its development strategy to reach out to the bulk of the population
To evolve its economic and political power
To expand the base of its economic and political power

1.7. What is the issue with the slogan of the 22 families?

It has always been a convenient camouflage excuse to pursue a few individual industrialists
It has been taken out of context
It has been overdone to such an extent that the government has reformed its economic, social and
political institutions
It has been an excuse to act against a few individuals instead of reforming the country’s
institutions

1.8. What are the 22 families?

A symptom
A cause
Both
None of the above

1.9. What is the basic problem?

The 22 families
The system that created them
The individual and collective 22 families
The basic causes of Pakistan’s problems

1.10. Who is the author of this article?

Lahore University of Management Sciences
The London Times
Mahbub Ul Haq
Government of Pakistan

2. Pick the sentence with the correct tense(s):

2.1.
This article is written in 1973.
This article has been written in 1973.
This article was written in 1973.
This article had been written in 1973.

2.2.
There have been doubts about the long-term viability of such pattern of growth.
There are doubts about the long-term viability of such pattern of growth.
There will be about the long-term viability of such pattern of growth.
There were doubts about the long-term viability of such pattern of growth.

2.3.
At the time, personal income inequalities have increased substantially.
At the time, personal income inequalities were increased substantially.
At the time, personal income inequalities had increased substantially.
At the time, personal income inequalities were being increased substantially.
2.4.
In 1973, Pakistan’s capitalist system is still one of the most primitive in the world.
In 1973, Pakistan’s capitalist system was still one of the most primitive in the world.
In 1973, Pakistan’s capitalist system had still been one of the most primitive in the world.
In 1973, Pakistan’s capitalist system was still being one of the most primitive in the world.

2.5.
The government of the time had introduced some limited reforms.
The government of the time introduces some limited reforms.
The government of the time would introduce some limited reforms.
The government of the time did introduced some limited reforms.

2.6.
The slogan of 22 families has been overdone in Pakistan.
The slogan of 22 families had been overdone in Pakistan.
The slogan of 22 families was overdone in Pakistan.
The slogan of 22 families is overdone in Pakistan.

2.7.
In the past, modernization had been imposed on a basically feudal structure in which political
participation had been often denied, growth of responsible institutions subdued and free speech
curbed.
In the past, modernization is imposed on a basically feudal structure in which political participation
is often denied, growth of responsible institutions subdued and free speech curbed.
In the past, modernization was imposed on a basically feudal structure in which political
participation was often denied, growth of responsible institutions subdued and free speech
curbed.
In the past, modernization has been imposed on a basically feudal structure in which political
participation has been often denied, growth of responsible institutions subdued and free speech
curbed.

2.8.
Pakistan was a country where all economic and political power gravitated towards a small
minority.
Pakistan is a country where all economic and political power will gravitate towards a small
minority.
Pakistan would be a country where all economic and political power would gravitate towards a
small minority.
Pakistan was a country where all economic and political power gravitates towards a small minority.

2.9.
Despite the government’s reluctance to admit it publicly, the real disparity in the per capita incomes
of East and West Pakistan more than doubled during the 60s.
Despite the government’s reluctance to admit it publicly, the real disparity in the per capita incomes
of East and West Pakistan has more than doubled during the 60s.
Despite the government’s reluctance to admit it publicly, the real disparity in the per capita
incomes of East and West Pakistan had more than doubled during the 60s.
Despite the government’s reluctance to admit it publicly, the real disparity in the per capita incomes
of East and West Pakistan was more than doubled during the 60s.

2.10.
According to the author, it is time for Pakistan to look to the basic causes of its problems and not
merely to the symptoms.
According to the author, it was time for Pakistan to have looked to the basic causes of its problems
and not merely to the symptoms.
According to the author, it was time for Pakistan to look to the basic causes of its problems
and not merely to the symptoms.
According to the author, it is time for Pakistan to look to the basic causes of its problems and not
merely to the symptoms.

3. Select the word that suits the best the following sentences:

3.1. RISEPAK is an earthquake relief coordination and accountability tool designed to collect,
collate and display ___________ about damage, access and relief for rural Pakistani citizens
affected by the Oct. 2005 Earthquake on a public portal, setup within 12 days of the earthquake.
knowledge
information
propaganda
intelligence

3.2. VIEW is an urban air-pollution monitoring and analysis system that aims to __________
citizens and governments with knowledge about their environment by using a network of sensing
equipment connected to the PCs of volunteers across an urban space.
develop
empower
teach
improve

3.3. Unlike large dams, small dams are hardly controversial and rarely, if at all, create problems
like environmental ______________ and populations migration, both inevitable corollaries of
building big dams.
degradation
problems
issues
evolution

3.4. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has warned that the
global imbalances in world _______ are unsustainable and must be tackled.
peace
development
economics
trade

3.5. All citizens of Pakistan have the _______ of equal access to clean drinking water and
appropriate sanitation facilities.
 access
right
opportunity
desire

3.6. Only brave warriors fall off their horses in battle. How can kneeling _________ know what a
fall is?
humans
cowards
down
warrior

3.7. Ethics is a general _______ for what is often described as the science of morality.
word
idea
term
science

3.8. According to legend, a Chinese philosopher ___________ the tea beverage when leaves fell
into his campfire pot of boiling water and sent up a delicious aroma.
invented
found
made
discovered

3.9. Global warming is caused in part by the emission of greenhouse gases, including carbon
dioxide and methane. These gases are emitted naturally but are also the result of the burning of
______ fuels, especially coal and petroleum products.
fossil
non-renewable
energy
carbon

3.10. Pakistan has a history of high government spending on military and business interests at the
_________ of health and education facilities.
benefit
expense
interest
burden

4. Chose the answer that is nearest in meaning to the key word:

4.1. Exemption:
Exception
Expectance
Free
Inclusion
4.2. Frightful:
Foreboding
Terrific
Appalling
Cold

4.3. Cite:
To legalise
Quote
Scrutinise
Discover

4.4. Bench mark:

Seat in the stands
Stamp of authenticity
Playing-field line
Reference point

4.5.Attribute:
To ascribe
Research carefully
Admire
Guess

4.6. Disseminate:
To take part
Fool
Discharge
Make public

4.7. Desultory:
Unattractive
Inconsistent
Offensive
Extremely hot

4.8.Pretext:
False rumour
Introduction
Summary
First draft

4.9. Baleful:
Absurd
Overflowing
Kindly
Menacing
4.10.Purport:
To inflate
Tell a story
Claim
To hold