Question : Given below is a short passage followed by some items based on the passage. First, read the passage and answer the items based on it. You are required to select your answers based on the contents of the passage and the opinion of the author only.
More than eight months after the national lockdown was announced in late March, urban India is learning to live with the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, indicating a positive outlook for the future, many survey respondents in a recent survey say they plan to return to pre-lockdown levels of shopping, personal grooming, going to cinemas and socializing as pandemic fears continue to recede.
The survey findings highlight that the suppression of consumer demand because of fears of job losses and salary cuts could be coming to an end. Increasingly, urban Indians are showing increased confidence about the future of the economy. This could be an indicator of the possible 'pent-up demand' that several economists have been talking about - a demand that could be unleashed once a vaccine is developed and distributed, or when there are signs of the pandemic's spread reducing to negligible levels or vanishing totally.
Around 65 per cent of respondents said they had settled into new routines, or that they saw signs of the situation improving, or they had come to terms with the pandemic and were moving on with their lives. And since the survey was conducted before the news of the successful trials of the Pfizer vaccine for the coronavirus was announced, it is likely that the consumers are now even more positive in their outlook about the future.
Question:
What, according to the passage, is the reason behind the decline in consumer demands?
Option 1: Dearth of vaccine till date
Option 2: Professional insecurity
Option 3: The intention of saving up money.
Option 4: Careful attitude of the general public
Correct Answer:
Professional insecurity
Solution :
The correct option is 2 i.e Professional insecurity.
Explanation
Let's examine the opening sentence of the second paragraph:
'The survey findings highlight that the suppression of consumer demand because of fears of job losses and salary cuts could be coming to an end.'
- From the preceding sentence, it can be inferred that the author believes professional insecurity is to blame for the suppression of consumer demands. Because of this, "Professional insecurity" is the right response.
