Synonyms Questions and Answers

Direction for [ Question No: 1 To 1 ] :

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Born out of the forces of globalization, India's IT sector is undertaking some globalization of its own. In search of new sources of rapid growth, the country's outsourcing giants are aggressively expanding beyond their usual stomping grounds into the developing world; setting up programming centres, chasing new clients and hiring local talent. Through geographic diversification, Indian companies hope to regain some momentum after the recession. This shift is being driven by a global economy in which the US is no longer the undisputed engine of growth. India's IT powers rose to prominence largely on the decisions made by American executives, who were quick to capitalize on the cost savings to be gained by outsourcing noncore operations, such as systems programming and call centres, to specialists overseas.

Revenues in India's IT sector surged from $4 billion in 1998 to $59 billion last fiscal, but with the recession NASSCOM forecasts that the growth rate of India's exports of IT and other business services to the US and Europe will drop to at most 7% in the current fiscal year, down from 16% last year and 29% in 2007-08.

Factors other than the crisis are driving India's IT firms into the emerging world. Although the US still accounts for 60% of the export revenue of India's IT sector, emerging markets are growing faster. Tapping these more dynamic economies won't be easy, however. The goal of Indian IT firms for the past 30 years has been to woo clients outside India and transfer as much of the actual work as possible back home, where lower wages for highly skilled programmers allowed them to offer significant cost savings. With costs in other emerging economies equally low, Indian firms can't compete on price alone.

To adapt, Indian companies which are relatively unknown in these emerging nations are establishing major local operations around the world, in the process hiring thousands of locals. Cultural conflicts arise at times while training new recruits. In addition, IT firms also have to work extra hard to woo business from emerging-market companies still unaccustomed to the concept of outsourcing. If successful, the future of India's outsourcing sector could prove as bright as its past.

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Man who is believed to have evolved from apes, is a curious mixture of varied motives. He is not only the subject of needs but is also their creator. He not only seeks to satisfy his needs but also caters to his desire for beauty and grace. He is eager to satisfy his passion for more and more knowledge. Although in a general way, the maxim 'necessity is the mother of invention' is true, it is by no means the whole truth. Man is something much greater than an intelligent being using his intellect to make newer inventions from time to time. He has within him a spirit which is ever exhorting him to cut down his needs and learn to be happy with what he has. The real purpose underlying this maxim lies in its utility in the worldly sense. It tells us to be up and doing, not to be passive in our attitude to life. It asks us not to remain slaves of old habits and ways of life. We must face the new situations with a creative mind. Every new difficulty, every new problem, which confronts us in life, can be tackled successfully with the spirit of inventiveness.

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When it comes to structures that are both majestic and well-fortified, the classic European castle is the pinnacle of design. Across the ages castles changed, developed, and eventually fell out of use, but they still command the fascination of our culture.

Castles were originally built in England by Norman invaders in 1066. As William the Conqueror advanced through England, he fortified key positions to secure the land he had taken. Castles also served as bases of operation for offensive attacks. Troops were summoned to, organized around, and deployed from castles. In this way castles served both offensive and defensive roles in military operations.

Not limited to military purposes, castles also served as offices from which the lord would administer control over his fiefdom. They would address disputes, handle business, feast, and enjoy festivities. In this way castles served as important social centres in medieval England. Castles also served as symbols of power.

The first castles constructed in England were made from earth and timber. Those who constructed them took advantage of natural features, such as hills and rivers, to increase defenses. Since these castles were constructed from wood, they were highly susceptible to attacks by fire. Wooden castles were gradually replaced by stone, which greatly increased the strength of these fortifications; however, being made from stone did not make these castles entirely fireproof. Attackers could hurl flaming objects into the castle through the windows or ignite the wooden doors.

The demise of castles can ultimately be attributed to gunpowder. During the 15th century, artillery became powerful enough to break through stone walls. This greatly undermined the military role of castles. Castles were then replaced by artillery forts that had no role in civil administration, and country houses that were indefensible. Though castles no longer serve their original purposes, remaining castles receive millions of visitors each year from those who wish to experience these majestic vestiges of a time long passed.

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Fitness is zero percent investment with infinite returns. There is a surge in diabetes and hypertension cases and other lifestyle diseases. Fitness is the only thing that can help. But with technology, physical activity has reduced. It has become fashionable to talk about fitness rather than act on it.

Several factors are cited to explain why fitness levels in school children are constantly declining. Children now walk far less than they used to. Instead of walking to or back from their school, they use a school bus, or get dropped and picked in a car. Once back home, they sit glued to the idiot box for several hours or keep playing computer games.

Excessive screen time can negatively impact a child's physical and mental health from increasing the risk of obesity to disturbing sleep patterns. There is neither place nor inclination to play outdoor games. Children's diet consists mainly of fast foods, fried foods, chocolates, crispies, sweets and fizzy drinks. These foods may be delicious and, therefore, tempting, but they are highly deficient in vital nutrients. Parents are often aware of this, but out of misplaced love for children, they hardly ever discipline their eating habits. Girls, usually keen to remain slim, keep dieting unnecessarily and deprive their bodies of vital nourishment.

It is important that children spend plenty of time playing in fresh air and exercise even more than the grown-ups in order that their muscles develop and their bones grow properly. If they can go for a regular swim and walk down to the swimming pool, it would combine the benefits of both walking and swimming. In addition, they should be encouraged to take healthy and wholesome food rich in nutrients to avoid what may be described as convenience foods.

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There was a king, Shibi Rana, who enjoyed immense power. Even gods in heaven were jealous of him. They feared that Shibi might one day take away their kingdoms. They devised a plan to test his sense of justice. So they decided to reach Shibi's kingdom in disguise. One day, Shibi Rana was sitting on his throne. His courtroom was surrounded by majestic gardens. There came a scared dove flying to him and it was followed by a fierce looking eagle. The king gave shelter to the dove and saved her. The eagle argued that the king has taken away his food-the dove. It would starve. The king assured the eagle that he would give equal quantity of any other food. The eagle asked for king Shibi's flesh. The magnanimous king agreed with a smile. A balance was brought in the court. It was soon found that with each addition of the king's flesh the dove grew heavier. The equal balance was not arrived at. But the king remained calm and unperturbed.

The gods in the guise of the dove and the eagle were assured of Shibi's righteousness. The forms of the eagle and the dove soon disappeared. In their place stood Indra, the king of the gods and Agni, the god of fire smiling and blessing the king for his benevolence and greatness.

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1. Do children really need such long summer breaks, was a question posed by some experts recently. Apparently, such a long break disrupts their development and comes in the way of their learning process. "Let's get them back to their books", is perhaps the expert view. One would have thought the children are doing too much during their vacations and not too little, given the plethora of classes, camps and workshops involving swimming, art, personality development, music, computers and the like. Even the trips taken in the name of holidays seem laden with exotic destinations and customised experience packed into a short period of time. We can go Europe in 10 days and Australia in a week and come back armed with digital memories and overflowing suitcases. Holidays are, in some ways, no longer a break but an intensified search for experience not normally encountered in everyday life.

2. It is a far cry from summer holidays as we know them. For us, holidays every year meant one thing and one thing alone-you went back to your native place, logging in with the emotional headquarters of your extended family and spent two months with a gaggle of uncles, aunts and first and second cousins. The happiest memories of the childhood of a whole generation seemed to be centred around this annual ritual of homecoming.

3. Summer was not really a break, but a joint. It was the bridge used to reaffirm one's connectedness with one's larger community. One did not travel, one returned. It was not an attempt to experience the new and the extraordinary but one that emphatically underlined the power of the old and the ordinary. With the change of time, what we seek from our summer breaks too has changed in a fundamental way.

4. Today, we are attached much more to our work and summer helps us temporarily detach from this new source of identity. We refuel our individual selves now; and do so with much more material than we did in the past. But for those who grew up in different times, summer was the best time of their lives.

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1. It was Somi's idea that we meet at the pool in ten years time. "When we are men, we must come back to this place, ten years from today," he said. "Rusty, at midday on 5 April 1964, we must return to the pool, no matter where we are, or what we are doing. Promise?" It was a school boy's pledge, and made in deadly earnest. As boys, we usually mean the things we say . . And so we shook hands on it and dived back into the water.

2. The pool had been discovered by me a few months earlier. I remember that it was going to rain... I could see the rain moving across the foothills, and I could smell it on the breeze. But instead of turning homewards, I pushed my way through the leaves and brambles that grew across the forest path. I had heard the murmur of water and I wanted to see and touch it. Sliding down the rockface into a small ravine, I found a stream running over a bed of shingle. Water trickled down from the hillside, from amongst ferns and grasses and wild primroses. The rocks beside the stream were smooth, and some of them were grey and some yellow. A small waterfall came down the rocks and formed a deep pool of apple-green water.

3. When I saw the pool, I ran back to town to tell the others. Anil and Somi were my closest friends. Anil lived in a crowded lane of the Dilaram Bazaar. He was wild and a little dangerous, subject to moods and impulses. Somi was sensitive and gentle in his ways, but common with Anil he had a sense of fun and an instinct for adventure. The pool was my own discovery, and I was proud of it. "We'll call it Rusty pool", said Somi.

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1. Surrounded by verdant forests, natural springs, and blue hills, Netarhat is Jharkhand's best-kept secret, located in the district of Latehar, at a distance of about 151 km from the capital city of Ranchi. This quaint hill station brings solace and gives visitors much-deserved refuge from the hustle and bustle of cities. It is located at an altitude of 3696 feet, allowing people to enjoy magnificent views. Fabulous sunrises and stunning sunsets leave the visitors awestruck. Explore the surreal beauty of this beautiful place, also known as "Queen of Chota Nagpur", and return refreshed and rejuvenated.

2. With its shimmering waters, sparkling reflections, cool air, and breathtaking scenery, Netarhat lake offers serenity to its visitors. It is an ideal spot for picnics, and the lake's tranquil waters tempt you to go boating as well. Get closer to nature with the most beautiful forests in Jharkhand, and the pine forests. Netarhat, with its pretty lakes, shady valleys, mountain villages and thick evergreen forests filled with gorgeous pine trees, provides a panoramic scene to the visitors. The pine forests surrounded by mists in winter, make any traveller feel as though they have been transported to another world entirely.

3. The most well-known location is the Sunrise Point which offers a spectacular view of the sunrising that resembles an oil painting. Visitors cannot help but be struck by the sun's rays as they emerge from valleys covered in lush vegetation and cluster of tall trees. The most picturesque view of the sunrise is visible from Hotel Prabhat Vihar, situated 17 km from Bazaar Haat. Netarhat certainly is a perfect getaway in the heart of nature. Guest houses provide cosy accommodations and a heavenly dining pallete to its visitors.

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1. Colours have a deeper significance for a home than one can imagine. For if used right, they can give a perfect look. In today's time, when there is an abundance of everything but space, colour plays an important role in creating the right ambience and perhaps the space that you crave for. Besides having a tremendous potential to create mood through sheer appeal to the senses, right use of colours actually helps you create the spacious feeling.

2. For instance, instead of using a plain monotonous colour on all four walls, if you get a little imaginative, perhaps a little bold, you can create a sense of space within those four walls. One of the ways would be to blend light and dark colours. Or to paint two opposite sides in a lighter shade than the other two. Colour can add height to your room too. For instance, if the room is painted white and the upholstery of your furniture is in deep blue tone, the false ceilings could be painted in a light blue shade. Think out of the box to give even more interesting effects to your room.

3. Whatever your choice is, there are options in the market to help you realise your needs. These days you get special patterned stencils to decorate walls with interesting patterns like flowers, leaves, birds etc. Some people draw an entire scenery on one side of the wall to give the feeling of bringing the outdoors inside. The choices are many, so are the creative ways. Just let your imagination flow. Every room reflects the personality of the occupant, hence it is important to pay attention to every detail. Your walls are your canvases, freshly painted and all bare. Go ahead, splash colours and watch the effect unfold.

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I designed, after my first voyage, to spend the rest of my days at Baghdad, but it was not long ere I grew weary of an indolent life and I put to sea a second time with merchants of known probity. We embarked on board of a good ship and set sail. One day we landed on an island covered with several sorts of fruit trees, but we could see neither man nor animal. While some diverted themselves with gathering flowers, and other fruits, I took my wine and provisions and sat down near a stream betwixt two high trees, which afforded a delightful shade. I made a good meal and afterwards fell asleep. When I woke up, the ship was no longer in view.

In this sad condition, I was ready to die with grief. When I gazed towards the sea, I could discern nothing but sky and water, but looking over the land I beheld something white, and coming down, I took what provision I had left and went towards the object which was so distant that at first could not distinguish what it was.

As I approached, I thought it to be a white dome of a prodigious height and extent. I drew near to it, and walked round it and found no door to it. I found that I had not strength nor activity to climb it on account of its exceeding smoothness. I went round the dome measuring its circumference. I meditated upon some means of gaining an entrance into it but no means of accomplishing this occurred to me. By this time the sun was about to set, and all of a sudden the sky became as dark as if it had been covered with a thick cloud. I was much astonished at this sudden darkness but much more when I found it occasioned by a bird of a most extraordinary size that came flying towards me. I remembered that I had often heard mariners speak of a miraculous bird called the roc, and conceived that the great dome which I so much admired must be her egg. Shortly afterwards the bird alighted and sat over the egg.