The Romans – for centuries is the masters of war and
polities across Europe, Northern Africa and Asia Minor – have often been criticized
for producing few original thinker outside the realm of positive. This
criticism, while in many ways true, is not without its problems. It was, after
all the conquest of Greece that provided Rome with its greatest influx of
educated subjects. Two of the great disasters intellectual history – the murder
of Archimedes and the burning the Alexandria’s library – both occurred under
Rome’s watch. Nevertheless, a city that was able to conquer so much of the
known world could not have been devoid of the creativity that characterizes so
many other ancient emprises.
Engineering is one endeavor in which the Romans showed
themselves capable. Their aqueducts carried water hundreds of miles along the
tops of vast arcades. Roman roads built for the rapid deployment of troops,
criss-cross Europe and still form the basis of numerous modern highways that
provide quick access prominence to Rome’s economic and political influence.
Many of these major cities lie for beyond Rome’s original
province, and Latin-derived languages are spoken in most Southern European
nations. Again a result of military influence the popularity of Latin and its
off spring is difficult to overestimate. During the centuries of ignorance and
violence that followed Rome’s decline, the Latin language was the glue that
held together the identity of an entire continent. While seldom spoken today,
it is still studied widely, if only so that such master or rhetoric as Cicero
can be read in the original.
It is Cicero and his like who are perhaps the most
overlooked legacy of Rome. While far from being a democracy, Rome did leave
behind useful political tool that serve the American republic today. “Republic”
itself is Latin for “the people’s business,” a notion cherished in democracies
worldwide. Senators owe their name to Rome’s class of elders; Representatives
owe theirs to the Tributes who seized popular prerogatives from the Senatorial
class. The veto was a Roman notion adopted by the historically aware framers of
the Constitution, who often assumed pen names from the lexicon of Latin life.
These accomplishments, as monumental as any highway or coliseum, remain
prominent features of the Western landscape.
Which of the following is Not described in the passage as a part of ancient Roman life that left a lasting legacy?
A great deal of discussion continues as to the real extent
of global environment degradation and its implications. What few people
challenge however is that the renewable natural resources of developing countries
are today subject to stresses of unprecedented magnitude. These pressures are
brought about, in part, by increased population and the quest for an ever
expanding food supply. Because the health, nutrition and general well-being of
the poor majority are directly dependent on the integrity and productivity of
their natural resources, the capability of government to manage them
effectively over the long term becomes of paramount important.
Developing countries are becoming more aware of the ways in
which present and future economic development must built upon a sound and
sustainable natural resource base. Some are looking at our long tradition in
environmental protection and are receptive to U.S. assistance which recognizes
the uniqueness of the social and ecological system in these tropical countries.
Developing countries recognize the need to improve their capability to analyze
issues and their own natural resource management. In February 1981, for
example, AID funded a national Academy of Sciences panel to advise Nepal on its
severe natural resource degradation problems. Some countries such as Senegal,
India, Indonesia and Thailand, are now including conservation concerns in their
economic development planning process.
Because so many governments of developing nations have
recognized the importance of these issues, the need today is not merely one of
raising additional consciousness, but for carefully designed and sharply
focused activities aimed at management regimes that are essential to the
achievement of sustained development.
Q: There has been pronounced deterioration of habitat all over the globe because of
Democratic societies from the earliest times have expected
their government to protect the weak against the strong. No ‘era of good
feeling’ can justify discharging the police force or giving up the idea of
public control over concentrated private wealth. On the other hand, it is
obvious that a sprirt of self-denial and moderation on the part of those who
hold economic power will greatly soften the demand for absolute equality. Men
are more interested in freedom and security than in an equal distribution of
wealth. The extent to which Government must interfere with business, therefore,
is not exactly measured by the extent to which economic power is concentrated
into a few hands. The required degree of government inference depends mainly on
whether economic powers are oppressively used, and on the necessity of keeping
economic factors in a tolerable state of balance.
However, with necessity of meeting all these dangers and
threats to liberty, the powers of government are unavoidably increased,
regardless of the political party in power. The growth of government is a necessary
result of the growth of technology and of the problems that go with the use of
machines and science. Since the government must take on more powers to meet the
problems of the nations, there is no way to preserve freedom except by making
democracy more powerful.
Q: The advent of science and technology has increased the
The public distribution system, which provides food at low prices, is a subject of vital concern. There is a growing realization that though Pakistan has enough food to feed its masses three square meals a day, the monster of starvation and food insecurity continues to haunt the poor in our country.
Increasing the purchasing power of the poor through providing productive employment, leading to rising income, and thus good standard of living is the ultimate objective of public policy. However, till then, there is a need to provide assured supply of food through a restructured, more efficient and decentralized public distribution system (PDS).
Although the PDS is extensive – it is one of the largest such systems in the world – it has yet to reach the rural poor and the far off places. It remains an urban phenomenon, with the majority of the rural poor still out of its reach due to lack of economic and physical access. The poorest in the cities and the migrants are left out, for they generally don not possess ration cards. The allocation of PDS supplies in big cities is large than in rural areas. In view of such deficiencies in the system, the PDS urgently needs to be streamlined. In addition, considering the large food grains production combined with food subsidy on one hand and the continuing slow starvation and dismal poverty of the rural population on the other, there is a strong case for making PDS target group oriented.
The growing salaried class is provided job security, regular income, and percent insulation against inflation. These gains of development have not percolated down to the vast majority of our working population. If one compares only dearness allowance to the employees in public and private sector and looks at its growth in the past few years, the rising food subsidy is insignificant to the point of inequity. The food subsidy is a kind of D.A. to the poor, the self-employed and those in the unorganized sector of the economy. However, what is most unfortunate is that out of the large budget of the so-called food subsidy, the major part of it is administrative cost and wastages. A small portion of the above budget goes to real consumer and an even lesser portion to the poor who are in real need.
It is true that subsidies should not become a permanent feature, except for the destitute, disabled, widows and the old. It is also true that subsides often create a psychology of dependence and hence are habit-forming and killing the general initiative of the people. By making PDS target group oriented, not only the poorest and neediest would be reached without additional cost, but it will actually cut overall costs incurred on large cities and for better off localities. When the food and food subsidy are limited, the rural and urban poor should have the priority in the PDS supplies. The PDS should be closely linked with programs of employment generation and nutrition improvement.
Q: What, according to the passage, is the main concern about the PDS?
