Directions (Next Ten Questions) : In the following passage, there are blanks, each of which has been numbered. These numbers are printed below the passage and against each, five words are suggested, one of which fits the blank appropriately. Find out the appropriate word in each case.
The rise of Asian manufactures in the 1990s hit African firms hard; many were wiped out. Northern Nigeria, which once had a ….(Question 1)…garments industry, was unable to…..(Question 2)…with low-cast imports. South Africa has similar problems; its manufacturing failed to grow last year….(Question 3)….the continental boom.
This is partly the ….(Question 4)…of governments. Buoyed by commodity income, they have neglected industry’s needs….(Question 5)…for roads and electricity. But that, too, may at last be changing. Wolfgang Fengler, a world Bank economist, says, “Africa is now in a good position to industrialise with the right mix of ingredients”. This includes…(Question 6)…demography, urbanization, an emerging middle class and strong services. “ For this to happen, “ he adds, “the continent will need to scale up its infrastructure…(Question 7)…and improve the business climate and many (African) countries have started to…(Question 8)…these challenges in recent years.”
Kenya is not about to become…(Question 9)…next South Korea. African countries are likely to follow a more diverse path, benefitting from the growth of countless small and medium sized businesses, as well as some big ones. For the next decade or so, services will still generate more jobs and wealth in Africa than manufacturing. Which is fine. India has….(Question 10)…for more than two decades on the back of services while steadily building a manufacturing sector from a very low base. Do not bet against Africa doing the same.
