India is a tourists' paradise on Earth as we have so much to offer to the visitors. No other country in the world possesses so much variety. The breath-taking beauty of the Himalayas, its valleys and rivers, the numerous wildlife sanctuaries dotted all over the country, our still unspoilt sea beaches, our great temples and caves and historical monuments, our music and dance, our festivals and national celebrations, would attract any tourist in the world. They are all our potential foreign exchange earners.
If we wish to earn more from our tourists, we must build up more infrastructure. The Government of India has intensified efforts to build more hotels in the country. Those in the hotel business are allowed to have foreign collaborations. Our hotels must offer such facilities that foreigners love: these are 24-hour service, swimming pools, tennis courts, club houses, massage centres, indoor and outdoor restaurants, playgrounds for children, dance floor with live music in season and so on. These would make for an exciting tour.
The Government is also providing new and better facilities.
Tourism is everybody's business as all benefit from it. Wealth flows from affluent countries to the less affluent. Within the country itself it moves from the developed areas to the less developed ones. It flows from the rich to the poor, the tourist trades in the countries he visits. We can arrange group tours for foreigners on a large scale. Even a humble taxi driver does something for tourism, as he talks well of his country.
So, let us give the tourist, a wholesome experience of our country. When the tourist is satisfied with the facilities offered to him, what he tells his people back home will do publicity for us. Then others would also be tempted to come to our country when we say, "Welcome to India".
Find Antonym of the word "Poor" from the passage:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → affluent
- Poor means having very little money.
Example: The trust gives free books to poor students. - Affluent means rich, having plenty of money, so it is the opposite of poor. The passage uses both words in the same idea: wealth flows "from affluent countries to the less affluent" and "from the rich to the poor".
Example: They live in an affluent part of the city.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: potential — Incorrect. Potential means possible in the future. The passage calls the attractions "potential foreign exchange earners".
Example: The firm is looking for potential buyers.
Option 2: humble — Incorrect. Humble means modest, low in rank or importance, as in "a humble taxi driver". It is closer to poor in sense than opposite to it.
Example: He rose to fame from a humble background.
Option 4: wealth — Incorrect. Wealth is a noun meaning riches. The antonym of the adjective poor must be an adjective. The opposite of wealth is poverty.
Example: Health is more important than wealth.
| Also asked in CUET (UG): affluent – 29-05-2025 Slot 1, 21-06-2023 Slot 1, 10-08-2022 Slot 1 |