The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary 14th May 2025

Reading Comprehension passages are an integral part of the English section of government exams. However, for beginners, such passages can seem difficult. The Hindu Editorial is an excellent tool to improve the reading and understanding of passages. The language is very similar to the passages that generally appear in the English section of government exams, and each paragraph is filled with exam-relevant vocabulary and real-world topics. First, go through the vocabulary section and read the meanings of the words, their Hindi translations, synonyms, and antonyms. Once you know the meanings of the words, read the passage carefully, and you will feel that it is much easier to understand the main idea and tone of the passage. This method not only improves the understanding of reading comprehension passages but also builds a strong vocabulary base for cloze tests and sentence fillers in the exam. Doing this every day will boost your confidence in the English section and help improve your scores in sections such as Reading Comprehension, Cloze Tests, and Sentence Fillers.

Big deal: On the U.S.-China trade deal
The U.S.-China trade deal will have implications for India

The trade agreement between the U.S. and China, the two biggest economies in the world, serves as a breather in an otherwise tense global trade environment. The U.S. has agreed to temporarily lower, for 90 days, its overall tariffs on Chinese goods from 145% to 30%, while China will cut its tariffs on American imports from 125% to 10%. Markets across the world cheered the announcement, jumping between 2%-3.8% following the news. The thaw comes on the back of tensions and tariffs being ratcheted up by both sides, starting with U.S. President Donald Trump’s February 1 announcement of a varying tariff on imports from China, Mexico and Canada. Notably, he excluded China from the 90-day pause on ‘reciprocal’ tariffs announced in early April. One way to look at this latest development is that it shows Mr. Trump is backing down from his tariff war-footing, acknowledging the importance of China to the U.S. economy. Indeed, the joint statement by both countries begins by mentioning “the importance of their bilateral economic and trade relationship”. However, another view is that his heavy-handed approach has succeeded in convincing China to come to the negotiation table. Tariffs of 145% were unsustainable but served their purpose. The fact also is that Mr. Trump’s main grievance, of a ballooning trade deficit with China, remains unaddressed. The two sides have agreed to continue talks, which will be key in determining whether this seemingly intractable problem can be worked around or result in tensions again.

For India, this brings both uncertainties and certainties. If further talks between the U.S. and China are successful, investors who have moved to other countries will likely start viewing China favourably again. The advantages of manufacturing there — scale and costs — are still significant. The China+1 model, which India in any case has not been able to leverage adequately, might start to lose its sheen. The other uncertainty is around India’s own trade talks with the U.S. It has now informed the World Trade Organisation of potential reciprocal measures to the U.S.’s increased duties on steel and aluminium imports. Even though talks on a U.S.-India trade deal are ongoing, this latest statement shows that tensions remain high. The certainties are two-fold. The first is that India’s trade deficit with China remains vast and rising, and the U.S.-China agreement will not reduce this. ‘Make in India’ is currently inextricably linked to ‘Import from China’. The second certainty carries over from the first. The Centre must lean heavily on States to adopt labour and land reforms that can allow scalable manufacturing to become cost-effective here. Without this, India will remain dependent on Chinese imports, regardless of its dealings with the rest of the world.

1. Breather: a short break for rest or to relax
Synonyms: respite, recess
Antonyms: continuation, persistence

2. Cheered: shout loudly, in order to show support or praise for somebody, or to encourage them
Synonyms: applauded, praised
Antonyms: slammed, criticised

3. Varying: differing in size, amount, degree, or nature
Synonyms: varied, diverse
Antonyms: homogeneous, uniform

4. Acknowledging: accepting that something is true
Synonyms: recognising, admitting
Antonyms: contradicting, rejecting

5. Unsustainable: not able to be maintained at the current rate or level
Synonyms: unfeasible, nonviable
Antonyms: feasible, viable

6. Ballooning: rapidly increasing
Synonyms: mounting, burgeoning
Antonyms: diminishing, waning

7. Intractable: hard to control or deal with
Synonyms: demanding, thorny
Antonyms: effortless, straightforward

8. Leverage: to get as much advantage or profit as possible from something
Synonyms: exploit, harness
Antonyms: misuse, abuse

9. Potential: that can develop into something or be developed in the future
Synonyms: future, prospective
Antonyms: unlikely, impossible

Phrasal Verbs
10. Ratcheted up: increased, or made something increase

11. Backing down: admitting that you were wrong or that you have been defeated

Idiom
12. On the back of: soon after an earlier success, and as a result of it
13. Heavy-handed: using too much force in dealing with someone, or not giving them enough freedom to act as they want

Jargon
14. Trade deficit: A trade deficit occurs when a country imports more than it exports.

Join our exclusive Telegram group, where our experts are ready to answer all your queries, guide you in banking exam preparation, and give personalised tips to boost your success. Get access to real-time solutions, expert advice, and valuable resources to improve your study journey. [Click here to join now!]

• Sign Up on Practicemock for Updated Current Affairs, Topic Tests and Mini Mocks
• Sign Up Here to Download Free Study Material