Directions
(1-10): Each of the following questions has a paragraph followed by options
which will complete it as according to correct contextual meaning. From the
given options, choose the sentence that completes the paragraph in the most
appropriate way.
Q1.
What happens to our brains as we age is of crucial importance not just to
science but to public policy. By 2030, for example, 72 million people in the US
will be over 65, double the figure in 2000 and their average life expectancy
will likely have edged above 20 years. However, this demographic time-bomb
would be much less threatening if the elderly were looked upon as intelligent
contributors to society rather than as dependents in long-term decline.
(a) The idea that we get dumber as we
grow older is just a myth, according to brain research that will encourage
anyone old enough to know better.
(b) It is time we rethink what we mean
by the ageing mind before our false assumptions result in decisions and
policies that marginalize the old or waste precious public resources to
re-mediate problems that do not exist.
(c) Many of the assumptions scientists
currently make about ‘cognitive decline’ are seriously flawed and, for the most
part, formally invalid.
(d) Using computer models to simulate
young and old brains, Ramscar and his colleagues found they could account for
the decline in test scores simply by factoring in experience.
(e) None of the above
Q2. The
better behaviour resulting from smart devices is just one threat to the
insurance industry. Conventional risk pools (for home or car insurance, for
example) are shrinking as preventable accidents decline, leaving the slow-footed
giants of the industry at risk. Business is instead moving to digital-native
insurers, many of which are offering low premiums to those willing to collect
and share their data. Yet the biggest winners could be tech companies rather
than the firms that now dominate the industry. Insurance is increasingly
reliant on the use of technology to change behaviour; firms act as helicopter
parents to policyholders, warning of impending harm—slow down; reduce your
sugar intake; call the plumber—the better to reduce unnecessary payouts.
(a) The growing mountain of personal data available to individuals
and, crucially, to firms is giving those with the necessary processing power
the ability to distinguish between low-risk and high-risk individuals.
(b) Cheap sensors and the tsunami of
data they generate can improve our lives; black boxes in cars can tell us how
to drive more carefully and wearable devices will nudge us toward healthier
lifestyles.
(c) Yet this sort of relationship relies
on trust, and the Googles and Apples of the world, on which consumers rely
day-by-day and hour-by-hour, may be best placed to win this business.
(d) The uncertainty that underpins the
need for insurance is now shrinking thanks to better insights into individual
risks.
(e) None of the above
Q3. The
expenditure of time, money and sparse judicial and prosecutorial resources is
often justified by claims of a powerful deterrent message embodied in the
ultimate punishment- the death penalty. But studies repeatedly suggest that
there is no meaningful deterrent effect associated with the death penalty and
further, any deterrent impact is no doubt greatly diluted by the amount of time
that inevitably passes between the time of the conduct and the punishment. In
2010, the average time between sentencing and execution in the United States
averaged nearly 15 years.
(a) A single federal death penalty case
in Philadelphia was found to cost upwards of $10 million — eight times higher
than the cost of trying a death eligible case where prosecutors seek only life
imprisonment.
(b) The ethics of the issue aside, it is
questionable whether seeking the death penalty is ever worth the time and
resources that it takes to sentence someone to death.
(c) Apart from delaying justice, the
death penalty diverts resources that could be used to help the victims’
families heal.
(d) A much more effective deterrent
would be a sentence of life imprisonment imposed close in time to the crime.
(e) None of the above
Q4. The
Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has come out with the dismaying
prediction that the southwest monsoon this year will be below normal. If this
prognosis holds true, it may mar the prospects of redeeming the rabi crop
output losses through bumper harvests in the later kharif season. India’s farm
sector has certainly acquired a degree of resilience when it comes to the
monsoon – as reflected in the positive growth numbers in all the weak monsoon
years since 2009. However, monsoon rainfall and its distribution still remain
crucial.
(a)
They impact supplies and prices of most farm commodities, especially coarse
cereals, pulses, oilseeds, vegetables, fruit and livestock products, as well as
the rural sector demand for consumer goods.
(b) A poor monsoon and subsequent food
inflation might well throw off the Reserve Bank of India’s schedule for rate
cuts.
(c) Nevertheless, the first stage
monsoon forecast of the IMD should normally be taken with a pinch of salt, as
the weather agency’s accuracy record on this count is none too inspiring.
(d) The monsoon’s behavior this year
seems to bear out the notion that climate change is affecting the Indian
monsoon and altering its rainfall calendar.
(e) None of the above
Q5.
The underlying cause for the uncontrolled inflation in the key consumables of
the house hold is the failure of the government to do its job. Private players
offer services at usurious costs to meet the demands of a growing middle class
A. Who wish to pass their life
peacefully without getting engaged in much aspiration.
B. That is reeling under the
pressure of rising prices but anyhow trying to make both ends meet
C. Which aspires to move up
the ladder and secure a higher level of income.
D. Which is left with no
alternative but to manage by reducing its expenses on essential commodities
(a)
A
(b)
B
(c)
C
(d)
D
(e)
None of these
Q6. Non-residents are allowed to purchase shares or convertible debentures of
an Indian company up to the extent and subject to terms and conditions set out
under the FDI scheme. A person purchasing shares proposes to be
collaborator or proposes to acquire the entire share holding of a new Indian
company is required to obtain prior permission of the government
A.
if he has a previous venture or tie-up in India through investment in shares or
debentures.
B.
when he wants to invest as per the policy guidelines with the intention to keep
the money and transfer the same on conditional basis.
C.
if he likes to establish the company for the benefit of this country without
selling the shares in the international market and move forward.
D.
unless he is a non-resident Indian he may not be permitted to go for direct
investment in India.
(a)
A
(b)
B
(c)
C
(d)
D
(e)
None of these
Q7.
Canada’s reputation for financial regulation is starry. Its banks got through
the crisis unscathed. According to Moody’s, a ratings agency, Royal Bank of
Canada sits alongside HSBC and JPMorgan Chase in the top tier of global banks.
And Canadian policymakers are old hands at pulling “macro prudential” levers of
the sort
A.
that would bring financial discipline all over.
B.
which confirm to moral and ethical global banking system.
C.
now in vogue among rich-world central banks.
D.
now consistent enough among all the commercial banks as per the prevailing
international norms.
(a)
A
(b)
B
(c)
C
(d)
D
(e)
None of these
Q8.
Rupee has lost a fifth of its value against the dollar in the past year, reflecting
global woes but also a slowdown in India and a drying up of capital inflows.
Its decline is widely seen in India as a bad thing.
A.
stoking inflation and hurting firms with foreign-currency debt.
B.
stimulating vicious cycle of unemployment and pushing economy in reverse order.
C.
invoking trends of depression with declining production
D.
encouraging imports in the unfavourably running Balance of Trade economy
(a)
A
(b)
B
(c)
C
(d)
D
(e)
None of these
Q9.
Already Emirates Airlines is being called the ‘national airline’ of India, as
it operates more flights and carries more passengers to/from India than Air
India, our national carrier. More than 70% of the passengers carried by
Emirates Airlines, however, travel to points beyond Dubai, on Emirates’
network. Now, Abu Dhabi is also keen to emulate the success of Dubai and
Emirates Airlines, and is keen to establish Abu Dhabi as another hub airport on
the back of Etihad Airways,
A.
and for this reason, is aggressively seeking an increase in capacity
entitlements
B.
but Jet might find it tough to move ahead in this turmoil of political
jugglery
C.
however, the threat of losing business, if no substantial improvement is made,
is obvious for Air India
D.
although Etihad may prove to be a good achievement but the changing sky policy,
in this scenario will pull down the profits
(a)
A
(b)
B
(c)
C
(d)
D
(e)
None of these
Q10. Sufferings of an injured person would include his inability to lead a full
life, his incapacity to enjoy the normal amenities which he would have enjoyed
but for the injuries and his ability to earn as much as he used to earn or
could have earned. While computing compensation, the approach of the tribunal
or a court has to be broad based and sometimes it would involve some guesswork
A.
in view of the capacity of the person liable to pay the compensation
B.
the basis of which should be the volume of injuries and the incapacitation, the
victim suffered and other important factors
C.
as there cannot be any precise formula to determine the quantum of compensation
D.
depending upon the victim’s liabilities and earning capabilities that would
keep his family happy
(a)
A
(b)
B
(c)
C
(d)
D
(e)
None of these
Solutions
S1. Ans.(b)
Sol. This paragraph discusses the
growing aging populace and need to identify how they can be contributors to the
society. Choice (b) continues the line of thought about not wasting public
resources based on existing assumptions about cognitive decline with age.
Choice (d) is also eliminated right away
as it talks of a “decline in test scores”, the test not detailed here.
Choice (a) is incorrect as it doesn’t
talk of the aged in the society, just lays down the basic premise that they are
not on the path of mental decline. This would have been discussed before the
paragraph we are trying to complete begins.
Choice (c) builds on the idea discussed
by choice (a) and doesn’t fit as well as (b) to complete the paragraph.
S2. Ans.(c)
Sol. The main point of this paragraph is
that technology is producing some threats to the insurance industry, and that
tech companies could be the biggest winners in this.
Starting off by mentioning the threats,
the author has declared that “yet the biggest winners could be tech companies”
and, in justifying why so, he talks of how insurance is using technology to
change behaviour to reduce payouts.
Consider option A. This talks of how
data available to individuals and firms is helping them assess risk better. It
doesn’t carry forward the thought about helicopter parenting from the
penultimate line of the paragraph.
Option B talks of how smart devices are
helping improve lives and lifestyles. This substantiates the threat of “better
behaviour resulting from smart devices” that the author refers to while
starting the paragraph. It doesn’t conclude the paragraph.
Option D is ruled out as it talks of
reducing uncertainty due to better insights into risks. This is the basic
premise on which this paragraph is based, but does not conclude the given paragraph.
Option C talks of “this sort of relationship” and why the tech companies are
better placed to win business based on trust. This provides the reasoning for
why the author thinks tech companies are the biggest winners, so this is the
correct concluding line.
S3. Ans.(d)
Sol. This paragraph argues that
resources spent-time, money and judiciary resources- are justified on the basis
that the death penalty is a deterrent and questions whether it is indeed an
effective deterrent. The author argues that it isn’t, and says that any
deterrent impacts are diluted by the inordinate amount of time between the
sentencing and execution. The penultimate line talks of the 15 year gap between
sentencing and execution.
We see that option A talks of the cost
of handling a death penalty case. This is irrelevant to the main idea of this
paragraph- the deterrent effect of death penalty. So, this option is ruled out.
Option B again talks of the time and
resources involved. As seen before, this paragraph starts by asking whether the
resources spent have a deterrent effect. Option B is, therefore, ruled out.
Option C starts a new idea altogether,
i.e, how the resources used for the death penalty cases could be better
utilized. Again, this is not a conclusion for the given paragraph.
Option D is talks of a “much more
effective deterrent”. This is the correct concluding line for the paragraph, as
it ties in with the main idea of the paragraph of a punishment that is a
“powerful deterrent”.
S4. Ans.(a)
Sol. This paragraph starts with the
prediction of a poor monsoon and goes on to discuss the impact of this on
India’s farm sector. The penultimate line states that monsoon rainfall and its
distribution are still crucial. Crucial to whom, is the question. The paragraph
discusses India’s farm sector so we are discussing how the monsoon is still
crucial to the farm sector.
Now let us consider the options given.
Option A- This discusses the impact
“they” have on supplies and prices of most farm commodities and rural demand
for consumer goods. The penultimate line talks of monsoon rainfall and its
distribution. “They” could refer to these two factors. Hence option A seems to
be a good conclusion to the given paragraph.
Option B- This discusses the effect of
the poor monsoon and subsequent food inflation on RBI rate cuts. This statement
introduces a new, related idea, i.e, the indirect impact of the monsoon on
inflation and rate cuts. This cannot be the line that completes the given
paragraph, which is discussing the monsoon and India’s farm sector.
Option C- This talks of the accuracy of
IMD’s forecasts. It looks like a possible contender to complete the paragraph,
as the paragraph started with the prediction of a bad monsoon. However, this
statement refers to the “first stage monsoon forecast”, while there is no
indication in the given paragraph whether the forecast discussed is the first
stage one or the second stage forecast. Furthermore, the paragraph has focused
on the impact of a poor monsoon on the farm sector. The given statement does
not continue that line of thought.
Option D- This option talks of the
climate change and the possibility of that affecting the Indian monsoon. This
is a completely different idea and can hence be ruled out as the right choice.
S5. Ans.(c)
Sol. the para is macro based i.e. it is
based on overall increasing inflation and aspiration of middle class which
would like to improve the standard of living by securing a higher income by
putting in more hard work. So only option C. is correct.
S6. Ans.(a)
Sol. Explanation – the tone of the
paragraph clarifies and sets out all the terms, Option A goes to conclude the
paragraph. Other options despite being close are not appropriate.
S7. Ans.(c)
Sol. Now in vogue among rich –world
central banks refer to Royal Bank of Canada. Other options do not either refer
to paragraph or end it with meaningful conclusion.
S8. Ans.(a)
Sol. Losing rupee in terms of foreign
currency will surely increase inflation and the firms having foreign currency
loans on them shall have to pay more in terms of Rupee.
S9. Ans.(a)
Sol. The underlying principle to place
the last sentence of paragraph is that it should close the discussion in
Para. Any sentence leading the paragraph to any other idea will not be
correct. Hence, we must eliminate the options –B,C & D. A is
the right answer
S10. Ans.(c)
Sol. Except C all other are subjective thoughts and will require
further discussion while C closes the Para.
English Quizzes For SBI PO Mains 2023 - ...
