English Quizzes, for SBI PO, Clerk Prelims 2021 – 1st July

Directions (1-5): In each of the questions given below. Some sentences are given which may or may not be in sequence. Rearrange these sentences so that they make a coherent paragraph and choose the correct sequence as your choice. In question(s) where the first and the last sentence is numbered it means they are fixed and are not needed to be jumbled.

Q1. A. The Director walked into the room and took a look around the class
B. Mitch wanted to scream-the illogicality of the entire scene struck him dumb
C. The managers stared at him with the look of fear that no democratic country should tolerate in its people
D. Mitch walked out of the room – it was his irrevocable protest against an insensible and insensitive situation.
(a) ACBD
(b) BDAC
(c) BCAD
(d) ABCD
(e) CADB

Q2. A. An essay which appeals chiefly to the intellect is Francis Bacon’s ‘Of Studies’.
B. His careful tripartite division of studies expressed succinctly in aphoristic prose, demands the complete attention of the mind of the reader
C. He considers studies as they should be, for pleasure, for self-improvement, for business
D. He considers the evils of excess study: laziness affectation, and precocity.
(a) DCBA
(b) ABCD
(c) CDBA
(d) ACBD
(e) DABC

Q3. A. By reasoning we mean the mental process of drawing an inference front two or more statements or going from the inference to the statements which yield that inference.
B. So logical reasoning covers those types of questions which imply drawing an inference from the problems.
C. Logic means, if we take its original meaning, the science of valid reasoning
D. Clearly, for understanding arguments and for drawing the inference correctly it is necessary that we should understand the statements first.
(a) ACBD
(b) CABD
(c) ABCD
(d) DBCA
(e) CDAB

Q4. A. In rejecting the functionalism in positivist organization theory, either wholly or partially, there is often a move towards a political model of organization theory.
B. Thus, the analysis would shift to the power resources possessed by different groups in the organization and the way they use these resources in actual power plays to shape the organizational structure.
C. At the extreme, in one set of writings, the growth of administrators in the organization is held to be completely unrelated to the work to be done and to be caused totally by the political pursuit of self-interest.
D. The political model holds that individual interests are pursued in organizational life through the exercise of power and influence.
(a) ADBC
(b) CBAD
(c) DBCA
(d) ABDC
(e) BCDA

Q5. (i) Making people laugh is tricky.
A. At times, the intended humour may simply not come off.
B. Making people laugh while trying to sell them something is a tougher challenge, since the commercial can fall flat on two grounds.
C. There are many advertisements which do amuse but do no even begin to set the cash tills ringing.
D. Again, it is rarely sufficient for an advertiser simply to amuse the target audience in order to reap the sales benefit.
(vi) There are indications that in substituting the hard sell for a more entertaining approach, some agencies have rather thrown out the baby with the bath water.
(a) CDBA
(b) ABCD
(c) BADC
(d) DCBA
(e) DABC

Directions (6-10): Choose the word which is closest in meaning to the word BOLD as has been used in the sentence.

Q6. Person suffering from leukemia is really unfortunate because it is a chronic disease.
(a) deadly
(b) deep-rooted
(c) infectious
(d) incurable
(e) contagious

Q7. Due to the long lapse of time, I could not recognise my old friend.
(a) delay
(b) duration
(c) passage
(d) hours
(e) task

Q8. We must define our rights and duties to avoid any sort of collision with our colleagues.
(a) limit
(b) authorise
(c) demarcate
(d) device
(e) extent

Q9. Often a coalition government finds itself in a bind while taking any harsh decision.
(a) conflict
(b) problem
(c) indecision
(d) compulsion
(e) freedom

Q10. An MBA degree is compulsory before submitting the application for the job of an executive.
(a) necessary
(b) obligatory
(c) important
(d) indispensable
(e) prognostic

Directions (11-15): You are to choose from the given words below the two sentences, the word which has the same meaning and can be used in the same context as the BOLD part in both the sentences.

Q11. (i) He pulled the teapot towards the chair
(ii) The advocate wrote up an agreement for the partners.
(a) made
(b) drew
(c) dragged
(d) arranged
(e) hauled

Q12. (i) Alok was the first suspect in that case.
(ii) The driver decided to tune the engine before going to sleep that day.
(a) complete
(b) major
(c) counter
(d) buffer
(e) prime

Q13. (i) Sam’s ready wit often got him out of tight spots.
(ii) The tasks they did was so different that the difference was apparent.
(a) transparent
(b) clear
(c) sharp
(d) visible
(e) intelligible

Q14. (i) A special team of observers had been dispatched to appraise the situation.
(ii) Can you estimate the distance between the two sides of the river?
(a) predict
(b) guesstimate
(c) measure
(d) control
(e) gauge

Q15. (i) Repeated denial and criticism of a child makes him stubborn.
(ii) Because of unyielding approach of union leaders no agreement could be reached.
(a) firm
(b) adamant
(c) rebellious
(d) admonishing
(e) disturbing

Solutions

S1. Ans. (a)
Sol. Statement (A) should be the first sentence. After the director, the reactions of the managers should follow statement (C) and then the Mitch’s.

S2. Ans. (b)
Sol. Statement (A) is the first sentence. Statements (C) and (D) make a combination (purpose-evil).

S3. Ans. (b)
Sol. Statement (C) stands as the first sentence because the concept of reasoning given in it has been explained in statement (A). So, statements (C) and (A) make a combination.

S4. Ans. (a)
Sol. Statements (A) and (D) make a combination (political model) and they cannot be the last group because the basic theories of this model have been discussed in other sentences.

S5. Ans. (c)
Sol. Statements (D) and (C) make a combination as statement (C) explains (D) but they cannot come after statement (A).

S6. Ans. (b)
Sol. Chronic means (of an illness) persisting for a long time or constantly recurring. Deep-rooted means firmly embedded in thought, behaviour, or culture, and so having a persistent influence. Hence, they both are similar in meaning.

S7. Ans. (c)
Sol. Lapse means an interval or passage of time, while; passage means the action or process of moving through or past somewhere on the way from one place to another. Hence, they are synonyms of each other.

S8. Ans. (c)
Sol. Define means mark out the boundary or limits of. Demarcate means set the boundaries or limits of. Hence, they both are similar in meaning.

S9. Ans. (d)
Sol. Bind means impose a legal or contractual obligation on. Compulsion means the action or state of forcing or being forced to do something; constraint. Therefore, they are similar in meaning with each other.

S10. Ans. (b)
Sol. Compulsory means required by law or a rule; obligatory. Obligation means the condition of being morally or legally bound to do something. Therefore, they are similar in meaning to each other.

S11. Ans. (b)
Sol. Pulled means to exert force on (someone or something) so as to cause movement towards oneself. Wrote up means a written account, in particular a newspaper article giving an opinion or review of an event, performance, or product. Thus, they both can be substituted with “drew”.

S12. Ans. (e)
Sol. Prime means of first importance; main. However prime also means make (something) ready for use or action, in particular. Therefore, it can be substituted in place of the given phrase in bold.

S13. Ans. (c)
Sol. Sharp means having or showing speed of perception, comprehension, or response. Moreover, sharp also means (of an action or change) sudden and marked. Therefore, ‘sharp’ can be used to replace both the bolden phrases in the sentences.

S14. Ans. (e)
Sol. Gauge means judge or assess (a situation, mood, etc.). It also means the thickness, size, or capacity of something, especially as a standard measure, in particular. Thus it can be used interchangeably with phrases given in bold.

S15. Ans. (b)
Sol. Adamant means refusing to be persuaded or to change one’s mind. Thus, it can be substituted in place of the phrases given in bold.