English Questions for Dena Bank PO Exam 2017

Dear Aspirants, Sentence Correction is a topic quite dreaded by candidates taking the bank exams. Though the sheer number of concepts and rules may seem intimidating at first, with discipline and the right approach, it is not difficult to master these concepts and their application to questions. Through such quizzes, we will provide you all types of high-level questions to ace the Sentence Correction section of bank exams.

Directions (1-5): In the following questions a part of the sentence is highlighted in bold. five options are given for each question, you need to find the grammatically correct replacement from the given options.  

Q1. Menlo University‘s range of graduate programmes have been developed to fulfil your needs whether you intend to pursue a career in industry, business, government, NGOs or academia, and whatever your background.

(a) have been developed to fulfil your needs whether you intend to pursue a career in industry, business, government, NGOs or academia, and whatever

(b) has been developed to fulfil your needs if you intend to pursue a career in industry, business, government, NGOs or academia, or whatever

(c) have been developed for fulfilling your needs whether you intend to pursue a career in industry, business, government, NGOs or academia, and whatever

(d) has been developed to fulfil your needs whether you intend to pursue a career in industry, business, government, NGOs or academia, and whatever

(e) has been developed to fulfil your needs whether one intends to pursue a career in industry, business, government, NGOs or academia, or whatever

Q2. Nutritionists suggest that we should replace chips and sweetened soft drinks with healthier raw veggies, fruits, whole-grain biscuits and low-fat cheese.

(a) we should replace chips and sweetened soft drinks with healthier raw veggies, fruits, whole-grain biscuits and low-fat cheese.

(b) one replaces chips and sweetened soft drinks for healthier raw veggies, fruits, whole-grain biscuits and low- fat cheese.

(c) we replace chips and sweetened soft drinks with healthier raw veggies, fruits, whole-grain biscuits and low-fat cheese.

(d) us replace chips and sweetened soft drinks with healthier raw veggies, fruits, whole-grain biscuits or low-fat cheese.

(e) we replace chips as well as sweetened soft drinks with healthier raw veggies including fruits, whole-grain biscuits and low-fat cheese.

Q3. Watching the TV or working on the computer leads to overeating.

(a) Watching the TV or working on the computer leads to overeating

(b) Watching the TV or working on the computer lead to overeating

(c) To watch the TV and to work on the computer leads to overeating

(d) Watching the TV and working on the computer leads to overeating

(e) Watching the TV or to work on the computer leads to overeating

Q4. Trend Global is a company that will give its staff a 10 per cent pay hike, allows scooter rides in campus and even a massage facility.

(a) will give its staff a 10 per cent pay hike, allows scooter rides in campus and even a massage facility

(b) gives its staff a 10 per cent pay hike, allows scooter rides in campus and even offers a massage facility

(c) is giving its staff a 10 per cent pay hike in addition to allowing scooter rides in campus and is even offering a massage facility

(d) gives its staff a 10 per cent pay hike, allow scooter rides in campus and even offer a massage facility

(e) will give its staff a 10 per cent pay hike, allow scooter rides in campus and even offers a massage facility

Q5. Upset over the high-handedness of the security agencies, the Police Chief expressed his displeasure to the government.

(a) Upset over the high-handedness of the security agencies, the Police Chief expressed his displeasure to the government.

(b) Upset over the high-handedness of the security agencies, the displeasure of the Police Chief was expressed to the government.

(c) Being that he was upset over the high-handedness of the security agencies, the Police Chief expressed his displeasure to the government.

(d) Upset from the high-handedness of the security agencies, the Police Chief expressed his displeasure to the government.

(e) The high-handedness of the security agencies upsetting him, the Police Chief expressed his displeasure to the government.

Directions (6-10): In each question, there are five sentences or parts of sentences that form a paragraph. Identify the sentence(s) or part(s) of sentence(s) that is/are correct in terms of grammar and usage (including spelling, punctuation and logical consistency). Then, choose the most appropriate option.

Q6. A. I’ve had a intense year.

B. Due to the book launch and movie release, I’ve been out there on display,

C. focusing too much on the external world.

D. Its time to look within, get in touch with myself again and create something new.

E. As part of that, I have to stop the blog, interacting with media and other events.

(a) A only 

(b) A and B

(c) A and E

(d) C only

(e) B and C

Q7. A. Now setting up Microsoft Project Manager to work with your company’s existing

B. IT infrastructure can be a complicated task.

C. Systems will have to replace to make them compatible, space has to be allocated 

D. for new hardware and there are considerable cost in implementing a desirable system.

E. A data center has to be setup and your IT department has to complete all this in addition to their normal duties.

(a) A only

(b) B only

(c) B and E

(d) C only

(e) B and D

Q8. A. We are heading into an age in which jobs are 

B. likely to be invented and made obsolete faster and faster.

C. The chances of today’s college kids working in the same jobs for the same companies for their whole careers is about zero.

D. In such a age, the greatest survival skill you can have is the ability to learn how to learn.

E. The best way to learn how to learn is to love to learn, and the best way to love to learn is to have teachers who inspire.

(a) A only

(b) A and B

(c) A, B and E

(d) B and C only

(e) C and D

Q9. A. A New Zealand company called HortResearch is a world renowned fruit science company,

B. and they develop a unique and innovative fruit and food products for sustainability.

C. One of their previous innovative technologies were in developing a bio sensor to measure the hormone levels in saliva.

D. This can be monitored in real time and also adopted to sports.

E. Right now, it is investigating technologies for measuring biochemical indicators of stress and performance in real time.

(a) A only

(b) A and B

(c) A and E

(d) E only

(e) A, C and E

Q10. A. Maragadavalli was running her father’s household ever since her mother had died when she was 13.

B. It took a long time for her family to settle down after that, and she was 26 by the time she had got married.

C. With 13 years of running a household under her belt, she married into a family meticulously run by mother-in-law.

D. She liked the fact that there were servant maids to help with the housework.

E. She had very less to do around the house except cut vegetable and wait for her husband to come back from work.

(a) A only

(b) A and D

(c) A and E

(d) D only

(e) A, C and E

Directions (11-15): In the following, there are sentences or parts of sentence labelled A, B, C, D and E. Choose for your answer the fragment that carries an Error. Ignore punctuation error, if any. 

Q11. A. And its equally important to spread the news about companies that treat working parents

B. with fairness and respect, so that we all can try to work at these companies,

C. and send a message to others treating working parents

D. justly is a valuable employee recruitment and retention advantage.

E. No error

(a) A

(b) B

(c) C

(d) D

(e) E

Q12. A. I’ve been in Delhi for four days now

B. and so far the stay had been uneventful,

C. barring a stray incident

D. where I walked into a lamppost and then walked around Connaught Place

E. with a bloody nose.

(a) A

(b) B

(c) C

(d) D

(e) E

Q13. A. To be a citizen is to possess the rights

B. enshrined in our constitution,

C. and equally, the obligation of duty.

D. When one citizen upholds an individual right for another,

E. he enacts his duty to himself.

(a) A

(b) B

(c) C

(d) D

(e) E

Q14. A. This study takes its place alongside earlier research showing

B. that kids who are allowed to serve their own food

C. take smaller portions that they would typically be served

D. and ate 25 percentage less, and that kids tend to eat more

E. when the portions on their plates have been double.

(a) A

(b) B

(c) C

(d) D

(e) E

Q15. A. Sixty years is too small a period to acquire new civilizational traits.

B. and to mould our DNA. When that happens, we will automatically

C. realize the importance of the rule of law, the true meaning of freedom and democracy

D. and then we will behave like citizens who will not allow anyone

E. to sell their votes, and MPs will not be on sold.

(a) A

(b) B

(c) C

(d) D

(e) E

S1. Ans.(d)

Sol. A - Singular Range‘ will take singular has‘ and not plural have‘.

B - the usage of if‘ is incorrect since if‘ should be used only while making a conditional

statement and whether‘ should be used to evaluate alternatives. The usage of or‘ is also

incorrect since the two events are mutually exclusive, hence we need and‘ to make the

meaning clear. 

C - Singular Range‘ will take singular has‘ and not plural have‘. For fulfilling‘ is unidiomatic

E - your‘ needs is not parallel with one‘ intends. The usage of or‘ is also incorrect.

S2. Ans.(c)

Sol. Concepts Tested – Redundancy

A - The use of suggest‘ and should‘ in the same sentence is an error of redundancy.

B – Replaces‘ is incorrect since we need replace‘. Also you replace one thing with‘ another

and not for‘ another.

D – The use of us‘ is incorrect since the sentence needs the subject form we‘ and not the

object form 'us‘ 

E – Unnecessarily wordy

S3. Ans.(a)

Sol. Concepts Tested – SV Agreement, Parallelism

B - Since the connector is or‘ the subject is either watching‘ or working‘ , hence the verb should be singular leads‘ and not plural lead‘. 

C & D are incorrect because the connector is and‘ so the subject is both watching‘ and

working‘, hence the verb should be the plural lead‘ and not the singular leads‘.

E - watching‘ is not parallel with to work‘. 

S4. Ans.(b)

Sol. Concepts Tested – Parallelism, Wordiness

In this sentence, three things need to be made parallel – pay hike, scooter rides and

massage facility. B gets it right. 

A – ‘give‘ is not parallel with allows‘

C – Too wordy. is giving‘ is not needed since it is not an action that is ongoing at the

moment. 

D – gives‘ is not parallel with allow‘

E – give‘ and allow‘ are not parallel with offers‘

S5. Ans.(a)

Sol. Concepts Tested – Modification, Idiom

B – The modifying phrase at the beginning of the sentence refers to the police chief and not

to his displeasure‘ 

C – Being‘ is redundant and awkward 

D – Upset from‘ is unidiomatic, the correct idiom is upset over‘.

E – The phrase at the beginning of the sentence has a very awkward construction

S6. Ans.(e)

Sol. B and C. A is incorrect – it should be an intense year. In D it’s is needed instead of its. E has a parallelism error. “to stop the blog, media interactions and other events” would be correct with all the items in the series as nouns.

S7. Ans.(b)

Sol. B only. A is incorrect because there should be a comma after introductory adverbs like now. (Now the trouble began is correct – now is not an introductory word.) B is correct. C is incorrect – systems will have to replace should read as to be replaced. D is incorrect. It should there are considerable costs. E is incorrect IT department is singular (the verb has is correct) but the pronoun ‘their’ is incorrect. The pronoun should be its.

S8. Ans.(c)

Sol. A, B and E are correct. ‘head into’ is idiomatically correct. (Motorola is heading into an abyss) C is incorrect because ‘chances’ needs a plural verb – the sentence has is. In such a age is incorrect – it should be “an age”.

S9. Ans.(c)

Sol. A and E only. B is incorrect – the pronoun “they” is inconsistent with HortResearch which is singular, also, “a unique and innovative fruit and food products” should be corrected to “unique and innovative fruit and food products”. C is incorrect “one of their” is inconsistent with HortResearch, and one of previous innovative technologies is singular, hence the verb should be was and not were. D is incorrect because adopt is confused with adapt. A and E are correct.

S10. Ans.(d)

Sol. D only. A has a tense error – when since is used as conjunction to show the time the perfect tense is a must. The sentence should read “Maragadavalli had been running her father’s household ever since …”. Also there is ambiguity in “ … mother had died when she was 13.” B also has a tense error. “By the time she got married” rather than “she had got married” – the unnecessary shift in tense makes the sentence meaningless. E is incorrect. The intensifier ‘very’ is used incorrectly with the comparative less, it should read very little rather than very less.

S11. Ans.(a)

Sol. It’s should be used instead of its in the first part of the sentence.

S12. Ans.(d)

Sol. D should read as ‘in which I walked into …’ or ‘when I walked into …’

S13. Ans.(d)

Sol. the preposition ‘for’ should be corrected to ‘of’ – ‘right of another’, rather than ‘right for another’

S14. Ans.(d)

Sol. 25 percentage less is erroneous – 25 percent less is correct usage. Use the word “percent” with number; use “percentage” without using a number. 

For example: 50 percent children, and a considerable percentage of children.

S15. Ans.(e)

Sol. We will not allow anyone to sell their votes has a problem in pronoun agreement, anyone is singular hence he or she should be used rather than the plural their. Sixty years as period is singular, hence the singular verb is correct. 

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English Questions for Dena Bank PO Exam 2017

Dear Aspirants, It's the exams times. You have many exams lined up such as  Dena Bank PO, RBI Grade- B scheduled in the upcoming days or months. Recently, New Pattern English Questions have been asked in many exams. So, we are providing these 15 English Questions, which are high in difficulty level, Practice and test your understanding of English language.

Directions (1-10): In the following passage, some of the words have been left out. First read the passage over and try to understand what it is about. Then fill in the blanks with the help of the alternatives given. 

Even by the standards of Latin America’s relatively ____1.____politics, there seem to be few parallels in recent memory to the brutally authoritarian rule of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who has plunged a prosperous nation into complete paralysis. But Mr. Maduro seems in no mood to mend his ways, even after the ____2.____move in March to nullify the popularly elected Parliament drew strong rebuke from regional allies as well as the international community. Of course, few believed then that such____3.____of the Supreme Court’s aborted dissolution of the nation’s highest democratic institution would result in a rethink on Mr. Maduro’s overall approach. In a coldly calculated move, the government in April disqualified Henrique Capriles, seen to be a key ____4.____for the 2018 presidential election, from holding public office for 15 years. The move was ____5.____of the bar on another opposition politician by former President Hugo Chávez. The current____6.____, unfazed by the groundswell of resistance against its dictatorial rule, has persisted in deploying the security forces to ____7.____violence and terrorise protesters. Any number of broken families have been witness to the horrors of routine abduction of young activists and murder of opposition leaders in the last few years. Instances are legion of Mr. Maduro’s ____8.____for the rule of law and the will of the people since the victory of the Opposition-dominated National Assembly in the December 2015 general elections.
In fact, a month after those polls, an economic emergency was declared, ____9.____powers in the President’s office. Mr. Maduro’s policy of a ____10.____ clampdown touched a low when a signature campaign to exercise the citizens’ constitutionally enshrined right to recall the President was crushed.

Q1.
(a) erectile
(b) quintile
(c) volatile
(d) quartile
(e) immobile

Q2.
(a) controversial
(b) influential
(c) broken
(d) abbatial
(e) denial

Q3.
(a) accommodation
(b) condemnation
(c) beauty
(d) judgement
(e) verdict

Q4.
(a) lock
(b) term
(c) role
(d) chief
(e) contender

Q5.
(a) below
(b) reminiscent
(c) aware
(d) built
(e) fearful

Q6.
(a) affairs
(b) regime
(c) news
(d) topic
(e) debate

Q7.
(a) unleash
(b) do
(c) extreme
(d) very
(e) dreadfully

Q8.
(a) respect
(b) view
(c) point
(d) contempt
(e) order

Q9.
(a) giving
(b) potential
(c) concentrating
(d) political
(e)central

Q10.
(a) minister
(b) ruthless
(c) nation
(d) evoking
(e) revoking

Directions (11-15): In the following questions, choose the grammatically incorrect sentence from among the four options given for each question. 

Q11.
(a) Mycobacterium bovis is emerging as an important pathogen of free-ranging wildlife in which it is a potential source of infection for domestic animals and a threat to valuable wildlife species.
(b) This review examines the procedures for the detection, diagnosis and management of M. bovis in wildlife populations.
(c) The ante-mortem detection of M. bovis infection in wildlife is difficult, due to the common occurrence of subclinical infections and the deficiencies of the currently available diagnostic tests.
(d) Serological tests are insensitive, while tests measuring cell-mediated immune responses show promise, but has not been sufficiently developed for routine use in most species.
(e) The diagnosis of M. bovis in free-ranging wildlife relies on post-mortem examination supported by histopathology and microbiology.

Q12.
(a) The diagnosis of M. bovis in free-ranging wildlife relies on post-mortem examination supported by histopathology and microbiology.
(b) A feature of M. bovis infections is the variation in the appearance and distribution of lesions in the different host species.
(c) Bacterial culture remains the gold standard for diagnosis of tuberculosis, while histopathology is limited by the frequent inability for distinguish lesions caused by M. bovis from those produced by other mycobacterial species.
(d) Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fingerprinting and advanced typing techniques are increasingly being used to unravel the epidemiology of mycobacterial infections, including tuberculosis in free-ranging wildlife.
(e) An understanding of the epidemiology is essential if procedures are to be developed for the management of tuberculosis in wildlife.

Q13.
(a) For most children, particularly younger children, it is difficult to understand the nature of a large number of objects in a group.
(b) They usually cannot relate very well to the concept of an entire species of animals or even to the concept of animals at the level of a living group such as a herd, troop or pack.
(c) On the other hand, children are very good at forming attachment and understanding with a single animal, as is well exemplify by the bond rapidly formed between a child and a family pet.
(d) It is the function of the present invention to allow a child to form a similar, although more vicarious, bond with a specific wild animal.
(e) The invention herein provides the child with information and activities which allow that type of bond to form, in the same manner that a child engages in activities and obtains information about the life of the family pet.

Q14.
(a) With steady increase in the number of working women, they have gained financial independence, which has given them confidence to lead their own lives and build their own identity.
(b) They are successfully taking up diverse professions to proof that they are second to none in any respect.
(c) But while doing so, women also take care to strike a balance between their commitment to their profession as well as their home and family.
(d) They are playing multiple roles of a mother, daughter, sister, wife and a working professional with remarkable harmony and ease.
(e) With equal opportunities to work, they are functioning with a spirit of team work to render all possible co-operation to their male counterparts in meeting the deadlines and targets set in their respective professions.

Q15.
(a) While using advances in technology for genetic research, scientists have unexpectedly found new species of animals.
(b) The new species have not previously been classified because it looks the same as other species.
(c) But research reveals that these identical looking animals are so unlike in other ways that they are of separate species.
(d) The scientific literature reported 2,207 discoveries of such cryptic animal species between 1978 and 2006.
(e) Intensively researched or biologically diverse areas are where most cryptic animals have been noticed.

SOLUTIONS

S1. Ans.(c)

Sol. volatile means tending or threatening to break out into open violence, so it fits in the context correctly.

S2. Ans.(a)

Sol. controversial fits in the context correctly.

S3. Ans.(b)

Sol. condemnation means an act of expressing an unfavourable or adverse judgment, so it fits in the context correctly.

S4. Ans.(e)

Sol. contender means the one who struggles in opposition, so it fits in the context correctly.

S5. Ans.(b)

Sol. reminiscent means awakening memories of something similar, so it fits in the context correctly.

S6. Ans.(b)

Sol. regime means a mode or system of rule or government, so it fits in the context correctly.

S7. Ans.(a)

Sol. unleash means to run at will, so it fits in the context correctly.

S8. Ans.(d)

Sol. contempt is the feeling with which a person regards anything considered mean, so it fits in the context correctly.

S9. Ans.(c)

Sol. concentrating fits in the context correctly.

S10. Ans.(b)

Sol. ruthless means cruel or merciless, so it fits in the context correctly.

S11. Ans.(d)

Sol. “has not been” is used for Serological tests, tests being plural will go with "have", not "has".

S12. Ans.(c)

Sol. "for distinguish" makes no sense. "to distinguish" is grammatically correct.

S13. Ans.(c)

Sol. (c) is gramatically incorrect because you have to use third form of the verb “exemplify”, not first.

S14. Ans.(b)

Sol. "to proof them" is wrong as we need to use verb "prove" here, not noun "proof".

S15. Ans.(b)

Sol. Sol. "it looks" does not fit in as species of animals are being talked about. So, we need to consider the plural sense and use "they look" there.

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English Questions for SBI Mains PO 2017

Directions (1-5): For each of the following questions, a part or the whole of the original sentence has been highlighted in bold. You have to find the best way of writing the bold part of the sentence. Option A repeats the bold part, if the bold part is grammatically correct then choose option A.

Q1. Whereas in mammals the tiny tubes that convey nutrients to bone cells are arrayed in parallel lines, in birds the tubes form a random pattern.

(a) Whereas in mammals the tiny tubes that convey nutrients to bone cells are arrayed in parallel lines, in birds the tubes

(b) Whereas the tiny tubes for the conveying of nutrients to bone cells are arrayed in mammals in parallel lines, birds have tubes that

(c) Unlike mammals, where the tiny tubes for conveying nutrients to bone cells are arrayed in parallel lines, birds’ tubes

(d) Unlike mammals, in whom the tiny tubes that convey nutrients to bone cells are arrayed in parallel lines, the tubes in birds

(e) Unlike the tiny tubes that convey nutrients to bone cells, which in mammals are arrayed in parallel lines, in birds the tubes

Q2. Joachim Raff and Giacomo Meyerbeer are examples of the kind of composer who receives popular acclaim while living, often goes into decline after death, and never regains popularity again.

(a) often goes into decline after death, and never regains popularity again

(b) whose reputation declines after death and never regains its status again

(c) but whose reputation declines after death and never regains its former status

(d) who declines in reputation after death and who never regained popularity again 

(e) then has declined in reputation after death and never regained popularity

Q3. In no other historical sighting did Halley’s Comet cause such a worldwide sensation as did its return in 1910-1911.

(a) did its return in 1910-1911.

(b) had its 1910-1911 return

(c) in its return of 1910-1911

(d) its return of 1910-1911 did

(e) its return in 1910-1911

Q4. The company announced that its profits declined much less in the second quarter that analysts had expected it to and its business will improve in the second half of the year.

(a) had expected it to and its business will improve 

(b) had expected and that its business would improve

(c) expected it would and that it will improve its business

(d) expected them to and its business would improve

(e) expected and that it will have improved its business

Q5. Rock samples taken from the remains of an asteroid about twice the size of the 6-mile-wide asteroid that eradicated the dinosaurs has been dated to be 3.47 billion years old and thus is evidence of the earliest known asteroid impact on Earth.

(a) has been dated to be 3.47 billion years old and thus is

(b) has been dated at 3.47 billion years old and thus 

(c) have been dated to be 3.47 billion years old and thus are

(d) have been dated as being 3.47 billion years old and thus

(e) have been dated at 3.47 billion years old and thus are

Directions (6-10): The following questions are based on the reasoning contained in brief statements or passages. For some questions, more than one of the choices could conceivably answer the question. However, you are to choose the best answer; that is, the response that most accurately and completely answer the question. You should not make assumptions that are by commonsense standards implausible, superfluous, or incompatible with the passage.

Q6. It has taken almost two years since the collapse of Lehman Brothers, and more than three years since the beginning of the global recession brought on by the financial sector’s misdeeds for the United States and Europe finally to reform financial regulation. Perhaps we should celebrate the regulatory victories in both Europe and the United States. After all, there is almost universal agreement that the crisis the world is facing today—and is likely to continue to face for years—is a result of the excesses of the deregulation movement begun under Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan 30 years ago. Unfettered markets are neither efficient nor stable. 

Which of the following follows logically from the argument?

(a) Reason triumphs over ideology and interests.

(b) There is an important role for government to play in the economy.

(c) In a severe downturn, monetary policy is likely to be ineffective.

(d) Deregulation is necessary for the market forces to correct themselves.

(e) Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan were failures.

Q7. Stem cell therapy, the most promising treatment is autologous—where patients’ own cells are harvested and re-introduced into their body. Animal studies have indicated that injecting stem cells directly into organs is safe. Positive effects have been shown for the treatment of conditions including heart attacks and urinary incontinence. Many scientists hope stem cell therapy can be used to treat a wide range of diseases. 

Which of the following, if true, belies the hope of the scientists?

(a) There is a wide gap between scientific knowledge and clinical translation for safe and effective stem cell-based therapies.

(b) The only patient who had received autologous treatment suffered tissue damage and died from an infection.

(c) Autologous treatment was found to have led to the development of blood vessel and bone marrow masses at the place of injection.

(d) The scientists hope is based on premature enthusiasm and protocols that are not fully vetted.

(e) None of the above

Q8. Professor Capecchi, Nobel Prize-winning scientist says it could be tougher than first thought to harness the healing power of stem cells in medicine. It had been hoped a single “master” cell could potentially be used to repair all damage in a single organ. Professor Mario Capecchi, from the University of Utah, said that stem cell biology could be “more complicated” than previously thought, which could be bad news for patients hoping for the swift arrival of new stem cell therapies. 

Which of the following, if true, helps best to strengthen the claim of the scientist?

(a) Unlike the majority of cells in the body, stem cells have special qualities.

(b) Stem cells not only reproduce themselves, but can produce a wide variety of the cells.

(c) It was believed that a uniform stem cell population was contained in each organ.

(d) Different stem cells are thought to be working together in the same organ.

(e) Embryonic stem cell research is mired in controversy.

Q9. The brain naturally distorts body image—a finding which could explain eating disorders like anorexia, say experts. People tend to think that their hands are wider and their fingers are shorter than they truly are. The confusion may lie in the way the brain receives information from different parts of the body. Distorted perception may dominate in some people, leading to body image problems. This may be relevant to psychiatric conditions involving body image such as anorexia nervosa, as there may be a general bias towards perceiving the body to be wider than it is.

Which if the following most seriously weakens the above argument?

(a) Dangerously underweight people generally desire to put on more weight.

(b) People tend to judge their hands leaner and legs fatter than actually are.

(c) People have an accurate knowledge of where all parts of the body are in space even when the eyes are closed.

(d) People generally have a conscious and clear visual image of their body parts.

(e) Dangerously overweight people sometimes desire to put on more weight.

Q10. Euro MPs have backed plans for more uniform food labeling in the EU, but they rejected “traffic light” color coding of foods. MEPs opted for Guideline Daily Amounts (GDAs), instead of red warning labels for foods seen as unhealthy because they are high in fat, sugar or salt. Some food producers lobbied intensively against color coding, fearing it would demonize their products. The MEPs’ vote could lead to new food labels in three to five years’ time. “Traffic light” coding is already used by some supermarkets and the idea is backed by the European Consumers’ Organization BEUC. 

Which of the following can be validly concluded form the above?

(a) Shoppers find the system of labeling of foods called “traffic light” color coding useful.

(b) MEPs rejection of the “traffic light” color coding of foods was to favor the food producers lobby.

(c) The rejection of “traffic lights” color coding of foods makes it clear that MEPs won’t stand for people being misled by food packaging.

(d) The new food labels will have key nutritional information about salt, fat and sugar content and GDAs.

(e) More amendments are likely to the legislation on food labeling.

Directions (11-15): Each question below consists of a word, followed by five words or phrases. Choose the word or phrase that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the word.Since some of the questions require you to distinguish fine shades of meaning, be sure to consider all the choices before deciding which one is best.

Q11. obnoxious

(a) pleasant

(b) friendly

(c) harmonious

(d) caustic

(e) agreeable

Q12. sedulous

(a) diligent

(b) persevering

(c) cursory

(d) trying

(e) seductive

Q13. precocious

(a) intelligent

(b) bright

(c) gifted

(d) talented

(e) nincompoop

Q14. cryptic

(a) enigmatic

(b) evident

(c) puzzling

(d) hidden 

(e) obscure

Q15. evanescent

(a) transient

(b) fleeting

(c) bypass

(d) enduring

(e) fragrant

Solutions

S1. Ans.(a)

Sol. Idiom; Rhetorical construction; Parallelism

“Whereas” introduces two contrasting situations or events and should be followed by parallel structures. In this sentence, whereas is immediately followed by a clause beginning with the prepositional phrase in mammals; this means that the second part of the sentence must also be a clause that opens with a preposition that functions in the same way – in this case, in birds. This structure clarifies that the things being contrasted are the tubes in mammals and the tubes in birds. In correct versions of the sentence grammatically contrast tubes and birds, mammals and tubes, or birds and mammals.

(a) Correct. Parallel structures make clear that the tubes in mammals are being contrasted with the tubes in birds.

S2. Ans.(c)

Sol. Verb tense; Parallelism

Faulty parallelism in the relative clause who receives … goes … regains … makes it unclear who or what is being describing. The original clause begins by describing a certain kind of composer. As written, with who as the subject of goes and regains, the last two descriptions illogically continue to refer to the kind of composer. Logically it must be the reputation that declines after the composer’s death.

(c) Correct. This sentence presents the proper logic while maintaining parallel structure and consistent verb tense.

S3. Ans.(c)

Sol. Parallelism; Verb form; Logical predication

The single subject of this sentence is Halley’s Comet, and its single verb phrase is did cause. The comparison presented by the sentence is between adverbial phrases describing times when the comet was seen. Grammatically, the items being compared are parallel prepositional phrases beginning with the preposition in: in no other sighting and in its return in 1910-1911. This is the clearest, most economical way of presenting the information. The options that introduce a second verb (did or had) violate that parallelism and introduce a comparison between the comet itself (subject of the verb did cause) and the comet’s return (subject of the verb did or had).

(c) Correct. The parallel prepositional phrases in this sentence correctly compare times when the comet was sighted.

S4. Ans.(b)

Sol. Parallelism, verb tense, antecedent

The original sentence has three problems. The sentence must clarify that the analysts held their expectations before the company’s announcement. That is, it must use the past perfect had expected to show action prior to the past tense of announced. The sentence must also use would rather than will for the company’s uncertain business improvement in the future. Secondly, the use of the singular pronoun it to refer to plural profits is incorrect. Finally, two parallel clauses are needed because the company made two announcements: one about the decline of profits and one about the future of its business.

(b) Correct. Removal of it to avoids the error in grammar and eliminates unnecessary words in this sentence. The addition of that before its business would creates another parallel clause associated with announced and clarifies that there is a second announcement. Finally, this sentence properly uses had expected and would.

S5. Ans.(e)

Sol. Agreement; Idiom

The plural subject of this sentence, Rock samples, requires plural verb phrases – have been dated and are rather than has been dated and is. The idiomatic way of expressing estimation of age is with the phrase dated at.

(e) Correct. The plural verbs match the plural subject, and the wording of the sentence is idiomatic. 

S6. Ans.(b)

Sol. Option (b). “crisis the world is facing today—and is likely to continue to face for years—is a result of the excesses of the deregulation.” The background to this is the introduction of financial regulations in the America and Europe. Hence it can be concluded that the writer believes that government interference is necessary—as free markets are neither efficient nor stable. Option (b) states just his as the conclusion.

S7. Ans.(b)

Sol. Option (b). We need to find an instance where the hope of the scientists needs to be weakened. The proof of the only patient who received the treatment suffering tissue damage (the injection of stem cells is for the purpose of tissue building) must necessarily dampen the confidence/hope of the scientists—simply, the treatment has produced opposite results—evidence against. In fact, all the options help to belie the hope. But only one option scores are required to rank them. Option (a) is general. Option (c) needs explanation about blood vessel and bone marrow—we cannot make sense of it. Option (d) is also general. Hence option (b) scores.

S8. Ans.(d)

Sol. Option (d). The argument that we have to strengthen is the contrary view held by the Nobel Prize winner to the earlier view that “It had been hoped a single “master’ cell could potentially be used to repair all damage in a single organ. Professor Mario Capecchi, from the University of Utah, said that stem cell biology could be ‘more complicated.’” Reinforcing Mario Capecchi’s view, option (d) attacks the “single master” hypothesis. Other options are irrelevant to this argument.

S9. Ans.(a)

Sol. Option (a). The only option where people seems to have an accurate body image is when people who are thin want to put on weight. Hence option (a) weakens the argument. Options (b) and (e) prove that they have distorted image. Options (c) and (d) are not related to space and visual image (shape) and not related to size. Hence option (a) is the answer.

S10. Ans.(a)

Sol. Option (a). Option (b) is a possibility and not a valid conclusion. Option (c), in effect, is the opposite of option (b), also not a valid conclusion. Similarly, options (d) and (e) too cannot be concluded. The part about supermarkets already using the “traffic lights” system and the backing it enjoys from the consumers point to the fact that consumers find the system useful, hence option (a).

S11. Ans.(a)

Sol. obnoxious-extremely unpleasant.

caustic-sarcastic in a scathing and bitter way.

After looking at all the options, we can see option A (pleasant) is the antonym of the given word-obnoxious.

S12. Ans.(c)

Sol. sedulous-(of a person or action) showing dedication and diligence.

cursory-hasty and therefore not thorough or detailed.

Hence, sedulous and cursory are antonyms in meaning.

S13. Ans.(e)

Sol. precocious-(of a child) having developed certain abilities or inclinations at an earlier age than is usual or expected.

nincompoop-a foolish or stupid person.

hence, nincompoop and precocious are antonyms.

S14. Ans.(b)

Sol. cryptic-having a meaning that is mysterious or obscure.

evident-clearly seen or understood; obvious.

hence, evident and cryptic are antonyms.

S15. Ans.(d)

Sol. evanescent-soon passing out of sight, memory, or existence; quickly fading or disappearing.

enduring-lasting over a period of time; durable.

hence, enduring and evanescent are antonyms

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English Questions for SBI Mains PO 2017

Dear Aspirants, you have many exams lined up such as  SBI PO, Dena Bank PO, RBI Grade- B scheduled in the upcoming days or months. Recently, New Pattern English Questions have been asked in many exams. So, we are providing these 15 English Questions, which are high in difficulty level, Practice and test your understanding of English language.

Directions (1-10): Replace the highlighted words in the given sentences with the appropriate synonym.

Q1. The intent of the innovation is to obviate the time spent in converting writing to speech and vice versa in class.

(a) actuate

(b) aggregate

(c) preclude

(d) occlude

(e) decimal 

Q2. The concept of punishment has become a virtual taboo; it is regarded as primitive, atavistic, an uneducated desire for vengeance, and a throwback to an uncivilized age.

(a) regressive

(b) deficient

(c) emergent

(d) fallible

(e) entrenched

Q3. Dissociation is a method by which the personality utilizes one part of the organism independently of the antagonistic trends of the personality.

(a) hypocritical 

(b) illimitable

(c) litigious

(d) adversarial

(e) maudlin

Q4. Her family is a storied one, albeit the kind of stories that involved yellow journalism, character assassination, political manipulation and gossip mongering.

(a) mettlesome

(b) chronicled

(c) sinuous

(d) privileged

(e) initiating

Q5. Mill’s concern for the status of women dovetails with the rest of his thought-it is not a disconnected issue.

(a) interlocks

(b) cuts

(c) intersects

(d) stultifies

(e) resonates

Q6. Picasso is generally considered in his technical virtuosity, enormous versatility, and incredible originality and prolificity to have been the foremost figure in 20th–century art.

(a) tenacity

(b) utility

(c) temerity

(d) veracity

(e) fecundity

Q7. The persistence of explicit bias in contemporary culture has led some critics to maintain that implicit bias is of secondary concern. But hundreds of studies of implicit bias show that its effects can be equally insidious.

(a) veracity 

(b) tremulous

(c) vacuous

(d) stealthy

(e) harmless

Q8. Humid weather will also ratchet up the sweating rate—but in high humidity, sweat typically drips off the body rather than evaporating, thus providing no cooling effect.

(a) pawl

(b) tinge

(c) subsist

(d) tarry

(e) notch

Q9. Borrowing principles from industries like aviation, the matrix of systems Volvo and other carmakers are working on will interact to start crash prevention and mitigation hours, rather than milliseconds, before impact.

(a) template

(b) proxy

(c) progeny

(d) mural

(e) forces

Q10. It matters to us what happens to us after we die. This statement is a truism to most reflective adults, and it is confirmed rather than contradicted by the contemporary culture of death-denial.

(a) truncation

(b) anarchism

(c) platitude

(d) fruition

(e) nemesis

Directions (11-15): In each of the following sentences, five options are given. You are required to identify the best way of writing the sentence in the context of the correct usage of standard written English. While doing so, you have to ensure that the message being conveyed remains the same in all the cases.Option A repeats the given sentence as it is.If there is no correction required, select option A.  

Q11. With the exception of Dipanjan and I, everyone in the class finished the assignment before the teacher came.

(a) With the exception of Dipanjan and I, everyone in the class finished the assignment before the teacher came.

(b) With the exception of Dipanjan and me, everyone in the class finished the assignment before the teacher came.

(c) With the exception of Dipanjan and me, everyone in the class had finished the assignment before the teacher came.

(d) With the exception of Dipanjan and I, everyone in the class had finished the assignment before the bell rang.

(e) With the exception of Dipanjan and I, everyone in the class finished the assignment before the teacher comes.

Q12. Familiar with the terrain from previous visits, the explorer’s search for the Big Monkey’s abode was a success.

(a) Familiar with the terrain from previous visits, the explorer’s search for the Big Monkey’s abode was a success.

(b) Familiar with the terrain from previous visits, the success of the explorer’s search for the Big Monkey’s abode was a mere formality.

(c) Familiar with the terrain from previous visits, the explorer succeeded in finding the Big Monkey’s abode.

(d) Familiar with the terrain from previous visits, the search by the explorer for the Big Monkey’s abode was successful.

(e) Familiar of the terrain with previous visits, the explorer succeeded in searching the Big Monkey’s abode.

Q13. Liberalisation has gone hand in hand and has offered incentives for things as personal initiative, ambition, loyalty, hard work, and resourcefulness.

(a) Liberalisation has gone hand in hand and has offered incentives for such things as personal initiative, ambition, loyalty, hard work, and resourcefulness.

(b) Liberalisation has gone hand in hand with and has offered incentives for such things as personal initiative and ambition, loyalty, hard work, and resourcefulness.

(c) Liberalisation had going hand in hand with and has offered incentives for such things as personal initiative and ambition, loyalty, hard work, and resourcefulness.

(d) Liberalisation has gone hand in hand and is offering incentives for such things as personal initiative ambition, loyalty, hard work, and resourcefulness.

(e) Liberalisation has gone hand in hand while and providing incentives for such things as personal initiative and ambition, loyalty, hard work, and resourcefulness.

Q14. I am not to eager to go to this movie because it did not get good reviews.

(a) I am not to eager to go to this movie because it did not get good reviews.

(b) Because of its poor reviews, I am not too eager to go to this movie.

(c) I am not too eager to go to this movie because the critics did not give it good reviews.

(d) I am not too eager to go to this movie because of its poor reviews.

(e) I am not too eager to go to these movie because of its poor reviews.

Q15. May I venture to say that I think this batting performance is the most superior I have ever seen?

(a) May I venture to say that I think this batting performance is the most superior I have ever seen?

(b) May I venture to say that this batting performance is the most superior I have ever seen?

(c) May I say that this batting performance is the most superior I have ever seen?

(d) I think this performance is superior to any I have ever seen.

(e) May I venture to say that this batting performance is more superior to anyone I have ever seen.

Solutions

S1. Ans.(c)

Sol. obviate -remove (a need or difficulty). 

preclude-prevent from happening; make impossible. Hence, obviate and preclude are synonyms. 

S2. Ans.(a)

Sol. atavistic-relating to or characterized by reversion to something ancient or ancestral.

atavistic-opposing progress; returning to a former less advanced state

regressive-returning to a former or less developed state; characterized by regression.

entrenched-(of an attitude, habit, or belief) firmly established and difficult or unlikely to change; ingrained.

fallible-capable of making mistakes or being wrong.

Hence, atavistic and regressive are synonyms. 

S3. Ans.(d)

Sol. antagonistic -showing or feeling active opposition or hostility towards someone or something.

adversarial-involving or characterized by conflict or opposition.

hence, antagonistic and adversarial are synonyms.

S4. Ans.(b)

Sol. mettlesome-(of a person or animal) full of spirit and courage; lively.

sinuous-having many curves and turns.

chronicled-record (a series of events) in a factual and detailed way.

storied-recorded or celebrated in history or story.

Hence, storied and chronicled are closely related in meaning.

S5. Ans.(a)

Sol. stultify-cause to lose enthusiasm and initiative, especially as a result of a tedious or restrictive routine.

dovetail-fit or cause to fit together easily and conveniently.

interlock-(of two or more things) engage with each other by overlapping or by the fitting together of projections and recesses.

Hence, dovetail and interlock are synonyms. Others words are different in meaning. 

S6. Ans.(e)

Sol. temerity-excessive confidence or boldness; audacity.

tenacity-the quality or fact of being able to grip something firmly; grip.

prolific - intellectually productive; "a prolific writer"; "a fecund imagination"

fecundity-the ability to produce many new ideas.

Hence, prolificity and fecundity are synonyms.

S7. Ans.(d)

Sol. tremulous-shaking or quivering slightly.

vacuous-having or showing a lack of thought or intelligence; mindless.

insidious-proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with very harmful effects.

stealthy-Marked by or acting with quiet, caution, and secrecy intended to avoid notice.

Hence, insidious and stealthy are synonyms. 

S8. Ans.(e)

Sol. ratchet-cause something to rise (or fall) as a step in what is perceived as an irreversible process.

notch-A level or degree. Hence, ratchet and notch are closely related to each other. 

S9. Ans.(a)

Sol. matrix -a mass of fine-grained rock in which gems, crystals, or fossils are embedded.

template-a shaped piece of rigid material used as a pattern for processes such as cutting out, shaping, or drilling. 

Hence, matrix and template are synonyms to each other. 

S10. Ans.(c)

Sol. platitude-a remark or statement, especially one with a moral content, that has been used too often to be interesting or thoughtful.

truism-a statement that is obviously true and says nothing new or interesting.

S11. Ans.(c)

Sol. C. This corrects the two errors in this sentence – the error in case (me for I) and the error in tense (had finished for finished).

S12. Ans.(c)

Sol. C. In choices A, B, and D, the modifier familiar is dangling. Choice C corrects the error while retaining the original meaning of the sentence and conveying it most concisely.

S13. Ans.(b)

Sol. B. The preposition with is needed to complete the phrase has gone hand in hand with. Choice C unnecessarily loses the parallel structure.

S14. Ans.(d)

Sol. D. It is the shortest and most concise form of writing the sentence while retaining the original idea.

S15. Ans.(a)

Sol. A. The correct answer is Option A.

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