SBI PO 20 Minutes Marathon | English Language Sectional Test: 29th June 2018 |

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English Language Sectional Test: 29th June 2018

Bankersadda brings to you the SBI PO 20 Minutes Marathon of English Language...its time to Chase your Success. This is a timer-based quiz of 20 minutes to help you practice for SBI PO Preliminary exam. You’ll also get full-length sectional tests of Reasoning Ability and Quantitative Aptitude so keep practicing on Bankersadda. You can also take up this challenge on Adda247 App. So, start practicing for the real examination right away. This will not only ensure your success in the exam but will also help you bag maximum marks in the English Language Section with a planned strategy.

Check Video Solutions for English Quiz

Directions (1-10): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below them. Certain words/phrases have been printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.
The corporate totem pole
Corporate roles can also contribute to poor communication at work. Directors and middle managers in particular tend to get caught in the middle of those conflicting communication preferences. As a result, they are affected by miscommunication most frequently: 49% of directors say the consequences of poor communication occur frequently or very frequently among their colleagues. That is substantially more than the 28% of C-suite executives who say the same. “Middle managers have the worst of all worlds,” Mr. Markman says. “Communication is one of the most significant parts of their job because they’re dealing with the widest variety of people.” Probably because of their location in the hierarchy, directors tend to be prolific users of nearly every tool and mode of communication— much more so than other seniorities. Furthermore, a larger share of directors finds nearly every mode of communication more effective than their colleagues of different seniorities. They are the Swiss Army knife equivalent of corporate internal communication. Ms Cain believes there are perks to this. “The great value of being stuck in the middle is you can easily empathize with those above and below you because you’re simultaneously in both roles,” she says. “You have tremendous insight into what everyone around you is feeling, you can project yourself into their shoes and you know what the pressures and stressors are for your boss.” As individuals move up the corporate ladder, they need to not just have a broad understanding of different communication styles but also adapt their approach to their position in the organisation.
What to do about workplace miscommunication?
Work environments don’t have to be full of miscommunication land mines, and businesses can take practical steps to improve communication. Meetings are a good place to start. The survey shows that 78% of respondents think having clearer goals for every scheduled meeting would have a significant impact on improving workplace communication, including 39% who say the improvement would be very significant. Moreover, six out of ten respondents say firm-wide training (62%) and having a wider range of communication tools to use (63%) would significantly improve work communication. By improving in areas such as these, as well as being aware of communication differences and the best applications of various tools, the workforce can both communicate more effectively and keep pace with the inevitable continuous change in when and how we connect at work.

Q1. What is meant by 'conflicting communication preferences' mentioned in the beginning of the stanza 1?

Communications done with the directors

Communications that are often misleading

Poor communications done at corporate level

Communications that have turned into an argument

Poor communications done unintentionally

Solution:

Refer Ist three lines of stanza 1

Q2. Communication is one of the most significant parts of the job because.......

employees have to state different ideas before their seniors in one of the most attractive way

corporate workers hardly say any word to each other

employees hardly deal with any of the seniors

employees have to deal with the wide variety of the people

Both (b)&(c)

Solution:

Refer stanza 1

Q3. Who are the people tend to get caught in the conflicting communication preferences?

People with whom managers deal with

Directors

Middle Managers

Both (b)&(c)

None of the above

Solution:

Refer 2nd line of stanza 1

Q4. According to the passage, work environments should ....

be full of lots of employees that can communicate more and more with wider class of people

have with the executives that can help others to mislead the communication

take steps to improve the communication processes

not be filled with miscommunication land mines

Both (c)&(d)

Solution:

Refer Ist three lines of stanza 2

Q5. “Middle managers have the worst of all worlds,” means.....

Middle managers are ill-treated by the seniors

Middle managers don't get proper training so they suffer a lot

Middle managers don't have the proper communication skills so they face lots of problems while performing the tasks assigned to them

Middle managers often caught into the conflicting communication preferences which lead them to have the worst of all the sections

Middle managers are not provided with the better training skills from the directors which often makes them to suffer under the corporate world

Solution:

Refer Ist 7 lines of stanza 1

Q6. To move up the corporate ladder, one must have...

broad understanding of different communication styles

ability to adapt the approach to their position in the organisation

Both (a)&(b)

larger share of directors as seniors working above

deep knowledge and understanding to promote to the next level from the current position in the organisation

Solution:

Refer last three lines of stanza 1

Q7. What are the remedies mentioned in the second stanza of the passage that can improve the communication skills at the workplace?

having clearer goals for every scheduled meeting

firm-wide training

having wider range of communication tools

awareness of communication differences

All of the above

Solution:

Refer stanza 2

Q8. Choose the word which best expresses the meaning of the following word given in bold in the passage
Prolific

Fertile

Barren

Impregnable

Abandon

Fragile

Solution:

Prolific- Fruitful; Fertile

Q9. Choose the word which best expresses the meaning of the following word given in bold in the passage
Perks

Delightful

Acknowledgement

Perquisites

Demerits

Bane

Solution:

Perks- Perquisites

Q10. Choose the word which is most opposite to the following word given in bold in the passage
Inevitable

Predictable

Avoidable

Inescapable

Unavoidable

Necessary

Solution:

Inevitable- Predictable; Unavoidable. Thus, antonym is avoidable.

Directions (11-15): In the passage given below there are blanks which are to be filled with the options given below. Find out the appropriate word in each case which can most suitably complete the sentence without altering the meaning of the statement.

Scripting humour is no light gag. Comedians are always on the job, trying to (11)………… humour in (12)………….. life in an effort to build a connection with the audience. “For a beginner, the key is to participate in as many open mics as possible. That’s the best way to (13)…………….. your humour and understand what works best for the crowd,” says Manik Mehta, who has been a part of Vizag Komedians from the start. The open mics have not only helped the standup comedy culture grow in the city, but have also helped cafes draw more crowds, in what Mehta describes as a win-win situation. “The city has a lot more potential. The challenge right now is to find newer locations,” he adds.Colleges have also been warming up to standup comedy shows, through their annual festivals. GITAM University recently hosted a (14)……………… by comedian Abish Mathew, while IIM-Visakhapatnam and Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy have also brought in popular names from the standup field.One of the biggest advantages of such shows is that(15)………………….. get to open for these established comedians, giving them a moment in the brighter spotlight, and also a chance to watch bigger talents in action.

Q11.

Sniff away

Sniff off

Sniff out

Sniff in

None of the Above

Solution:

Sniff Out: recognize or detect

Q12.

Synergy

Mundane

Assist

Profound

None of the Above

Solution:

Mundane: lacking interest or excitement; dull.

Q13.

Hone

Disrespect

Signify

Exaggerate

None of the Above

Solution:

Hone: refine or perfect (something) over a period of time.

Q14.

Ceremony

Gig

fund

amusement

None of the Above

Solution:

Gig: a live performance by a musician or group playing popular or jazz music.

Q15.

Experienced

Inhabitants

Vagabonds

Amateurs

None of the Above

Solution:

Amateur: a person who engages in a pursuit, especially a sport, on an unpaid basis.

Directions (16-20): Which of the following phrases (I), (II), and (III) given below each sentence should replace the phrase printed in bold letters to make the sentence grammatically correct. Choose the best option among the five given alternatives that reflect the correct use of phrase in the context of the grammatically correct sentence. If the sentence is correct as it is, mark (e) i.e., “No correction required” as the answer.

Q16. There could be some truth in these explanations, but the genesis of the current cash crisis is firmly root in the lack of system-wide thinking that went into the Centre’s big-bang note ban gambit.
(I) cash crisis is firmly rooted in the lack
(II) cash crisis is firmly rooted to the lack
(III) cash crisis was firmly rooting in the lack

Only (I)

Only (II)

Only (III)

Both (I)&(III)

No correction required

Solution:

‘cash crisis is firmly rooted in the lack’- the bold part of the sentence needs a correction as it is passive form which should be like helping verb in its first form along with the main verb in its third form.

Q17. But it is important to separate short-term volatility in oil prices is owing to geopolitical tensions from longer-term trends in the oil market.
(I) was own to geopolitical tensions
(II) owing with geopolitical tensions
(III) owing to geopolitical tensions

Only (I)

Only (II)

Only (III)

All are correct

No correction required

Solution:

‘owing to geopolitical tensions’- ‘owing to’ is a phrase which should be used in its original form.

Q18. In the current situation, it appears that the government has only tie itself up in knots over the petroleum pricing policy, and with it, its reformist credentials.
(I) it appeared that the government will only tied
(II) it appears that the government has only tied
(III) it appearing that the government has only tied

Only (I)

Only (II)

Only (III)

Both (II)&(III)

No correction required

Solution:

‘it appears that the government has only tied’- is the only grammatically correct option.

Q19. The long-term challenge is to made the most of the rainfall that India gets, ranging from a few hundred millimetres or less in the northwest to more than a few thousand millimetres elsewhere.
(I) was to make the most of the rainfall
(II) is to making most of the rainfall
(III) is to make the most of the rainfall

Only (I)

Only (II)

Only (III)

Both (I)&(III)

No correction required

Solution:

‘is to make the most of the rainfall/ was to make the most of the rainfall’- both are correct either used in present form or in past

Q20. For the Commission, it is more critical to ensure that resources reach those who need them the most and that the genuinely needy are not deprived, wherever they may be.
(I) it is most critical to ensure that
(II) it was more critical to ensure that
(III) it is much more critical to ensure that

Only (I)

Only (II)

Only (III)

All are correct

No correction required

Solution:

No correction required

Directions (21-25): In each of the following sentence, there is a blank space. Below each pair of sentences, there are five options and each blank is to be filled with the same word given below to make the sentence correct. Fill up the sentences with the correct word.

Q21. (I) If I receive ............ service in a restaurant, I generally will not return to that establishment.
(II) I hope the medicine is not causing you to be sleepy and ............

healthy

filthy

lackadaisical

flabbergasted

hackneyed

Solution:

lackadaisical- lazy; showing no interest

Q22. (I) There are .......... passages in the system, but it is now rapidly becoming a major thoroughfare.
(II) Though these reasons were very insufficient and ........., no one made any rejoinder.

pinnacle

bewildered

exasperated

amaze

obscure

Solution:

obscure- hidden or out of sight

Q23. (I) He had the imagination that invested with personal being and ethical qualities the most ......... notions.
(II) This investigation was first published in 1824 and in ......... and difficult form, and afterwards (1826) more elaborately in the first volume of Crelle's Journal.

whimsical

abstruse

violent

tranquil

moderate

Solution:

abstruse- hard to understand

Q24. (I) Moreover, his attention was engaged on studies which ultimately led to his doctrine of ......... heat.
(II) While possessing considerable gifts of mind and a ......... fund of energy, he seldom acted or reflected until the favorable moment had passed.

latent

vague

opaque

obvious

stigmatic

Solution:

latent- hidden

Q25. (I) I'm sure God has forgiven their little transgressions and the two of them are ......... for their actions.
(II) At the airport, the meter registers nine pounds, and of course he had said six or seven. I have a sense now of his feeling somewhat ........., or perhaps only abashed.

pardoning

contrary

contrite

trite

alleged

Solution:

contrite- sincerely penitent or feeling regret or sorrow; apologetic

Directions (26-30): Rearrange the following five sentences (A), (B), (C), (D) and (E) in the proper sequence to form a meaningful paragraph and then answer the questions given below.

Q26.(A) son get into the IIT in the future?
(B) what should I do to help my six-year-old
(C) There was a question in Quora that went something like,
(D) So, this is what our aspirations for our six-year-olds have come to.
(E) I read that twice, and yes, that was the question.

CDEAB

CBEAD

CBAED

CAEDB

CEABD

Solution:

CBAED

Q27.(A) and become responsible citizens?
(B) Financial success matters but shouldn’t our children learn to respect nature
(C) on raising compassionate and empathetic kids?
(D) We all want a secure future for our progeny but wouldn’t the world become
(E) a better place if we focussed half of our attention

DBCEA

DACEB

DCEAB

DEABC

DECBA

Solution:

DECBA

Q28.(A) and thus I fail as a ‘supposed to be’ wife. Silence is a bargain for a happy life,
(B) happiness at least for one member.
(C) Because I resist, I refuse, I think, I give views...
(D) I never argue. That doesn’t mean I’m the silent type.
(E) In fact, I’m the loudest one in the house. And that is the root of all problems.

DCAEB

DEABC

DBCEA

DECAB

DACEB

Solution:

DECAB

Q29.(A) The contracting industry is a place where worlds collide.
(B) Where the purity of physical effort by migrant labourers roasted by the sun,
(C) I inherited an industrial engineering company that was founded by my grandfather.
(D) delivers to the world around them the comforts of modern infrastructure.
(E) Everything here is centred on the basics. Basic needs, basic hopes, and basic aspirations and expectations.

CBDEA

CADEB

CABDE

CDEAB

CEADB

Solution:

CABDE

Q30. (A) He was a calm boy, anchored by the recent acceptance of death and detached from the inconsistent character of strangers.
(B) In rural middle class homes, there is no time to mourn death.
(C) Counter-measures are taken to manage the sharp shift in the trajectory of the lives of the survivors.
(D) Fresh defences are built to protect their dignity.
(E) Hopes are realigned into the shadows of new breadwinners as they learn to cradle an uncertain future on their still soft shoulders.

ABCDE

ABDEC

ACDEB

AECDB

ADCEB

Solution:

ABCDE

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