English Quizzes, for SBI/IBPS PO Prelims 2021

Directions (1-10): In each of the following questions, a sentence is given with a blank. There are five phrases given below each sentence, one out of which can be used in the blank to form a meaningful sentence. Choose the most appropriate phrase among the five options that makes the sentence contextually meaningful.

Q1. The government was forced to ___________________ from implementing these proposals.
(a) aim at
(b) look into
(c) back up
(d) back down
(e) bite off

Q2. The company has ___________________ the police to investigate.
(a) called in
(b) called off
(c) bumped into
(d) called-up
(e) caught on

Q3. His mother complains that he makes excuses to ___________________ of family occasions such as weddings.
(a) come down
(b) chicken out
(c) close down
(d) chop up
(e) clear out

Q4. Keeping in mind the notion that the best quarterback is a Monday morning quarterback, if I had it to ___________________, this is what I would have done differently.
(a) dry off
(b) do with
(c) do over
(d) do away
(e) fall off

Q5. A trip you’ve been psyched about may ___________________, so have back – up plans ready.
(a) fall apart
(b) fall behind
(c) fall over
(d) fall for
(e) fall through

Q6. I can’t find my purse, but it must be ___________________ here somewhere.
(a) floating around
(b) flipping out
(c) fooling around
(d) going beyond
(e) going around

Q7. Try and ___________________ the aspects of your background which make you especially suitable for the job you have applied for.
(a) pull out
(b) pick out
(c) pick up
(d) pick on
(e) pile up

Q8. Many men began to ___________________ the rights of women and children.
(a) stick to
(b) stick out
(c) stick with
(d) stick up for
(e) stick in

Q9. I know you’ve had a bad day, but you don’t have to ___________________ me!
(a) take back
(b) take apart
(c) take it out on
(d) take in
(e) take out

Q10. As you start your married life together hand in hand, may all the things you’re hoping for ___________________ the way you’ve planned.
(a) turn out
(b) turn in
(c) turn over
(d) turn into
(e) turn off

Directions (11-15): Rearrange the following EIGHT sentences (A), (B), (C), (D), (E), (F), (G) and (H) in the proper sequence to form a meaningful paragraph then answer the questions given below them.

A. American banks have passed the stress test that the Federal Reserve conducts.

B. European banks remain fragile.

C. But, when the booms end, banks will be worse off. Eurozone banks have another and bigger vulnerability.

D. That is a reason why the European Central Bank is forced to keep interest rates so low and why it risks keeping alive real estate booms in many European cities.

E. An IMF blog post points out that European and Japanese banks, and not American banks, dominate international banks’ lending in dollars.

F. These banks cannot easily tap the dollars deposited at their American subsidiaries to fund themselves.
G. In terms of economic strength, the eurozone looks brittle.

H. While America’s cyclical expansion is going strong in its 10th year, eurozone recovery has fizzled out.

Q11. Which sentence should be the FOURTH in the paragraph?
(a) H
(b) A
(c) B
(d) D
(e) C

Q12. Which sentence should be the SEVENTH in the paragraph?
(a) F
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
(e) E

Q13. Which sentence should be the FIRST in the paragraph?
(a) G
(b) H
(c) A
(d) D
(e) B

Q14. Which sentence should be the SECOND in the paragraph?
(a) A
(b) B
(c) H
(d) D
(e) C

Q15. Which sentence should be the THIRD in the paragraph?
(a) A
(b) H
(c) C
(d) D
(e) G

Solutions

S1. Ans. (d)
Sol. The most suitable phrase that provides the sentence a meaningful context is ‘back down’. ‘Back down’ means to withdraw a claim or assertion in the face of opposition. All the other phrases fail to make the sentence grammatically correct or contextually meaningful. Hence, option (d) is the most suitable answer choice.
Aim at means to point a weapon at someone or something.
Look into means to investigate or get more facts about something.
Back up means to walk or drive a vehicle backwards.
Bite off means to use your teeth to bite a piece of something.

S2. Ans. (a)
Sol. The most suitable phrase that provides the sentence a meaningful context is ‘called in’. ‘Called in’ is used to ask a person or organization that provides a service to come and deal with something. All the other phrases fail to make the sentence grammatically correct or contextually meaningful. Hence, option (a) is the most suitable answer choice.
Called off means to cancel an event that has been previously planned.
Bumped into means when you meet people by accident or unexpectedly.
Called-up means to be chosen to take part in a military mission.
Caught on means to understand or realize something.

S3. Ans. (b)
Sol. The most suitable phrase that provides the sentence a meaningful context is ‘chicken out’. ‘Chicken out’ is used to express ‘to decide not to do something because you are too frightened’. All the other phrases fail to make the sentence grammatically correct or contextually meaningful. Hence, option (b) is the most suitable answer choice.
Come down means to move from a higher to a lower position or from north to south.
Close down means when the activities or services of a business permanently end.
Chop up means to cut something into pieces with a knife.
Clear out means to remove things completely from an area or place.

S4. Ans. (c)
Sol. The most suitable phrase that provides the sentence a meaningful context is ‘do over’. ‘Do over’ is used to express ‘a situation when a new attempt or opportunity to do something after a previous attempt has been unsuccessful or unsatisfactory’. All the other phrases fail to make the sentence grammatically correct or contextually meaningful. Hence, option (c) is the most suitable answer choice.
Dry off means to dry something or a surface quickly.
Do with means to make a connection between two or more things.
Do away with means to dispose of something.
Fall off means When something drops to a lower level.

S5. Ans. (e)
Sol. The most suitable phrase that provides the sentence a meaningful context is ‘fall through’. ‘Fall through’ is used to express ‘if things do not go as planned, or if a plan, deal or agreement fails’. All the other phrases fail to make the sentence grammatically correct or contextually meaningful. Hence, option (e) is the most suitable answer choice.
Fall apart means when something breaks all at once or piece by piece.
Fall behind means to move slower than others.
Fall over means when someone or something falls from an upright position to the ground.
Fall for means when you have an intense attraction to something or someone.

S6. Ans. (a)
Sol. The most suitable phrase that provides the sentence a meaningful context is ‘floating around’. An object is ‘floating around’ when you think it is not far away but you cannot see exactly where. All the other phrases fail to make the sentence grammatically correct or contextually meaningful. Hence, option (a) is the most suitable answer choice.
Flipping out means to become very mad or lose control over your emotions.
Fooling around means to waste time doing unimportant or silly things.
Going beyond means to be more than or better than what is normal or expected.
Going around means to follow a circular path.

S7. Ans. (b)
Sol. The most suitable phrase that provides the sentence a meaningful context is ‘pick out’. ‘Pick out’ means to choose, find, or recognize something or someone in a group. All the other phrases fail to make the sentence grammatically correct or contextually meaningful. Hence, option (b) is the most suitable answer choice.
Pull out is used when something or someone leaves a place.
Pick up means to get someone or something from somewhere.
Pick on means to tease and/or criticize someone over a period of time.
Pile up means to put things in a pile or heap.

S8. Ans. (d)
Sol. The most suitable phrase that provides the sentence a meaningful context is ‘stick up for’. ‘stick up for’ means support or defend. All the other phrases fail to make the sentence grammatically correct or contextually meaningful. Hence, option (d) is the most suitable answer choice.
Stick to means When something is attached to another by some form of adhesive.
Stick out means to extend something outward.
Stick with means to continue to use or do something.
Stick in means insert casually

S9. Ans. (c)
Sol. The most suitable phrase that provides the sentence a meaningful context is ‘take it out on’. ‘take it out on’ means to treat someone badly because you are upset or angry, even if they have done nothing wrong. All the other phrases fail to make the sentence grammatically correct or contextually meaningful. Hence, option (c) is the most suitable answer choice.
Take back means to return something or someone.
Take apart means to disconnect or separate the parts of an object.
Take in means to be successfully tricked or deceived by someone.
Take out means to remove an object from an area, place or container.

S10. Ans. (a)
Sol. The most suitable phrase that provides the sentence a meaningful context is ‘turn out’. ‘turn out’ means “prove to be the case”. All the other phrases fail to make the sentence grammatically correct or contextually meaningful. Hence, option (a) is the most suitable answer choice.
Turn in means go to bed in the evening.
Turn over means (of an engine) start or continue to run properly.
Turn into means become (a particular kind of thing or person); be transformed into.
Turn off means to repulse, disgust, or discourage.

S11. Ans.(c)
Sol. GHABDCEF is the correct sequence of the given sentences.
G is the first sentence as the economic strength or fragility of Eurozone is under discussion in the given passage. H is suitable for the second sentence as Eurozone is compared with America which is going strong in comparison to Eurozone. The word “while” produces contrasting tone which was the requirement of the passage. A-B is the third combination which comes after G-H as the comparison is continued in these sentences. D is the fifth sentence as it is mentioned that “That is a reason why the European Central Bank is forced to keep interest rates so low”, the reason was the fragility of European banks. Thus, there is a connection between B and D. C is the obvious choice for the next statement as because of the use of the word “boom” which was mentioned previously in statement D. It is mentioned in C that next vulnerability awaits Eurozone, the vulnerability is then discussed in statement E. The vulnerability is then elaborated in statement F.

S12. Ans.(e)
Sol. GHABDCEF is the correct sequence of the given sentences.
G is the first sentence as the economic strength or fragility of Eurozone is under discussion in the given passage. H is suitable for the second sentence as Eurozone is compared with America which is going strong in comparison to Eurozone. The word “while” produces contrasting tone which was the requirement of the passage. A-B is the third combination which comes after G-H as the comparison is continued in these sentences. D is the fifth sentence as it is mentioned that “That is a reason why the European Central Bank is forced to keep interest rates so low”, the reason was the fragility of European banks. Thus, there is a connection between B and D. C is the obvious choice for the next statement as because of the use of the word “boom” which was mentioned previously in statement D. It is mentioned in C that next vulnerability awaits Eurozone, the vulnerability is then discussed in statement E. The vulnerability is then elaborated in statement F.

S13. Ans.(a)
Sol. GHABDCEF is the correct sequence of the given sentences.
G is the first sentence as the economic strength or fragility of Eurozone is under discussion in the given passage. H is suitable for the second sentence as Eurozone is compared with America which is going strong in comparison to Eurozone. The word “while” produces contrasting tone which was the requirement of the passage. A-B is the third combination which comes after G-H as the comparison is continued in these sentences. D is the fifth sentence as it is mentioned that “That is a reason why the European Central Bank is forced to keep interest rates so low”, the reason was the fragility of European banks. Thus, there is a connection between B and D. C is the obvious choice for the next statement as because of the use of the word “boom” which was mentioned previously in statement D. It is mentioned in C that next vulnerability awaits Eurozone, the vulnerability is then discussed in statement E. The vulnerability is then elaborated in statement F.

S14. Ans.(c)
Sol. GHABDCEF is the correct sequence of the given sentences.
G is the first sentence as the economic strength or fragility of Eurozone is under discussion in the given passage. H is suitable for the second sentence as Eurozone is compared with America which is going strong in comparison to Eurozone. The word “while” produces contrasting tone which was the requirement of the passage. A-B is the third combination which comes after G-H as the comparison is continued in these sentences. D is the fifth sentence as it is mentioned that “That is a reason why the European Central Bank is forced to keep interest rates so low”, the reason was the fragility of European banks. Thus, there is a connection between B and D. C is the obvious choice for the next statement as because of the use of the word “boom” which was mentioned previously in statement D. It is mentioned in C that next vulnerability awaits Eurozone, the vulnerability is then discussed in statement E. The vulnerability is then elaborated in statement F.

S15. Ans.(a)
Sol. GHABDCEF is the correct sequence of the given sentences.
G is the first sentence as the economic strength or fragility of Eurozone is under discussion in the given passage. H is suitable for the second sentence as Eurozone is compared with America which is going strong in comparison to Eurozone. The word “while” produces contrasting tone which was the requirement of the passage. A-B is the third combination which comes after G-H as the comparison is continued in these sentences. D is the fifth sentence as it is mentioned that “That is a reason why the European Central Bank is forced to keep interest rates so low”, the reason was the fragility of European banks. Thus, there is a connection between B and D. C is the obvious choice for the next statement as because of the use of the word “boom” which was mentioned previously in statement D. It is mentioned in C that next vulnerability awaits Eurozone, the vulnerability is then discussed in statement E. The vulnerability is then elaborated in statement F.