English Quizzes, for SBI/IBPS PO Prelims 2021

Directions (1-10): In the following passage there are blanks, each of which has been numbered. These number are printed below the passage and against each, five words are suggested, one of which fits the blank appropriately. Find out the appropriate word in each case.

The world is witnessing food price turbulence again. A bad drought in Russia, rising demand in the US and developing countries and Pakistan’s blighted crop prospects after its floods, are keeping prices of commodities such as cereals, sugar, oil and meat high. The Food and Agriculture Organisation’s monthly food price index is heading North.

India is not ….(1)…. from this problem even at the best of times. For the week that ended on 11^th September, food prices (as ….(2)…. by the Wholesale Price Index) rose by 15.86% Given the robust demand for foodstuffs, a time of price volatility calls for a careful look at the ‘design’ issues surrounding food supply management.
At times, even huge food stocks are not able to ….(3)…. rising food prices. The fault lies in how food is released to traders by government agencies such as the Food Corporation of India (FCI). This problem is apart from FCI’s high carrying cost of foodgrains. But this is not the problem at ……(4)…..

For example, under the Open Market Sales Scheme (OMSS) a fixed quantity of grain, usually in multiples of 10 metric tonnes, is sold to traders, flour mills and other buyers when supplies are ….. (5)….. or there is price volatility. But a combination of price rigidity, terms of sale and the quantity sold under OMSS defeat its purpose.
One reason for this is the large volume in the hands of very few individual buyers. This …..(6)….. to perverse economic incentives. Often, the grain sold under this scheme winds up back to food ……(7)…… agencies because of price differentials (the price at which it is sold and the prevailing market price). This has been observed many times in states as diverse as Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.
If the number of buyers is …..(8)….. and the quantity sold to each buyer reduced, or the price fixed, but the amount of grain that can be bought kept flexible, these problems can be ……(9)….. . This makes for a sensible menu of options. But it needs careful implementation.
And if, for some reason, changes are required to suit local conditions in different states, the economic logic behind these ideas should not be lost …..(10)….. of.

Q1.
(a) affected
(b) above
(c) immune
(d) away
(e) separate

Q2.
(a) developed
(b) increased
(c) reported
(d) measured
(e) handled

Q3.
(a) arrest
(b) identify
(c) find
(d) slow
(e) stop

Q4.
(a) this
(b) juncture
(c) all
(d) best
(e) hand

Q5.
(a) nil
(b) short
(c) plenty
(d) enough
(e) least

Q6.
(a) rises
(b) leads
(c) gives
(d) is
(e) jumps

Q7.
(a) hoarding
(b) storing
(c) supply
(d) producing
(e) procurement

Q8.
(a) controlled
(b) promoted
(c) constant
(d) increased
(e) decreased

Q9.
(a) neglected
(b) solve
(c) overcome
(d) indicated
(e) highlighted

Q10.
(a) weight
(b) look
(c) value
(d) sight
(e) significant

Directions (11-15): Rearrange the following six sentences (A), (B), (C), (D), (E) and (F) in the proper sequence so as to form meaningful paragraph and then answer the questions given below them.
A. What is important is sincerity and good faith.
B. One is sure that people in general are fed up with strife and want an end to this.
C. The Centre will have to be prepared to take harsh steps too.
D. The steps the Centre is taking to try to bring peace to the troubled Kashmir Valley are to be welcomed.
E. There have to be attempts to create a cordial atmosphere among different factions, political or otherwise, in Jammu and Kashmir and between the Centre and the State.
F. The ball must be kept rolling and there are bound to be positive results if efforts are made in right earnest.

Q11. Which of the following should be the SIXTH (last) sentence?
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) F
(e) E

Q12. Which of the following should be the SECOND sentence?
(a) A
(b) E
(c) C
(d) D
(e) F

Q13. Which of the following should be the FIRST sentence?
(a) A
(b)E
(c) C
(d) D
(e) F

Q14. Which of the following should be THIRD sentence?
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
(e) F

Q15. Which of the following should be the FIFTH sentence?
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
(e) F

Solutions

S1. Ans.(c)
Sol. ‘immune from’ means ‘protected from something and therefore able to avoid it.’

S2. Ans.(d)
Sol. The function of ‘Price Index’ is to measure rise and fall of food prices.

S3. Ans.(a)
Sol. Rising food prices can’t be stopped, but can be controlled or slowed down. Hence, option (a) is the best option since ‘arrest’ means ‘control’.

S4. Ans.(e)

S5. Ans.(b)

S6. Ans.(b)
Sol. ‘leads to’ means ‘be a reason or motive for’ .Hence ‘leads’ is clearly the correct option.

S7. Ans.(e)
Sol. ‘food procurement’ is ‘buying of grains from the farmers by the government’.

S8. Ans.(d)
Sol. ‘controlled’ and ‘decrased’ will give the opposite meaning. So, increased is correct.

S9. Ans.(c)
Sol. ‘solve’ is in present tense; hence cannot be the answer.

S10. Ans.(d)
Sol. ‘to lose sight of’ means ‘to lose attention’.

For question (11-15): The correct sequence is DEFACB.

S11. Ans.(b)

S12. Ans.(b)

S13. Ans.(d)

S14. Ans.(e)