English Quizzes for SBI PO, Clerk Prelims 2021

Directions (1-3): Read the following passage and answer the questions as directed.

The declining quality of life of the senior citizens in India can be evinced from the alarming rise in criminal activities reported against them as recorded and confirmed by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). As per the 2016 National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) crime against senior citizens in the metropolitan cities is on the rise with Maharashtra topping the list. The range of crimes includes murder, inflicting grievous injury, rape, extortion, robbery, dacoity and cheating among several others. What is most worrying is the fact that the perpetration has come from known quarters. Often the executors of crime belonged to the trusted inner circle of the elderly.

The considerable increase in crimes against senior citizens can perhaps be attributed to the isolation of the old people in the society. For the anti-social elements, senior citizens are easy targets, easily vulnerable for larceny, fraudulence, physical assaults, housebreaks and murders. The modern urban lifestyle that promotes isolated existence, further exacerbate the plight of the elderly. Isolation is further compounded by other factors like paucity of neighbourhood associations, gradual attrition of traditional long-established values, dissolution of the joint family structure and the mounting over-ambitious cravings of a materialistic society. In the absence of extended families, the dependency on external domestic help is naturally on the rise. While certain domestic help are a source of great strength, support and succour; others, if crime records are to be believed, have frequently been involved in heinous crimes.

Q1. As per the passage, what are the reasons that can be attributed to the increase in crimes against senior citizens?
(a) modern urban lifestyle that promotes isolated existence
(b) abundance of neighbourhood associations
(c) the mounting over-ambitious cravings of a materialistic society
(d) Both (a) and (c)
(e) None of the above

Q2. Which of the following statements is/are incorrect as per the passage above?
(a) As per the 2016 National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) crime against senior citizens in the metropolitan cities is on the rise with Maharashtra topping the list.
(b) Although Domestic help is a source of great help and support, they are frequently found to be involved in heinous crimes.
(c) Often, the executors of crime against the elderly belong from their known circles.
(d) All are correct
(e) All (a), (b) and (c)

Q3. Which of the following words is similar in meaning to the word “EXACERBATE” given in bold in the passage?
(a) reduce
(b) improve
(c) aggravate
(d) benefit
(e) misuse

Directions (4-5): Read the following passage and answer the questions as directed.

Although the law and order machinery is trying its best to evolve various security schemes to ensure the safety of the elderly, it is imperative for our senior citizens too to consciously take measures to ensure their own safety and well being. Senior citizens who live alone or are feeling isolated in their families should consciously work towards building a community. They can do so through various means, especially through neighbourhood or activity oriented socializing which would, in turn, provide them with the much needed emotional support. To cut down on their vulnerability and ensure security, they must provide details of their domestic helpers or tenants to the nearest police station. Where economic factor is not an issue the problem may lie elsewhere. Here, the family members and the society at large would perhaps have a key role to play.

Mere financial stability is not enough to ensure quality of life. Emotional and mental support also holds the key in enhancing quality of life. Elderly people should educate themselves so that they can keep track of their rights. This would help them to deal with any kind of unpleasant situations occurring within the families.

Q4. Which of the following could be the next line after the last line of the passage?
(a) It is the responsibility of the state to act together in ensuring peace, respect and dignity of the senior citizens.
(b) Emotional and mental support also holds the key in enhancing quality of life.
(c) At the outset, it is imperative to remember that most of the crime statistics that are available to us is from urban metropolitan areas.
(d) They should not cover up the ill behaviour meted out to them by their close family members.
(e) In the urban space the problems that ail are somewhat different.

Q5. Which of the following words is opposite in meaning to the word “imperative” given in bold in the passage?
(a) crucial
(b) inescapable
(c) trivial
(d) vital
(e) insistent

Directions (6-10): In each of the following sentences, there is a blank space. Below each such sentence, there are four options with one word each. Fill up the blank with the word that makes the sentence grammatically and contextually correct. If none of the given words is your answer, choose option (e) as your answer choice.

Q6. I did not have enough to drink because Sally left only a ………….. of soda in the bottle.
(a) abundance
(b) plenty
(c) affluence
(d) paucity
(e) absent

Q7. Some small businesses were …………. following the recession; but unfortunately, many were defeated in hard economic times and had to close shop.
(a) weaken
(b) delicate
(c) volatility
(d) elasticity
(e) resilient

Q8. Because the ground is too warm, the snow will ………… as soon as it hits the ground.
(a) deliquesce
(b) dissolved
(c) subsumed
(d) adulteration
(e) moderate

Q9. During the concert, police officers were on hand just in case the crowd became ……………
(a) obedient
(b) complaisant
(c) fractious
(d) captivity
(e) management

Q10. The overpopulation of large snakes in the forest is …………… to the wild rat population.
(a) assistance
(b) stagger
(c) turpitude
(d) deleterious
(e) infliction

Directions (11-15): In each Question below, a sentence is given with four words given in Bold in the sentence. Among these bold words one may be wrongly spelt. The option of that word is the answer. If all four words are correctly spelt mark (e). i.e. ‘All Correct’ as the answer.

Q11. When the store manager accidentally ordered a surfeet of pencils and pens, he was unable to sell the extra items and decided to donate them to a local school.
(a) accidentally
(b) surfeet
(c) decided
(d) donate
(e) All Correct

Q12. The union will try and coerse management into giving pay raises by threatening them with an employee strike.
(a) union
(b) coerse
(c) threatening
(d) employee
(e) All Correct

Q13. Because the military leader had hundreds of thousands of troops at his command, it was very easy for him to subjugate the townspeople and steal their valuebles.
(a) troops

(b) subjugate
(c) valuebles
(d) military
(e) All Correct

Q14. After the football game, the fans of the losing team became fractious and started to vandalize the stadium.
(a) football
(b) losing
(c) vandalize
(d) stadium
(e) All Correct

Q15. The editor’s colleagus accused him of trying to domineer over every other writer as if he was the only one with talent.
(a) colleagus
(b) domineer
(c) writer
(d) talent
(e) All Correct

Solutions

S1. Ans.(d)
Sol. Both (a) and (c) are the reasons for the increase in crimes against senior citizens. In 2nd paragraph it is given that “Isolation is further compounded by other factors like paucity of neighbourhood associations”, hence shortage of neighbourhood associations is also one of the reasons for the increase in crimes against senior citizens. Hence, option (b) is incorrect as it talks about abundance.

S2. Ans.(d)
Sol. All the statements are correct as per the given passage.

S3. Ans.(c)
Sol. Exacerbate: make (a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling) worse.
Aggravate: make (a problem, injury, or offence) worse or more serious.

S4. Ans.(d)
Sol. The next line is “They should not cover up the ill behaviour meted out to them by their close family members.” as the last sentence of the passage is about dealing with the unpleasant situations occurring within the families.

S5. Ans.(c)
Sol. Imperative: of vital importance; crucial.
Trivial: of little value or importance.

S6. Ans.(d)
Sol. Paucity: the presence of something in only small or insufficient quantities or amounts.

S7. Ans.(e)
Sol. Resilient: (of a person or animal) able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions.

S8. Ans.(a)
Sol. Deliquesce: (of a solid) become liquid by absorbing moisture from the air.

S9. Ans.(c)
Sol. Fractious: irritable and quarrelsome.

S10. Ans.(d)
Sol. Deleterious: causing harm or damage.

S11. Ans.(b)
Sol. The correct spelling is “surfeit”

S12. Ans.(b)
Sol. The correct spelling is “coerce”

S13. Ans.(c)
Sol. The correct spelling is “valuables”

S14. Ans.(e)
Sol. All Correct

S15. Ans.(a)
Sol. The correct spelling is “colleagues”