English Quizzes for SBI PO, Clerk Prelims 2021

Directions (1-15): For each of the words below, a contextual usage is provided. Pick the word/phrase from the alternatives that is most the appropriate substitute in the given context and mark its number as your answer.

Q1. Spate: A spate of books on the subject have come out recently.
(a)classic
(b)burden
(c)rough
(d)series
(e)dredge

Q2. Welter: There’s such a welter of conflicting rules.
(a)issue
(b)alarming
(c)jumble
(d)fraternity
(e)piled

Q3. Cornucopia: The book includes a cornucopia of wonderful stories.
(a)waste
(b)disrespect
(c)rareness
(d)plenty
(e)scarcity

Q4. Knavery: Other cities may let such things go, but we don’t stand for any such knavery here
(a)people
(b)dishonesty
(c)rules
(d)market
(e)boon

Q5. Embellished: White walls are embellished with black grass wallpaper and surface details are defined in marble, natural stone and tiles
(a)place
(b)cover
(c)mar
(d)decorated
(e)revealed

Q6. Cogitating: With a frustrated sigh, he sat back and cogitated, going over his various options.
(a)sober
(b)contemplated
(c)sobbing
(d)undeniably
(e)resurrecting

Q7. Sprinkles : We joined the party, and we all ate sliced fresh tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with chunky sea salt’
(a)enervate
(b)ransacked
(c)showered
(d)casuistry
(e)revile

Q8. Flutter: The news of her resignation caused quite a flutter.
(a)confusion
(b)steady
(c)vicissitude
(d)waft
(e)verdant

Q9. Crumbling: She was extremely depressed after her marriage crumbled.
(a)yore
(b)disintegrated
(c)umbrage
(d)yoke
(e) vacuous

Q10. Fractious : The youngest children get fractious and older family members get irritable trying to keep the peace
(a)saunter
(b)savant
(c) unruly
(d)edify
(e)finesse

Q11. Surly- the surly receptionist told us we’d have to wait outside in the rain
(a) common
(b) trend
(c) extent
(d) sulky
(e) plan

Q12. Pique- A talented youngster who smashes his guitar in a fit of pique finds it magically reassembled just in time for a crucial concert.
(a) priority
(b) major
(c) resentment
(d) outdoor
(e) factor

Q13. Footloose: When she was 20, she was footloose and fancy-free, with no family or serious career to tie her down.
(a) pledged
(b) immured
(c) easygoing
(d) manacled
(e) attached

Q14. Enervate: A lifetime of working in dreary jobs had enervated his very soul
(a) assist
(b) weaken
(c) refresh
(d) animate
(e) mobilize

Q15. Quaint: The writer talks about the quaint customs of the natives.
(a) prosaic
(b) grave
(c) unconventional
(d) predictable
(e) standard

Solutions

S1. Ans.(d)
Sol. Spate -a large number of similar things coming in quick succession.
synonyms- series, succession, run, cluster, string, outbreak, rash, epidemic, explosion

S2. Ans.(c)
Sol. Welter – a large number of items in no order; a confused mass.
synonyms-confusion, jumble, tangle, clutter, mess, hotchpotch, mishmash, flurry

S3. Ans.(d)
Sol. Cornucopia – a great amount or source of something/an abundant supply of good things of a specified kind.

S4. Ans.(b)
Sol. Knavery -action or practice characteristic of a knave. 2. unprincipled, untrustworthy, or dishonest dealing; trickery. 3. a knavish act or practice.

S5. Ans.(d)
Sol. Embellished-to decorate (something) by adding special details and features, to make (something) more appealing or attractive, make (something) more attractive by the addition of decorative details or features.
synonyms- decorate, adorn, ornament, dress, dress up, furnish, elaborate, embroider, colour, expand on, exaggerate, dress up, touch up, gild

S6. Ans.(b)
Sol. Cogitating-think deeply about something; meditate or reflect.
synonyms- think (about), contemplate, consider, give thought to

S7. Ans.(c)
Sol. Sprinkles -cover (an object or surface) with small drops or particles of a substance,rain very lightly,a light rain.
synonyms-dredge, dust, powder

S8. Ans.(a)
Sol. Flutter-(of a bird or other winged creature) fly unsteadily or hover by flapping the wings quickly and lightly,(of a bird or other winged creature) flap (its wings) quickly and lightly, a state of excitement or confusion, move with a light irregular or trembling motion,an act of fluttering,a state or sensation of tremulous excitement.
synonyms- flit, hover, flitter, dance, flap, move up and down, beat, quiver, agitate, vibrate, twitch, shake, wag, tremor, wave, rush, surge, flash, stab, flush, tremble, quiver, shake

S9. Ans.(b)
Sol. Crumbling-to break (something) into small pieces, to separate into many small pieces, to fall apart, to break down completely, to stop functioning

S10. Ans.(c)
Sol. Fractious-(typically of children) irritable and quarrelsome,(of a group or organization) difficult to control; unruly.
synonyms- grumpy, grouchy, crotchety, in a (bad) mood, cantankerous, bad-tempered, ill-tempered, wayward, unruly, uncontrollable, unmanageable

S11. Ans.(d)
Sol. Option D is related to the word given.

S12. Ans.(c)
Sol. Pique means a feeling of irritation or resentment resulting from a slight, especially to one’s pride, arouse (interest or curiosity),feel irritated or resentful.
C is the correct choice.

S13. Ans.(c)
Sol. Footloose- able to act or move freely: not held back by ties to other people

S14. Ans.(b)
Sol. Enervate-weaken, deprive of strength, attenuate.

S15. Ans.(c)
Sol. Quaint- attractively unusual or old-fashioned.