(Paper) SBI Clerk ( ASSISTNAT ) EXAM Paper - 2014 "Held On 27-07-2014"

::ENGLISH LANGUAGE::

Directions (1-15) : the following questions, each sentence has two blanks: each blank indicating that something has been omitted. Choose the set of words for the blanks which best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

1. After carefully ………………the situation. the fanner sympathised ……………………… the mule .

(1) scrutinising, on
(2) assessing, with
(3) observing, through
(4) fighting, by
(5) ignoring, for

2. Once there lived a cunning fox who always………….. to………………….. others with his awful acts.

(1) wished, cheating
(2) desried, betrayed
(3) thought, fooling
(4) tried, deceive
(5) longed, between

3. I………….. a friend named Raj who…………….. a horse ranch in the city.

(1) has, buys
(2) need, holds
(3) possess, run
(4) have, owns
(5) got, sells

4. As night …………..in the heights of the mountains, Ramesh could not…………………….. anything.

(1) fell, see
(2) darkened, view
(3) rose, advice
(4) dive, perceive
(5) become, get

5. Survival of mankind……………… is in danger due to…………………….. of atomic weapons.

(1) himself, prepetuation
(2) themselves, regularisation
(3) only, provocation
(4) itself, proliferation
(5) self, invention

Directions (6-15) : Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words/phrases have been printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions. Akbar was the son of humble parents. His father was a school master. There was never very much money in the house so he didn’t enjoy any luxuries. All he wanted was to learn more and more. Books were not easily available then as they were handwritten and very expensive. Akbar read all the books he could lay his hands on. In due course, he mastered Arabic, Persian, Philosophy and Astronomy and dreamt of getting a position at court. But for this one had to really excel in some field. Also one needed a patron close enough to the Emperor to recommend a newcomer. It was a few months before he could find a patron and a few more months before he could find a suitable opportunity to recommed him to the Emperor who asked what he had learnt and what work he could do.On hearing the same, he said, “We are pleased to give the young man a chance. Let him take charge of the royal poultry house!” When he heard the news Akbar was heartbroken. He, a scholar, capable of debating with the most learned men was asked to look after chicking hens! All the same he got down to work with great determination . His only concern was hens. He saw to it that they were well fed and had clean water, that their living quarters were clean and if a fowl took ill that it was separated from the others and given proper treatment. Meanwhile, the Emperor had forgotten about the scholar he had packed off to mind the hens. But one day while his Finance Minister was reading out the palace accounts to tell the Emperor how much money had been spent on the raoyal house hold, he mentioned such a low figure that the Emperor sat up. “Have most of the hens died ?” he asked No your Majesty’ was the reply- “The hens are not only alive but are plump and fit.” Send for the scholar!” the Emperor demanded. When Akbar came to the palace, the Emperor demanded “Aren’t you feeding them properly ?” “I am sire, only the food is different-I’m feeding them what cannot be used in the royal kitchen, vegetable peels and dough used to seal the vessels while cooking for your Majesty. The hens not only enjoy it but it is also very good for them. “Good work, we hereby promote you to the rank of royal librarian.” Akbar was bitterly disappointed. He had spent the first thirty years of his life gaining knowledge. How he wished to gain that knowledge and help people. Instead as head of the royal library he would be seeing only books and no people. But he buckled down to organissing the library. A year later the Emperor came to visit the library. He was surprised to find each book coverd with a packet of silk, velvet or brocade. There were hundreds of books and not one without a cover. “you have used expensive material to cover the books but have not charged us. Surely you are not spending your own money ?” Akbar bowed low, “Your Majesty these covers did not cost anything. Everyday dozens of people come to the court with humble grievances on sheets of paper which are folded and placed inside a bag of the most expensive material that they can afford. I have used them. The emperor was very pleased and gave him a bigger responsibility.

6. Which of the following can be said about Akbar’s family ?

A. They were poor and uneducated.
B. They discouraged him from becoming courtier.
C. He was ashamed of them and did not introduce them at Court.

(1) None
(2) Only A
(3) B and C
(4) Only C
(5) All of these

7. Which of the following is TRUE in the context of the passage ?

A. Akbar was aged when he was finally made a courtier.
B. Akbar excelled at whatever job the Emperor assigned him.
C. The Emperor did not value a person’s education but his family background.

(1) All of these
(2) Only B
(3) A and B
(4) B and C
(5) Only A

8. How many years of Akbar’s life were spent gaining knowledge?

(1) 50
(2) 20
(3) 10
(4) 30
(5) None of these

9. Choose the word which is OPPOSITE in meaning to the word BITIERLY given in bold as used in the passage

(1) Sweetly
(2) Angrily
(3) Sourly
(4) Freezing
(5) Gladly

10. How did Akbar handle his appointment as royal librarian ?

(1) He was angry and was waiting for an opportunity to tell the king so.
(2) He was thrilled since he loved books.
(3) He was disappointed but put his best efforts into the job.
(4) He considered it a good opportunity to learn more.
(5) He was very happy since he preferred reading to interacting with people.

11. How did Akbar manage the cover for books ?

(1) He used the used-sheets of papers.
(2) He spent his owen money for this.
(3) He borrowed covers for books.
(4) He was not aware of it.
(5) None of the above

12. Why did the Emperor send the Akbar when he was in charge of poultry ?

(1) To test Akbar’s knowledge of poultry.
(2) To see if Akbar was worthy of higher responsibility.
(3) To understand why the poulrty was thriving despite reduced expenditure on
(4) To scold him for feeding the poultry leftovers instead of healthy food.
(5) To demand an explanation for the poultry being overweight and unfit.

13. What lesson can be learnt from the story ?

(1) Patience and hard work will help one achieve success.
(2) Pursuit of riches and wealth is all that matters.
(3) One should use any means of possibility to attain a promotion.
(4) One should be satisfied with whatever job one gets and not much more.
(5) It is very difficult to get something in life without bribing.

14. Choose the word which is most nearly the SAME in meaning as the word LOW given in bold as used in the passage.

(1) Small
(2) Gentle
(3) Unhappy
(4) Short
(5) Soft

15. Choose the word which is most nearly the SAME in meaning as the word CLOSE given in bold as used in the passage.

(1) Shut
(2) End
(3) Neighbouring
(4) Dear
(5) Careful

Directions (16-20) : Rearrange the following six sentences/ group of sentences (A), (B), (C), (D), (E) and (F) in the proper sequence to form a meaningful paragraph: then answer the questions given below them.

A. He did whatever work was assigned to him and soon the lion became so fond of him that he promised to give him a cart full of almonds as pension when he (the squirrel) retired.
B. Once a squirrel joined the service of the king of the forest, the lion.
C. The squirrel had waited so long for this day but when he saw the almonds, he was seized with sadness as he realised that they were of no use to him now when he had lost all his teeth.
D. However, he envied other squirrels in the forest because of their carefree life which he could not enjoy as he had to be by the king’s side all the time.
E. He consoled himself with the thought that at the end of his career, he would receive a cart full of almonds, a food that only a few squirrels got to taste in their lifetime.
F. Finally, the day came when it was time for him to retire and as promised the king gave a grand banquet in his honour and  presented him with a cart full of almonds.

16. Which of the following should be the SECOND sentence after the rearrangement ?

(1) A
(2) B
(3) F
(4) D
(5) E

17. Which of the following should be the FIRST sentence after the rearrangement ?

(1) A
(2) C
(3) B
(4) D
(5) E

18. Which of the following should be the FIFTH sentence after the rearrangement ?

(1) E
(2) D
(3) B
(4) F
(5) A

19. Which of the following should be the FOURTH sentence after the rearrangement ?

(1) A
(2) B
(3) C
(4) F
(5) E

20. Which of the following should be the SIXTH (LAST) sentence after the rearrangement ?

(1) C
(2) D
(3) A
(4) B
(5) E

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Directions (21-25) : Read each sentence to find out whether there is any grammatical error or idiomatic error in it. The error, if any, will be in one part of the sentence. The number of that part is the answer. If there is No error’ the answer is (5). (Ignore errors of punctuation if any)

21. The oak tree always (1)/ thought that (2)/he was strong (3)/ than the other trees (4)./ No error (5)

22. It was strange (1)/when people started (2)/ congratulating me (3)/on completion of my dissertation. (4)/. No error (5).

23. Though Chandresh is known (1)/of his playful style, we admire him (2)/for his ability to shape a world clearly (3) / from few and carefully chosen words(4)/. No error (5)

24. A good employee (1)/is one which (2)/is always willing (3)/to go the extra mile. (4)/ No error (5)

25. Through her efforts (1)/ she manage to (2)/open serveral institutions to (3)/help the downtrodden.(4)/ No error (5)

Directions (26-30) : In following questions, which of the phrases given against the sentence should replace the word/phrase given in bold in the sentence to make it grammatically correct ? If the sentence is correct as it is given and no correction is required, select ‘No correction required’ as the answer.

26. In a field one summer’s day a grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heartfelt content.

(1) hearty content
(2) hearts contention
(3) heart’s content
(4) heart contents
(5) No correction required,

27. The donkey’s master came up from behind him and gave him a soundly thrashing for the fright he had caused.

(1) sounding thrash
(2) sound thrash
(3) sound thrashing
(4) sounding thrashing
(5) No correction required

28. You should accustom yourself, for walking straight forward without twisting from side-toside.

(1) at walks that are
(2) for walking that is
(3) for walk of
(4) to walking
(5) No correction required

29. When the crow put its beak into the mouth of the pitcher he found that very little water was left in it.

(1) none of
(2) so little
(3) so much less
(4) some few
(5) No correction required

30. Inspite scoring very high in the exam, Arun failed to secure admission in the college of his choice.

(1) Since
(2) Despite
(3) But
(4) Even
(5) No correction required

Directions (31-40) : In the following passage there are blanks, each of which has been numbered. These numbers are printed below the passage, against each, five words are suggested, one of which fits the blank appropriately. Find out the appropriate word in each case. A long time (31), in Athens, a middle-aged man had two wives. The first was old and the (32) one was young (33) loved the man very much and desired to see him like hemself. Now the man’s hair was (34) grey, which the young wife did not like, as it made him (35) too old to be her husband. So every night she would (36) his hair and pick out the white ones. But the elder wife saw her husband growing grey with great (37), for she did not like to be (38) for his mother, So every morning she
would arrange his hair and pick out as many of the black ones as she could . The (39) was that the man soon found himself entirely (40).

31. (1) behind
(2) before
(3) since
(4) upon
(5) ago

32. (1) second
(2) next
(3) another
(4) alternate
(5) future

33. (1) both
(2) two
(3) all
(4) every
(5) each

34. (1) little
(2) turning
(3) some
(4) all
(5) entirely

35. (1) behave
(2) see
(3) look
(4) appeared
(5) become

36. (1) pluck
(2) select
(3) assort
(4) comb
(5) cut

37. (1) pleasure
(2) stubbornness
(3) height
(4) distance
(5) alarm

38. (1) called
(2) said
(3) responsible
(4) mistake
(5) seem

39. (1) result
(2) incident
(3) factor
(4) purpose
(5) alternative

40. (1) curled
(2) bald
(3) grey
(4) black
(5) hairys

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