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Utt. Gramin Bank Office Assist Exam, 2011 : GE Solved Paper


Uttaranchal Gramin Bank Office Assistant Exam., 2011
(Held on 10-4-2011)
General English : Solved Paper



Directions—(Q. 1 to 12) Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are printed in bold to help you to locate them while answering some of the question—

One of the boys in a small village was sent out to the fields to look after some sheep. He was instructed bye the villagers to mind the sheep and take care of them. ‘Don't let them stray,’ said the villagers to him. “And keep a good look out for the wolves. Don't go far away’, and if you see a wolf coming near the sheep; shout out ‘wolf!’ as loudly as you can and we will come at once to help you.” ‘All right!’ said the boy, ‘I will be careful.’ So every morning he drove his sheep out to the hillside and watched them all day. And when evening came, he drove them home again. But after a few days he got rather tired of this lonely life. Nothing happened and no wolves came. So one afternoon he said to himself. “These villagers have given me a very useless job. I think I will play a trick on them, just for fun.”

So he got up and began shouting as loudly as he could, ‘Wolf ! Wolf !’ The people in the village heard him, and at once they came running with their sticks. ‘Wolf ! Wolf !’ shouted the boy; and they ran faster. At last they came up to him out of breath. “Where is the wolf ?” they panted. But the boy only laughed and said: “There is no wolf. I only shouted for fun. And it was fun to see you all running as hard as you could !” The men were very angry. “You mischievous boy !” they said. “If you play a trick like that again, we will beat you instead of the wolf.” And they went back to their work in the village. For some days the boy kept quiet. But he got restless again, and said to himself : “I wonder if they will come running again if I cry wolf once more. It was so much fun the last time.”

So once more he began shouting, ‘Wolf ! Wolf’ ! The villagers heard him. Some said, “That boy is up to his tricks again”. But others said, “it may be true this time; and if there really is a wolf, we shall lose some of our sheep.” So they seized their sticks, and ran out of the village to the sheep.

“Where is the wolf ? ” they shouted, as they came up. ‘Nowhere!’ said the boy laughing. “It was fun to see you running up the hill as fast as you could.” “We will teach you to play jokes,” shouted the angry men; and they seized the boy and gave him a good beating, and left him crying instead of laughing.

A few days later a wolf really did come. When the boy saw it, he was very frightened and began shouting ‘Wolf ! Wolf !’ The villagers heard him, but they said. “We won't make a fool of ourselves for a third time. You can't believe a boy after you have caught him lying twice.” So no one went to help him, and the wolf killed several sheep and frightened the boy nearly out of his wits. But he learnt his lesson.

1. What was the task given to the boy in the village ?
(A) The boy was asked to mind the sheep
(B) The boy was instructed to play a prank on the villagers
(C) The boy was asked to count the sheep on the hill side
(D) The boy was instructed to capture the wolf
(E) The boy was asked to feed the sheep to the wolf
Ans : (A)

2. Why did the boy yell out ‘Wolf’ the first time ?
(A) He was practising in case a wolf really appeared
(B) He wanted to scare the sheep
(C) He wanted to play a trick on the villagers
(D) He thought he saw a wolf
(E) He wanted to call out to the wolf
Ans : (C)

3. Why did the villagers beat the boy ?
1. The boy refused to look after the sheep.
2. The boy made them run up the hill for fun.
3. He let the wolf eat some of the sheep.
(A) Only (1)
(B) Only (2)
(C) Only (3)
(D) Only (2) and (3)
(E) Only (1) and (3)
Ans : (B)


4. Why did the villagers ignore the boy's shouts the third time?
(A) They were tired of playing games with the boy
(B) They could not understand what the boy was saying
(C) The boy had lied to them twice earlier
(D) They were tired of running after the boy
(E) They could not leave their work in the village
Ans : (C)

5. What could be an appropriate moral of the story ?
(A) Never tell lies
(B) Never play with animals
(C) Never shout ‘Help’
(D) Jokes do no harm
(E) Never chase wolves
Ans : (A)

6. What lesson did the boy learn from the villagers ?
1. The boy learnt not to joke around about serious matters.
2. The boy learnt never to make people run unnecessarily .
3. The boy learnt how to mind the sheep.
(A) Only (1)
(B) Only (2)
(C) Only (3)
(D) Only (2) and (3)
(E) Only (1) and (3)
Ans : (A)

7. Why did the boy feel that he was given a useless job?
(A) The sheep were always lethargic
(B) He could not play any tricks on the wolves
(C) There were no wolves in the area
(D) He felt he was wasting his time as no wolf came around
(E) The sheep never troubled him
Ans : (D)

8. Which of the following sentences is true of the boy as given in the passage ?
(A) The boy was poor
(B) The boy was trustworthy
(C) The boy had no friends
(D) The boy was useless
(E) The boy was mischievous
Ans : (E)

9. What could be an appropriate title for the story ?
(A) The boy who cried ‘Wolf’
(B) The imaginary ‘Wolf’
(C) The Lost Sheep
(D) The Honest Shepherd Boy
(E) The Villain Villagers
Ans : (C)

Directions—(Q. 10 to 12) Choose the word which is most nearly the SAME in meaning as the word printed in bold as used in the passage.

10. Hard
(A) Comfortably
(B) Calmly
(C) Tough
(D) Long
(E) Fast
Ans : (E)

11. Several
(A) Limited
(B) Large
(C) Few
(D) Many
(E) Unlimited
Ans : (D)

12. Useless
(A) Carefree
(B) Easy
(C) Fun
(D) Secure
(E) Futile
Ans : (E)

Directions—(Q. 13 to 17) Read each sentence to find out whether there is any grammatical error in it. The error, if any, will be in one part of the sentence. The letter of that part is the answer. If there is no error, the answer is (E) i.e., ‘No error’. (Ignore the errors of punctuation, if any).

13. You can help (A) / yourself to some biscuits, (B) / although there are (C) / a less left. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (D)

14. Each soldier were (A) / praised for his bravery, (B) / and was each (C) / given a medal. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (A)

15. The aim of (A) / the organisation is to (B) / educate the public about (C) / the dangers of the smoking. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (E)

16. People who smoke (A) / are not the only ones (B) / to be affect (C) / by lung cancer. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (C)

17. There was no one`(A) /`from America (B) / between the many tourists (C) / in the train. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (C)

Directions—(Q. 18 to 24) Which of the group of words/phrases (A), (B), (C) and (D) given below each sentence should replace the group of words printed in bold in the sentence to make it grammatically correct ? If the sentence is correct as it is given and no correction is required, mark (E) as the answer.

18. He has played for the national team in 65 matches so far—
(A) is playing
(B) have played
(C) playing
(D) play
(E) No correction required
Ans : (E)

19. Wait here until I will call you—
(A) am calling
(B) am going to call
(C) call
(D) shall call
(E) No correction required
Ans : (C)

20. Since the car broke down we must get a taxi—
(A) must have got
(B) had got to get
(C) had to get
(D) getting
(E) No correction required
Ans : (C)

21. The students made some research on the benefits of irrigation in agriculture—
(A) did some researches
(B) did some research
(C) made research
(D) took some research
(E) No correction required
Ans : (A)

22. The children were enjoyed taken to the zoo—
(A) enjoyed being taken
(B) were enjoyed taking
(C) enjoyed taking
(D) enjoyed
(E) No correction required
Ans : (A)

23. The park attendant told us not to throws litter on the ground—
(A) to don't throw
(B) not to have thrown
(C) not to throw
(D) not to thrown
(E) No correction required
Ans : (C)

24. There was too many people trying to get into the football stadium—
(A) There was too much
(B) There were too many
(C) There were too much
(D) It was too many
(E) No correction required
Ans : (B)

Directions—(Q. 25 to 29) Pick out the most effective word from the given words to fill in the blanks to make the sentence/group of sentences meaningfully complete in the context of the sentence.

25. Why do I always have to stay at home ? Anita …… her parents.
(A) questioned
(B) exclaimed
(C) said
(D) answered
(E) felt
Ans : (A)

26. My friends went to see the film …… our favourite actress was acting in it.
(A) if
(B) because
(C) so
(D) but
(E) also
Ans : (B)

27. …… we have a television set we do not watch anything on it.
(A) Although
(B) Inspite
(C) Besides
(D) But
(E) Just
Ans : (A)

28. We have not had a spare moment …… the morning.
(A) for
(B) since
(C) even
(D) by
(E) over
Ans : (C)

29. Amit is working …… for his examination.
(A) badly
(B) easily
(C) usually
(D) heavily
(E) hard
Ans : (E)

Directions—(Q. 30 to 34) In each question below, four words printed in bold type are given. These are lettered (A), (B), (C) and (D). One of these words printed in bold may either be wrongly spelt or inappropriate in the context of the sentence. Find out the word that is inappropriate or wrongly spelt, if any. The letter of that word is your answer. If all the words printed in bold are correctly spelt and appropriate in the context of the sentence then mark (E) i.e. ‘All Correct’ as your answer.

30. My friend (A) was bruised (B) quiet (C) badly in a recent accident. (D) All correct (E)
Ans : (C)

31. If you should (A) need more information, (B) please telefone (C) our main office. (D) All correct (E)
Ans : (C)

32. If you resist (A) the first temptation, (B) the next will be easier (C) to overcome. (D) All correct (E)
Ans : (E)

33. Stones (A) should not be throne (B) by those who live (C) in glass houses. (D) All correct (E)
Ans : (B)

34. Success (A) or failure (B) depends largely (C) on our own efferts. (D) All correct (E)
Ans : (D)

Directions—(Q. 35 to 40) Rearrange the following six sentences (1), (2), (3), (4), (5) and (6) in the proper sequence to form a meaningful paragraph; then answer the questions given below them.
1. The inscription read : Greed is the root of all evil, remember this and you will be a better man.
2. But there was no treasure there, only an inscription on the underside of the rock.
3. The Arab felt sure there was a great treasure hidden beneath it and worked hard to turn it over.
4. An Arab while crossing a desert came across a huge rock half buried in the sand.
5. After several hours he finally succeeded.
6. Engraved on the rock were words turn me over and you will benefit from it.\

35. Which of the following should be the THIRD sentence after the rearrangement ?
(A) 1
(B) 4
(C) 6
(D) 3
(E) 5
Ans : (E)

36. Which of the following should be the SECOND sentence after the rearrangement ?
(A) 2
(B) 3
(C) 6
(D) 1
(E) 5
Ans : (B)

37. Which of the following should be the FIRST sentence after the rearrangement ?
(A) 4
(B) 3
(C) 6
(D) 2
(E) 5
Ans : (A)

38. Which of the following should be the FIFTH sentence after the rearrangement ?
(A) 4
(B) 3
(C) 2
(D) 1
(E) 6
Ans : (E)

39. Which of the following should be the FOURTH sentence after the rearrangement ?
(A) 3
(B) 4
(C) 6
(D) 2
(E) 5
Ans : (D)

40. Which of the following should be the SIXTH (LAST) sentence after the rearrangement ?
(A) 5
(B) 1
(C) 3
(D) 4
(E) 6
Ans : (B)

Directions—(Q. 41 to 50) In the following passage there are blanks each of which has been numbered. These numbers 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.

A rich landowner was on his deathbed. Gasping for breath, he told his three sons to dig under his bed when he was gone, and saying that, gave up his life. Some days later, the sons dug at the spot and unearthed three pots. …41… one above the other. The topmost pot contained mud; the middle pot contained dried cow dung and the …42… pot contained straw. Below this pot there was a silver coin. The brothers were puzzled. “Obviously, father meant to …43… some message to us through the pots and their contents,” said the oldest brother. ‘But what ?’ They …44… for a while but …45… of them could come up with an explanation.

Finally they decided to …46… their doctor who was also a family friend. The doctor laughed when the brothers put their problem before him. “Your father loved puzzles.” he said, “and I think he could not resist setting up one last one. The interpretation is simple. The topmost pot contains mud you say, that …47… he wants his eldest son to have his fields. The second pot contains cow
dung. It means he wants his second son to have his …48… of cattle. The last pot contains straw. Now straw is golden-coloured, that means he wants his youngest son to have all his gold.” The brothers were happy with the way their father had apportioned his wealth and marvelled at the doctor's …49…. “But one thing remains unexplained,” said the youngest brother. “The silver coin at the bottom of the pots.” “Your father knew you would come to consult me,” smiled the doctor. “The coin is my …50…”.

41. (A) looking
(B) only
(C) stand
(D) stood
(E) placed
Ans : (E)

42. (A) least
(B) lowest
(C) less
(D) deep
(E) lesser
Ans : (B)

43. (A) convey
(B) tell
(C) say
(D) order
(E) teach
Ans : (A)

44. (A) think
(B) thought
(C) ponder
(D) relaxed
(E) taught
Ans : (B)

45. (A) no
(B) one
(C) either
(D) some
(E) none
Ans : (E)

46. (A) go
(B) asked
(C) told
(D) consult
(E) take
Ans : (D)

47. (A) meaning
(B) telling
(C) suggesting
(D) reflecting
(E) means
Ans : (E)

48. (A) flock
(B) herd
(C) gathering
(D) school
(E) all
Ans : (B)

49. (A) wisdom
(B) suggestion
(C) effort
(D) brilliant
(E) witty
Ans : (A)

50. (A) friendship
(B) pot
(C) keep
(D) fee
(E) desire
Ans : (D)

PNB Specialist Officers Exam, 2011: English Language (Fully Solved)


Punjab National Bank (Specialist Officers) Exam., 2011
English Language : Solved Paper(Held on 28-8-2011)


Directions–(Q. 1-15) Read the following passage to answer the given questions based on it. Some words / phrases are printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.

The advent of technology has fundamentally changed our lives, but one thing is for sure: The velocity of technological change will accelerate in an exponential manner with significant ramifications for all of us. Just imagine: over half of the scientists and engineers who have ever lived are alive today. China adds about 6.5 million graduates every year, half of them engineers and scientists. It is not only the sheer number of "innovators" who will push the boundaries of science, technology and ultimately life-change, but also the greater degree of interconnectivity which accelerates the generation of knowledge and creates a much more entrepreneurial environment for innovation and change.

What is particularly striking is this dimension of change. Today's technological evolution no longer solely affects what we are doing, but also who we are. Of course, the Internet is in many ways still a tool, but it has also become part of our DNA. This is true for governments (just think of WikiLeaks), for businesses and for individuals. In some way, we are "outsourcing" parts of ourselves – and this raises the question: Who owns our 'inner most' self -our desires or our mobile phone records, capturing where we are going and with whom we are meeting. Is it technology companies, our local phone providers, or is it still us ?

It is not only the velocity and nature of change, but also the increasing multiplicity of actors which characterizes the world of today and tomorrow. Ten years ago, the Group of Eight (G-8) countries represented more than 60% of the world's economic power. Today, much more than half of the world's economic growth is produced by so-called emerging countries. This multiplicity of actors not only highlights the geographic expansion and the extension of multi-stakeholder impact, but it also underscores the fact that power is shifting from the top down and from the centre to the periphery -leaving almost seven billion people who want to have their say and the capability to do so.

The geoeconomic and geopolitical power shifts taking place will fundamentally change our lifestyles – equally, so too will the cultural seismic shifts that are occurring. Going forward, prevailing Western values will have to increasingly accommodate Asian values, and vice-versa. By 2025, four of the five largest economies in the world will be non-Western and close to half of the Fortune 500 companies will originate in emerging countries. This will have a direct impact on all of us in terms of new brands, new lifestyles and new industrial ownership structures.

All of these accelerated trends – velocity, multiplicity, interconnectivity – are creating a completely new world in which the mastering of complexities will be the key challenge. Of course, the more complex the system is, the greater the risk of systemic breakdowns.

1. Which of the following is predicted about world' s largest economies by 2025 ?
(A) Three out of the five largest economies will be Asian
(B) Four out of the five largest economies will be western
(C) Three out of the five largest economies will be non-western
(D) The top five largest economies will be non-western
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)

2. Which of the following is indicated about technology ?
(A) Technology changes will be more rapid now
(B) Technology will not bring about major societal changes now
(C) Number of innovations has gone down now
(D) Technologically advanced countries will represent 60% of world's economic power
(E) Telecommunication will see more advancement as compared to other areas
Ans : (A)

3. Which of the following would, in future, be true about cultural changes ?
(A) Western culture will affect Asian culture
(B) Asian culture will affect western culture
(C) Both western and Asian culture and values will adjust and mingle with each other
(D) No culture will be able to influence the other culture
(E) Inspite of other rapid changes, cultural changes will be slow
Ans : (C)

4. Which of the following is predicted about the Fortune 500 Companies ?
(A) Many of these companies will shift their base to the emerging countries
(B) Fortune 500 will be replaced by Fortune 2025
(C) Many new companies initiated in emerging countries will find place in Fortune 500
(D) None of the presently included countries will remain in Fortune 500 group by 2025
(E) The share of western countries will be less than 20% in Fortune 500
Ans : (C)

5. Which of the following may be the best title for the passage ?
(A) Technology
(B) New world complexities
(C) Convergence of Asian Values
(D) Innennost Vs outerself
(E) Changing lifestyle by 2025
Ans : (B)


6. Which of the following is true about world economy?
(A) The share of G-8 countries in the economic growth is just 10%
(B) More countries from western world now contribute to the world's economy
(C) There are five countries which contribute about 60% of world's economic growth
(D) More than 50% of world's economic growth now comes from developing countries
(E) The growth rate of GDP of most of the western countries is much more than what it was 10 years ago
Ans : (D)

7. Which of the following best describes the meaning of "push the boundaries" as used in the passage ?
(A) accept the challenge
(B) creating more competition
(C) prove to the world
(D) achieve the unimaginable
(E) take technology from one area to the other
Ans : (A)

8. Which of the following has now become a part of our DNA ?
(A) Global cooperation
(B) Internet
(C) Western values
(D) Complex life style
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

9. Which of the following would be the key challenge in the new world ?
(A) Controlling geopolitical power shifts
(B) Mastering the emerging complexities
(C) Pushing the boundaries of science
(D) Overcoming the power of internet
(E) The power shift from the centre to the periphery
Ans : (E)

Directions–(Q. 10-13) Choose the word(s) which is most nearly the same in meaning of the word printed in bold, as used in the passage.

10. accommodate(A) alter
(B) domesticate
(C) barrack
(D) include
(E) abide
Ans : (D)

11. ramifications
(A) ractifications
(B) backlashes
(C) consequences
(D) issues
(E) reverberations
Ans : (C)

12. accelerated
(A) new found
(B) unexpected
(C) rabid
(D) systemic
(E) fast paced
Ans : (E)

13. advent
(A) over-use
(B) importance
(C) approach
(D) arrival
(E) assurance
Ans : (D)

Directions–(Q. 14-15) Choose I the word(s) which is most opposite in meaning of the word printed in bold, as used in the passage.

14. striking
(A) friendly
(B) undistinguished
(C) interlocking
(D) noticeable
(E) non-colliding
Ans : (B)

15. key
(A) subsidiary
(B) closed
(C) primal
(D) locked
(E) over-ruled
Ans : (A)

Directions–(Q. 16-25) In the following passage there are blanks, each of which has been numbered. These numbers 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.

Delhi and Mumbai are the fifth and third cheapest cities of the world, out of 134 ...(16)..., says a news report. This comes as a ...(17)..., naturally, to those who live in these places and have been led to. ..(18) ... that they lead a pretty expensive life. Particularly what with the global commodity price boom pushing up material prices and all kinds of labour costs. With their considerable experience in 'arranging' surveys to deliver the desired results, many a Dilliwala or Mumbaikar might be tempted to ...(19)... the survey which came up with these results was ...(20)... by some sponsor or the other. Such cynicism goes out of the ...(21) ...when the same news report reveals that the survey was conducted by a respectable organisation. ...(22) ...a scrutiny of the top five cities and the two Indian cities, neighbours at the bottom yields a clue.

Tokyo leads the pack, followed by Oslo, Kobe, Paris and Zurich. One cannot readily vouch for Paris, but the other four are some of the most placid peaceful cities of the world. When we come to the bottom of the ranking, giving ...(23)... to Delhi and Mumbai are Tehran. Tunis and Karachi, the last mentioned being crowned the cheapest city of them all. Karachi gives the game away immediately, lifting all ...(24)... over what exactly is cheap in these places jostling for space at the bottom of the list. Life liberty and human dignity are what goes ...(25)... in these towns and what makes Delhi and Mumbai worthy contenders in the race to global cheapness. When crime goes unchecked, even after being widely reported and condemned, and criminals run rampant, life gets degraded, deformed, even extinguished. Life, in other words, gets cheap. Call it the lighter side of death.

16. (A) bigger
(B) participated
(C) sought
(D) designed
(E) surveyed
Ans : (E)

17. (A) reckoner
(B) shock
(C) mistake
(D) grief
(E) relief
Ans : (B)

18. (A) style
(B) believe
(C) display
(D) pretend
(E) deny
Ans : (B)

19. (A) deny
(B) protest
(C) oppose
(D) conclude
(E) conduct
Ans : (D)

20. (A) matched
(B) improved
(C) sponsored
(D) rejected
(E) manipulated
Ans : (E)

21. (A) doubt
(B) wisdom
(C) city
(D) door
(E) senses
Ans : (D)

22. (A) But
(B) Whether
(C) Would
(D) If
(E) As
Ans : (A)

23. (A) competing
(B) hints
(C) company
(D) significance
(E) threat
Ans : (C)

24. (A) inhibition
(B) definitions
(C) dependency
(D) mystery
(E) censor
Ans : (D)

25. (A) cheap
(B) unreported
(C) miss
(D) complex
(E) jostling
Ans : (A)

Directions–(Q. 26-35) Read each sentence to find out whether there is any grammatical error in it or a wrong word has been used. The error, if any, will be in one part of the sentence which has been lettered (A), (B), (C) or (D). The letter of that part is the answer. If there is no error, the answer is (E) i.e. 'No error'. (Ignore the errors of punctuation, if any).

26. To begun with (A) / three agencies were (B) / retained to study (C) / and submit recommendations. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (A)

27. To clamp down on illegal mining (A) / that loses money for the Exchequer, (B) / local people need to empowered (C) / to vet and oversee operations. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (C)

28. In real terms, it (A) / means passing up on (B) / opportunities that presents (C) / themselves to us. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (E)

29. The failure to control (A) / losses or increase revenues (B) / in a market growing (C) / in double digit is significantly. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (D)

30. There have been (A) / marked changes, (B) / but social rather (C) / then economic. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (D)

31. Notwithstand his (A) / frequent indisposition, (B) / he has diligently attended (C) / every single court hearing. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (A)

32. The administration continued to (A) / improve bilateral relations, (B) / while deepening and (C) / formalizing the economic dialogue. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (E)

33. The cause of rising crimes (A) / against women has its roots (B) / in the skewed sex ratio which (C) / males outnumber females. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (C)

34. Now that more and more (A) / internet sites are tailored (B) / their services to the requirements of individual users, (C) / queries may yield different outcomes for different people. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (B)

35. These are among (A) / the many contentious points (B) / that the author make (C) / in his controversial book. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (C)

Prathama Gramin Bank Officers Exam, 2011 : English Language (Fully Solved)


Prathama Gramin Bank Officers Exam., 2011
(Held on 25-9-2011)
English Language : Solved Paper


Directions–Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below them. Certain words/expressions are given in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.

The Battle of Gettysburg was fought during the first three days of July, 1863. During the night of July 4, Lee began to retreat southward while storm clouds' deluged the country with rain. When Lee reached the Potomac river with his defeated army, he found a swollen, impassable river in front of him, and a victorious Union army behind him. Lee was in a trap. He couldn't escape. US President, Abraham Lincoln saw that. Here was a golden, heaven-sent opportunity - the opportunity to capture Lee's army and end the war immediately. So, with a surge of high hope, Lincoln ordered General Meade not to call a council of war but to attack Lee immediately. Lincoln telegraphed his orders and then sent a special messenger to Meade demanding immediate action.

And, what did General Meade do ? He did the very opposite of what he was told to do. He called a council of war in direct violation of Lincoln's orders. Finally the water receded and Lee escaped over the Potomac with his forces.

Lincoln was furious. "What does this mean ?" Lincoln cried "Great God ! What does this mean ? We had them within our grasp, and had only to stretch forth our hands and they were ours; yet nothing that I could say or do could make the army move. Under the circumstances, almost any general could have defeated Lee.

In bitter disappointment, Lincoln sat down and wrote Meade this letter. And remember, at this period of his life, he was extremely conservative and restrained in his phraseology. So this letter coming from Lincoln in 1863 was tantamount to the severest rebuke.

"My dear' General,

"I do not believe you appreciate the magnitude of the misfortune involved in Lee's escape. He was within our easy grasp, and to have closed upon him would, in connection with our other late successes, have ended the war. As it is, the war will be prolonged indefinitely. If you could not safely attack Lee last Monday, how can you possibly do so south of the river, when you can take with you very few -not more than two-thirds of the force you then had in hand ? It would be unreasonable to expect and I do not expect that you can now effect much. Your golden opportunity is gone, and I am distressed immeasurably because of it."

What do you suppose Meade did when he read that letter ?

Meade never saw that letter. Lincoln never mailed it. It was found among Lincoln's papers after his death.

My guess is – and this is only a guess – that after writing that letter, Lincoln looked out of the window and said to himself, "Just a minute. May be I ought not to be so hasty. It is easy enough for me to sit here in the quiet of the White House and order Meade to attack; but if I had been up at Gettysburg, and if I had seen as much blood as Meade had seen during the last week, and if my ears had been pierced with the screams and shrieks of the wounded and dying, maybe I wouldn't be so anxious to attack either."

1. Which of the following is the author's guess about the reason for Lincoln's withholding the letter to General Meade ?
(A) There was no point in lamenting over spilt milk as the matter was already over
(B) Decisions taken while sitting in ivory tower may not be as appropriate as those taken after witnessing the battle field
(C) The blood seen at the battle field and the shrieks of the dying heard by Lincoln
(D) General's views should be considered by President not-withstanding their merits
(E) He wanted to avoid confrontation with the General at that critical hour
Ans : (B)

2. What would have been the probable consequences had General Meade followed Lincoln's orders ?
(a) It would have prolonged the war further, indefinitely
(b) Lee's army would have got enough time for a safe escape
(c) The Council of war would not have granted permission to carry out the orders
(A) (a) and (b) only
(B) (a) and (c) only
(C) (b) and (c) only
(D) All the three (a), (b) and (c)
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)

3. Abraham Lincoln had ordered General Meade not to……………..
(a) attack Lee while he had been at a disadvantage due to flooded river
(b) let Lee escape so that the war could be ended immediately
(c) call a council of war to discuss the attack on Lee's forces
(A) All the three
(B) (a) and (b) only
(C) (a) and (c) only
(D) (b) and (c) only
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

4. In the context of the passage, all of the following statements are true EXCEPT……………..
(A) General Meade would have found it difficult to win the war after Lee's safe escape
(B) General Meade failed to end the war because of the swollen Potomac river
(C) Abraham Lincoln's orders were violated by General Meade
(D) When Potomac river was in spate, Lincoln considered it as a golden opportunity
(E) Abraham Lincoln refrained from sending the letter to General Meade
Ans : (B)

5. What was the situation that made Lee uncomfortable on the fourth day of war while retreating ?
(A) His army had been defeated in a very humiliating manner
(B) He was trapped in an ambush laid down by the enemy's army
(C) His army was sandwiched between enemy's forces and a swollen river
(D) Storm clouds had deluged the country with heavy rains
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)


6. What could be the probable reason why General Meade didn't follow Lincoln's orders ?
General Meade……………..
(A) knew that Lincoln was not empowered to issue such orders
(B) did not wish to terminate war so early
(C) was rule-bound and wanted to follow orders of Council of War
(D) having defeated the enemy, wanted to avoid further bloodshed
(E) was aware of the danger of crossing the swollen Potomac river
Ans : (D)

7. What was the outcome of General Meade' s inaction on Abraham Lincoln's orders ?
(a) Lee and his army could escape safely
(b) It infuriated Abraham Lincoln
(c) Lee's army was defeated and had to retreat
(A) (a) and (b) only
(B) (a) and (c) only
(C) (b) and (c) only
(D) All the three
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

8. The contents of the passage reveal which qualities of General Meade ?
(A) Timidity and arrogance
(B) Courage and humanitarian consideration
(C) Obedience and bravery
(D) Treachery and lack of patriotism
(E) Undue compassion for enemy and lawlessness
Ans : (B)

9. Abraham Lincoln was extremely annoyed with General Meade because…………….. (A) the latter had hurt his ego by violating his orders
(B) the General had procrastinated on his orders due to inertia
(C) a golden opportunity to win the war early was lost
(D) the latter had colluded with the enemy General
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

Directions–(Q. 10-12) Choose the word or group of words which is MOST NEARLY THE SAME in meaning as the word printed in bold.
10. Conservative
(A) Traditional
(B) Negative
(C) Backward
(D) Biased
(E) Unsymmetrical
Ans : (A)

11. Distressed
(A) Relieved
(B) Annoyed
(C) Sad
(D) Anxious
(E) Devastated
Ans : (B)

12. Grasp
(A) Understand
(B) Seize
(C) Knowledge
(D) Reach
(E) Assimilate
Ans : (B)

Directions–(Q. 13-15) Choose the word or group of words which is MOST OPPOSITE in meaning of the word/group of words printed in bold.

13. Surge
(A) Thinning
(B) Flash
(C) Drought
(D) Iota
(E) Miniscule
Ans : (A)

14. Violation
(A) Breach
(B) Honouring
(C) Obedient
(D) Confirmation
(E) Regulation
Ans : (B)

15. Receded
(A) Accumulated
(B) Extended
(C) Deflated
(D) Reflected
(E) Advanced
Ans : (E)

Directions–(Q. 16-20) Rearrange the following six 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) What made him one of the richest men in the USA ?
(b) He had hundreds of men working for him.
(c) And he knew how to handle these knowledgeable men.
(d) What made Andrew Carnegie a successful businessman?
(e) They knew far more about steel than he did.
(f) He was called the steel king, yet he himself knew little about manufacture of steel.

16. Which of the following will be the FOURTH sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) (a)
(B) (b)
(C) (c)
(D) (d)
(E) (e)
Ans : (B)

17. Which of the following will be the FIFTH sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) (a)
(B) (b)
(C) (c)
(D) (d)
(E) (e)
Ans : (E)

18. Which of the following will be the SECOND sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) (a)
(B) (b)
(C) (c)
(D) (d)
(E) (e)
Ans : (A)

19. Which of the following will be the THIRD sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) (f)
(B) (e)
(C) (d)
(D) (c)
(E) (b)
Ans : (A)

20. Which of the following will be the FIRST sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) (f)
(B) (e)
(C) (d)
(D) (c)
(E) (b)
Ans : (C)

Directions–(Q. 21-25) Against each question number, an incomplete statement is provided. In the next column, there are fillers denoted by (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g), (h) and (i). You have to find out which one, two or more of these can grammatically and meaningfully complete the incomplete statement provided against the question number. Accordingly, mark your answer where .answer choices are provided against question number repeated below the statement and fillers.
(a) he had to pay what the vendor had insisted on.
(b) yet, he seldom wins any easy bargain.
(c) yet, he somehow manages to maintain a win-win situation.
(d) and therefore, he always gets an edge over others.
(e) still, he rarely succeeds in being a beneficiary.
(f) but he refrains from seeking any benefits out of that strength.
(g) people are carried away by his perceived quality.
(h) he uses it for the society and not for self
(i) how can one expect him to benefit ?

21. His misunderstanding is that he acquired a good trick of the trade…………..
(A) (i) only
(B) Either (d) or (e)
(C) (g) only
(D) (d) only
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

22. He projects himself as a likeable person without really being so…………..
(A) (e) only
(B) (g) only
(C) (c) only
(D) (a) only
(E) Either (c) or (g)
Ans : (B)

23. His persuasive skills are of a higher order…………..
(A) (i) only
(B) (a) only
(C) (c) only
(D) (g)only
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)

24. Despite being good at negotiations…………..
(A) (a) only
(B) (b) only
(C) Either (a) or (c)
(D) Either (a) or (b)
(E) Either (b) or (c)
Ans : (A)

25. He has serious limitations in convincing others…………..
(A) (e) only
(B) (a) only
(C) (c) only
(D) (d) only
(E) Either (d) or (e)
Ans : (C)

Directions –(Q. 26-35) Which of the following phrases (A), (B), (C) and (D) given below should replace the phrase given in bold in the following sentence to make the sentence grammatically meaningful and correct. If the sentence is correct as it is and no correction is required, mark (E) as the answer i.e. "No Correction Required".

26. Favourable changes would be visible if proper information will be shared without any reservations.
(A) will be visible if proper information would be shared
(B) would be visible if proper information is shared
(C) would be visible through proper share of information
(D) were visible after share of information will be proper
(E) No Correction Required
Ans : (B)

27. In the monsoon, large branches of trees suddenly break up and fall, wreck parked cars or a passing pedestrian.
(A) break up and fall suddenly, wreck
(B) suddenly break up, fall and wreck
(C) suddenly break off and fall, wrecking
(D) suddenly wreck, fall and break off
(E) No Correction Required
Ans : (C)

28. People had been motivated to join the movement to fight poverty and use the armed struggle to get social justice.
(A) are motivated to join
(B) were motivated to joining
(C) had motivation for joining
(D) had been motivated for joining
(E) No Correction Required
Ans : (E)

29. The Government discovered that though the scientist's seniority was entitled the highest grade in the service, his claims had been over-looked.
(A) scientist was entitled to the I highest grade by his seniority
(B) seniority of the scientist had been entitled to the highest grade .
(C) highest grade was entitled to the scientist with his seniority
(D) seniority was a factor to decide entitlement of the scientist to highest grade
(E) No Correction Required
Ans : (A)

30. Through the experiment, the boy, had gained just enough knowledge to whet his appetite for more.(A) just enough knowledge to his appetite whetting for more
(B) enough knowledge just to whet his appetite much more
(C) just enough knowledge for whetting more and more appetite
(D) knowledge enough to whet is much more appetite
(E) No Correction Required
Ans : (E)

31. The relationship has perceived by people of both countries as mutually beneficial and rewarding, so that they will develop trust and confidence.
(A) perception of relationship between people
(B) perceived relationship among people
(C) relationship as perceived by people
(D) relationship has to perceived by people
(E) No Correction Required
Ans : (D)

32. While acknowledging his knowledge and technical competence, the official sources lay down stress on his Integrity.(A) lay upon stress on the integrity
(B) lay off stress on his integrity
(C) lay stress on his integrity
(D) lay stress on him being a person on integrity
(E) No Correction Required
Ans : (C)

33. There is an impact assessment zone where radiation levels are regularly monitoring.
(A) level is regularly monitoring
(B) level is regular to monitor
(C) levels are regularly monitored
(D) level is monitoring regularly
(E) No Correction Required
Ans : (C)

34. What should they do with the enormous wealth is their lookout.
(A) they should have done with the enormous wealth have
(B) should they do if the wealth is enormous is
(C) should they be doing for the enormous wealth is
(D) they should do with the enormous wealth is
(E) No Correction Required
Ans : (E)

35. Those who voted for change in the region now wonder about its whereabouts.(A) are now wonderful about its whereabouts
(B) have now wondered of its whereabouts
(C) now wonder at whereabouts of themselves
(D) wonder about their whereabouts now
(E) No Correction Required
Ans : (D)

Directions–(Q. 36-40) In each sentence below there are two blank spaces. Below each sentence, there are five pairs of words denoted by (A), (B), (C), (D) and (E). Find out which pair best fits 'in the blanks in the same serial order to make the sentence meaningfully complete. The letter of that pair is the answer.

36. She had done her graduation and has……………..working in the company……………..nearly twenty years.
(A) is, since
(B) is, from
(C) was, since
(D) been, for
(E) started, about
Ans : (D)

37. Although I was……………..in front of the house, I could not……………..it due to lot of changes around.
(A) facing, find
(B) standing, recognize
(C) right, believe
(D) working, help
(E) alighted, sense
Ans : (B)

38. Spending time is not a……………..as there are numerous……………..to keep me busy.
(A) boon, action
(B) disaster, works
(C) difficulty, occasions
(D) solution, problems
(E) problem, activities
Ans : (E)

39. He realized that poverty can be……………..not by raising slogans, but by……………..more and more jobs for the unemployed.
(A) eliminated, doing
(B) handled, enhancing
(C) eradicated, creating
(D) elevated, assigning
(E) dealt, offering
Ans : (C)

40. When the suppliers came to know that the li1aterial we purchased was for……………..work, they offered generous discount and also made free……………..
(A) relief, delivery
(B) personal, supply
( C) our, manufacture
(D) exceptional, resources
(E) trivial, passage
Ans : (A)

Directions–(Q. 41-50) In the following passage, there are blanks, each of which has been numbered. These numbers 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 latest official figures of 2010 on ...(41)... say this: "A typical Indian worker is male,
...(42)... working in his midtwenties, is presumably better educated than before, ...(43)... most likely to find work as casual labour the ...(44)... secure of jobs. He is also more likely to ...(45)... a job, less likely to be interested in one, and will surely earn better money. His wife is less likely to work."

This is just the sort of ...(46)... that the government cautions observers not to paint, pointing to the formidable armies of the self-employed-those who ...(47)... your shoes, sell you roadside tea, and build a dhaba or a mechanic's shop-in the workforce. But be it the 'casual" workers or the self-employed, these are not the big, sweeping. ..( 48) ...that one expects to see 20 years after a big country starts liberalizing. ...(49) ..., the pro-portion of Indians in manufacturing jobs hasn't changed significantly ...(50)... the 90's.

41. (A) development
(B) economy
(C) employment
(D) education
(E) statistics
Ans : (C)

42. (A) decides
(B) starts
(C) neglects
(D) avoids
(E) pretends
Ans : (B)

43. (A) yet
(B) hence
(C) obviously
(D) and
(E) although
Ans : (A)

44. (A) financially
(B) more
(C) certainly
(D) least
(E) better
Ans : (D)

45. (A) assign
(B) seek
(C) create
(D) get
(E) delegate
Ans : (B)

46. (A) image
(B) guess
(C) riddle
(D) happening
(E) forecast
Ans : (A)

47. (A) wear
(B) polish
(C) handle
(D) sell
(E) steal
Ans : (B)

48. (A) realities
(B) tones
(C) alarms
(D) events
(E) changes
Ans : (A)

49. (A) Hence
(B) Liberally
(C) Subsequently
(D) Luckily
(E) Sadly
Ans : (E)

50. (A) before
(B) in
(C) since
(d) during
(E) over
Ans : (D)

Padma Award Winners for 2012 (Full List)


Padma Award Winners for 2012


Padma Vibhushan● K G Subramanyan Art-Painting & Sculpture West Bengal
● Late (Dr.)Bhupen Hazarika Art- Vocal Music Assam
● Late Mario De Miranda Art-Cartoonist Goa
● Dr. Kantilal Hastimal Sancheti Medicine - Orthopedics Maharashtra
● T V Rajeswar Civil Service Delhi

Padma Bhushan● Smt. Shabana Azmi Art - Cinema Maharashtra
● Jatin Das Art - Painting Delhi
● Khaled Choudhury Art - Theatre West Bengal
● Pandit Buddhadev Das Gupta Art - Instrumental Music - Sarod West Bengal
● Dr. Trippunithwra Viswanathan Gopalkrishnan Art - Classical vocal and instrumental music Tamil Nadu
● Dharmendra Singh Deol alias Dharmendra Art - Cinema Maharashtra
● Ms. Mira Nair Art - Cinema Delhi
● M.S. Gopalakrishnan Art - Instrumental Music-Violin Tamil Nadu
● Satya Narayan Goenka Social Work Maharashtra
● Dr. (Judge) Patibandla Chandrasekhar Rao Public Affairs Germany
● Anish Kapoor Art - Sculpture UK


● George Yong-Boon Yeo Public Affairs Singapore
● Prof. Shashikumar Chitre Science and Engineering Maharashtra
● Subbiah Murugappa Vellayan Trade and Industry Tamil Nadu
● Balasubramanian Muthuraman Trade and Industry Maharashtra
● Dr. M S Raghunathan Science and Engineering Maharashtra
● Dr. Suresh H. Advani Medicine - Oncology Maharashtra
● Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty Medicine-Cardiology Karnataka
● Prof. (Dr.) Shantaram Balwant Mujumdar Literature and Education Maharashtra
● Ronen Sen Civil Service West Bengal
● Dr. Homi K. Bhabha Literature and Education UK
● Dr. Noshir H Wadia Medicine-Neurology Maharashtra
● Prof. Vidya Dehejia Literature and Education USA
● Prof. Arvind Panagariya Literature and Education USA
● Dr. Jose Pereira Literature and Education USA
● N Vittal Civil Service Kerala
● Mata Prasad Civil Service Uttar Pradesh

Padma Shri
● Vanraj Bhatia Art - Music Maharashtra
● Zia Fariduddin Dagar Art - Music - vocal Maharashtra
● Smt. Nameirakpam Ibemni Devi Art - Music- Khongjom Parba Manipur
● Ramachandra Subraya Hegde Chittani Art - Yakshagana dance drama Karnataka
● Moti Lal Kemmu Art - Playwright Jammu and Kashmir
● Smt. R. Nagarathnamma Art - Theatre Karnataka
● Kalamandalm Sivan Nambootiri Art - Indian Classical Dance- Kutiyattam Kerala
● Smt. Yamunabai Waikar Art - Indian Folk Music-Lavani. Maharashtra
● Satish Alekar Art - Playwright Maharashtra
● Pandit Gopal Prasad Dubey Art - Chhau dance and choreography Jharkhand
● Ramakant Gundecha Art - Indian Classical Music- Vocal Madhya Pradesh
● Shahid Parvez Khan Art - Instrumental Music-Sitar Maharashtra
● Mohan Lal Kumhar Art - Terracotta Rajasthan
● Sakar Khan Manganiar Art - Rajasthani Folk Music Rajasthan
● Smt. Joy Michael Art - Theatre Delhi
● Dr. Minati Mishra Art - Indian Classical Dance-Odissi. Orissa
● Natesan Muthuswamy Art - Theatre. Tamil Nadu
● Umakant Gundecha Art - Indian Classical Music- Vocal Madhya Pradesh
● Anup Jalota Art-Indian Classical Music- Vocal Maharashtra
● Soman Nair Priyadarsan Art - Cinema- Direction Kerala
● Sunil Janah Art-Photography Assam
● Ms. Laila Tyebji Art-Handicrafts Delhi
● Vijay Sharma Art-Painting Himachal Pradesh
● Smt. Shamshad Begum Social Work Chattisgarh
● Niranjan Pranshankar Pandya Social Work Maharashtra
● Dr. Uma Tuli Social Work Delhi
● Sat Paul Varma Social Work Jammu and Kashmir
● Smt.Binny Yanga Social Work Arunachal Pradesh
● Yezdi Hirji Malegam Public Affairs Maharashtra
● Pravin H. Parekh Pubic Affairs Delhi
● Smt. Reeta Devi Social Work Delhi
● Dr. P.K. Gopal Social Work Tamil Nadu
● Smt. Phoolbasan Bai Yadav Social Work Chattisgarh
● Dr. G. Muniratnam Social Work Andhra Pradesh
● Dr. V. Adimurthy Science and Engineering Kerala
● Dr. Krishna Lal Chadha Science and Engineering - Agriculture Delhi
● Prof. Virander Singh Chauhan Science and Engineering Delhi
● Prof. Rameshwar Nath Koul Bamezai Science and Engineering Jammu and Kashmir
● Shoji Shiba Trade and Industry Japan
● Gopinath Pillai Trade and Industry Singapore
● Arun Hastimal Firodia Trade and Industry Maharashtra
● Dr. Swati A. Piramal Trade and Industry Maharashtra
● Prof. Mahdi Hasan Medicine-Anatomy Uttar Pradesh
● Dr. Vijaypal Singh Science and Engineering - Agricultural Research Uttar Pradesh
● Dr. Lokesh Kumar Singhal Science and Engineering Punjab
● Dr. Yagnaswami Sundara Rajan Science and Engineering Karnataka
● Prof. Jagadish Shukla Science and Engineering USA
● Ms. Priya Paul Trade and Industry Delhi
● Dr. Viswanathan Mohan Medicine - Diabetology Tamil Nadu
● Dr. J. Hareendran Nair Medicine - Ayurveda Kerala
● Dr. Vallalarpuram Sennimalai Natarajan Medicine - Geriatrics Tamil Nadu
● Dr. Jitendra Kumar Singh Medicine - Oncology Bihar
● Surjit Singh Patar Literature and Education - Poetry Punjab
● Vijay Dutt Shridhar Literature and Education - Journalism Madhya Pradesh
● Irwin Allan Sealy Literature and Education Uttarakhand
● Ms. Geeta Dharmarajan Literature and Education Delhi
● Prof. Sachchidanand Sahai Literature and Education Haryana
● Smt. Pepita Seth Literature and Education Kerala
● Dr. Ralte L. Thanmawia Literature and Education Mizoram
● Dr. Shrinivas S. Vaishya Medicine-Healthcare Daman and Diu
● Dr. Nitya Anand Medicine - Drugs Research Uttar Pradesh
● Late Dr. Jugal Kishore Medicine - Homoeopathy Delhi
● Dr. Mukesh Batra Medicine-Homeopathy Maharashtra
● Dr. Eberhard Fischer Literature and Education Switzerland
● Kedar Gurung Literature and Education Sikkim
● Ajeet Bajaj Sports - Skiing Delhi
● Smt. Jhulan Goswami Sports - Women's Cricket West Bengal
● Zafar Iqbal Sports-Hockey Uttar Pradesh
● Devendra Jhajrija Sports - Athletics- Paralympics Rajasthan
● Limba Ram Sports - Archery Rajasthan
● Syed Mohammed Arif Sports - Badminton Andhra Pradesh
● Prof. Ravi Chaturvedi Sports- Commentary Delhi
● Prabhakar Vaidya Sports-Physical Education Maharashtra
● T. Venkatapathi Reddiar Others-Horticulture Puducherry
● Dr. K. (Kota) Ullas Karanth Others-Wildlife Conservation and Environment Protection Karnataka
● K Paddayya Others-Archaeology Maharashtra
● Swapan Guha Others-Ceramics Rajasthan
● Dr. Kartikeya V. Sarabhai Others - Environmental Education Gujarat

PNB Clerk (Second Shift) Exam, 2011 : English Language (Solved)

Punjab National Bank Clerk (Second Shift) Exam., 2011
(Held on 19-6-2011)
English Language: Solved Paper


Directions (Q. 1-15) Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words/phrases/sentences have been printed in bold/italics to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.

Once upon a time there was a shy and quiet octopus. He nearly always went about on his own because, although he wanted to have lots of friends, he was too self-conscious.

One day, the octopus was trying to catch a very slippery oyster. Before he knew it, he had tied himself into one massive knot, and he couldn't move. He tried with all his strength to wriggle free, but it was no good. In the end, despite the great embarrassment he felt at being seen in such a tangle, he had to ask for help from the passing fish. Many fish swam past, ignoring him, but one very kind little fish offered to help untie all those tentacles from all those suckers.

The octopus felt heartily relieved when he was finally set free, but he was so shy that he didn't dare talk to the fish and make friends with him. He simply thanked the fish, and quickly swam off. Later, the octopus spent the whole night thinking that he had wasted a great opportunity to make friends with that very kind little fish.

A couple of days later the octopus was resting between some rocks, when he noticed that everyone around was hurriedly swimming past. He looked into the distance and saw an enormous fish coming over to feed in that area. The octopus quickly hid; then peeping an eye out from his hiding place, he saw that the huge fish as chasing the kind little fish who had untied him. That little fish really needed urgent help, but the big fish was so dangerous-looking that no one dared to go near. The octopus, remembering how the little fish had helped him, felt that he had to do whatever he could to come to his aid.

Without hesitating, the octopus shot out from the rocks, like a ray. He put himself right in the path of the giant fish, and before the fish could do anything about it, the octopus had shot out the biggest jet of ink of his life. He grabbed the little fish, and swam off back to hide in the rocks. Everything happened so fast that the big fish had no time to react. However, he soon recovered from the surprise. Off he went to the rocks, looking for the octopus and the little fish. Now he really wanted to gobble them down !

Soon, though, he began feeling a terrible itch; first in his gills, and then in his fins, and then allover his body. It turned out that this giant fish had a very sensitive skin and the octopus's dark ink had given him a terrible allergy !! So the big fish swam away, irritated all over.

As soon as he was gone, all the fish that had been hiding came and congratulated the octopus for being so brave. Then the little fish told them all how he had helped the octopus a few days earlier, but he had never known anyone to end up doing something so dangerous. Hearing this, the other fish discovered how nice the shy octopus was, and everyone around was keen to be friends with such a brave and honourable octopus.

1. How did the octopus save the little fish ?
(A) By asking the little fish to hide before the big fish could see him
(B) By putting himself between the big fish and the little fish and shooting a jet of ink at the big fish
(C) By shooting a jet of ink at the big fish and thus managing to kill it
(D) By calling out for help from all the other fish and carrying the little fish to safety
(E) By offering his life to the big fish instead of the life of the little fish
Ans : (B)

2. Why did the octopus have to ask for help from the passing fish ?
(A) He was bored of swimming alone and thus asked the fish to accompany him
(B) He desperately needed to make friends and thus needed the fish to help him
(C) Someone had tied him up in a knot and he could not get himself untied
(D) He needed help in order to escape from the big fish that had come to eat him
(E) He had gotten himself tied up in a knot trying to catch an oyster
Ans : (E)

3. 'He nearly always went about on his own because, although he wanted to have lots of friends, he was too self-conscious.' How can this sentence be best re framed without changing its meaning ?
(A) Having many friends, he was self-conscious despite being alone
(B) Being alone, he had many friends despite being self-conscious
(C) Being self-conscious, he went about alone despite wanting to have many friends
(D) Being alone, he was self-conscious despite wanting to have many friends
(E) Having many friends, he went about alone despite being self-conscious
Ans : (D)

4. Which of the following characteristics can be attributed to the little fish from the story ?
(1) Kind
(2) Persuasive
(3) Shy
(A) Only (1) and (3)
(B) Only (1)
(C) All (1), (2) and (3)
(D) Only (2)
(E) Only (2) and (3)
Ans : (B)

5. 'The octopus, remembering how the little fish had helped him, felt that he had to do. What ever he could to come to his aid,' What feeling of the octopus towards the little fish does this line signify ?
(A) Revenge
(B) Suspicion
(C) Gratitude
(D) Compassion
(E) Repentance
Ans : (C)


6. 'Now he really wanted to gobble them down!' What emotion of the big fish does this sentence convey ?
(A) Happiness
(B) Pleasure
(C) Anger
(D) Helplessness
(E) Fear
Ans : (C)

7. Why did all the fish congratulate the octopus ?
(A) He had bravely saved the little fish from being eaten by the big fish
(B) He had successfully gotten himself untied all by himself
(C) He had managed to kill the big fish all alone and thus saved the lives of all the other fish
(D) He had finally managed to make a large number of friends in the ocean
(E) He had saved the little fish from the clutches of the oyster
Ans : (A)

8. Which of the following can be the most appropriate title for the t passage/story ?
(A) The Brave But Shy Octopus
(B) The Tiniest Fish
(C) The Fishes of the Ocean
(D) The Big Hungry Fish
(E) The Dumb Octopus
Ans : (A)

9. Which of the following characteristics can be attributed to the octopus from the story ?
(1) Troublesome
(2) Noble
(3) Brave
(A) Only (2)
(B) Only (1)
(C) Only (1) and (2)
(D) Only (2) and (3)
(E) All (1), (2) and (3)
Ans : (D)

10. Why did the big fish swim away ?
(A) He got scared looking at the huge octopus' and decided not to attack the little fish
(B) He was driven away by other fish
(C) He was unable to locate the octopus and the fish
(D) He got a terrible itch all over his body from the octopus ink
(E) He decided that he would not be able to handle both the octopus and the fish together
Ans : (D)

Directions– (Q. 11-13) Choose the word/group of words which is most similar in meaning to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.

11. MASSIVE
(A) Big
(B) Heavy
(C) Thin
(D) Frail
(E) Plenty
Ans : (A)

12. REACT
(A) Emote
(B) Respond
(C) Replay
(D) Look
(E) Answer
Ans : (E)

13. NEARLY
(A) Quietly
(B) Closely
(C) Next
(D) Almost
(E) Proximally
Ans : (D)

Directions– (Q. 14-15) Choose the word/group of words which is most opposite in meaning to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.

14. HURRIEDLY
(A) Sickly
(B) Fast
(C) Quickly
(D) Palely
(E) Leisurely
Ans : (E)

15. SHY
(A) Healthy
(B) Timid
(C) Happy
(D) Polite
(E) Bold
Ans : (E)

Directions– (Q. 16-20) In each of the following questions, a sentence/s contain/s a blank space. You have to choose from the options (A), (B), (C), (D) and (E) and fill in the blank in such a manner that it completes the sentence/s in the most meaningful and grammatically appropriate manner.

16. The thieves knew that there was a lot of money in the bank and wanted to ……………….. on it.
(A) cash in
(B) borrow
(C) stash it
(D) steal
(E) purchase things
Ans : (D)

17. It was common knowledge that the Manager had committed a fraud. Just to……………….., the Manager was now lying through his teeth.
(A) admit it
(B) save his own skin
(C) reaffirm it
(D) jump the gun
(E) make hay while the sun shines
Ans : (B)

18. The rioting crowd had reached very close to Asha's house. Asha's brother somehow managed to avoid this crowd and reached home ………………..
(A) simply
(B) in one piece
(C) in silent
(D) in jiffy
(E) quicker
Ans : (B)

19. I have been so busy with work that I have not yet ……………….. to arranging my things in my new house.
(A) tried
(B) come ahead
(C) seemed
(D) attempting
(E) gotten around
Ans : (E)

20. I am hosting a party at my house tomorrow evening. I ……………….. you can make it on time.
(A) knew that
(B) understands
(C) hope that
(D) wishes that
(E) desire
Ans : (C)

Directions– (Q. 21-25) In each the following questions a short story is given with one of the lines in e story missing and represented by a blank. Select the best out of the five answer choices given, to make the story complete and coherent.

21. A King when once returning to his palace, complained that his feet were very painful, because it was the first time that he had been for such a long trip, and the road that he went through was very rough and stony. He then ordered his people to cover every road of the entire country with leather. Definitely, this would need thousands of cows' skin, and would cost a huge amount of money. Then one of his wise servants dared himself to tell the king, ……... The king was surprised, but he later agreed to his suggestion, to make a 'shoe' for himself.
(A) "Why don't you just make a concrete road instead ?"
(B) "We will immediately start killing all the cows in the kingdom to cover the road for you, your majesty.
(C) "We will immediately start mending the road so that you are not inconvenienced on your next trip."
(D) "Instead of spending all that money, why don't you just cut a little piece of leather to cover your feet ?"
(E) "You must be crazy to want better roads."
Ans : (D)

22. Two men were walking along one summer day. Soon it became too hot to go any further and, seeing a large tree nearby, they threw themselves on the ground to rest in its shade. Gazing up into the branches one man said to the other: "…………….It does not have fruit or nuts that we can eat and we cannot even use its wood for anything." "Don't be so ungrateful," rustled the tree in reply. "I am being extremely useful to you at this very moment, shielding you from the hot sun. And you call me good-for-nothing !"
(A) "Look, the branches of this tree are so long
(B) "What a beautiful tree !
(C) "Had this tree not been here we would have had to bear the brunt of the heat
(D) "What a useless tree this is
(E) "I want to cut this tree down because of its usefulness
Ans : (D)

23. The father of a boy, who constantly lost his temper, gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence…………... He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The day passed and the
young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. When you say things in anger, they leave scars just like these. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound will still be there.
(A) Due to constant hammering the fence broke into pieces
(B) Finally the father asked the boy to stop hammering nails into the fence
(C) The boy suddenly started losing his temper again
(D) The boy ran out of nails to hammer
(E) Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all
Ans : (E)

24. A certain man planted a rose and watered it faithfully and before it blossomed, he examined it. He saw the bud that would soon blossom, but noticed thorns upon the stem and he thought, "How can any beautiful flower come from a plant burdened with so many sharp thorns ?" …………………., and just before it was ready to bloom, it died.
(A) So he pleaded with the rose to drop its thorns
(B) Quickly the man examined the thorns on the rose
(C) The man smelled the rose
(D) Saddened by this thought, he neglected to water the rose
(E) Excited, he poured a lot of water into the pot
Ans : (D)

25. A wise woman who was travelling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveller who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveller saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation. The traveller left, rejoicing his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. ……………"I've been thinking," he said, "I know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious, give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone."
(A) The wise woman visited him a few days later and forced him to return the stone
(B) But after a few days, the stone started giving him a lot of trouble and he considered it unlucky
(C) But a few days later he came back to return the stone to the wise woman
(D) He went back to the mountains to look for another stone
(E) A few days later, he came back and asked for another stone from the wise woman
Ans : (C)

Directions– (Q. 26-30) Re-arrange the following six sentences (1), (2), (3), (4),(5) and (6) in the proper sequence to form a meaningful paragraph; then answer the questions given below them.
(1) The little one, whose mother's skin the Wolf was wearing, began to follow the Wolf.
(2) One day he found the skin of a sheep that had been flayed and thrown aside.
(3) Thus for some time he succeeded in deceiving the sheep, and enjoying hearty meals.
(4) A wolf found great difficulty in getting at the sheep owing to the vigilance of the shepherd and his dogs.
(5) The wolf led the little one a little afar and soon made a meal off her.
(6) The wolf put it on over his own pelt and strolled down among the sheep.

26. Which of the following should be the THIRD sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) 1
(B) 2
(C) 3
(D) 4
(E) 6
Ans : (E)

27. Which of the following should be the FIRST sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) 1
(B) 2
(C) 3
(D) 4
(E) 5
Ans : (D)

28. Which of the following should be the FOURTH sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) 1
(B) 2
(C) 3
(D) 5
(E) 6
Ans : (A)

29. Which of the following should be the LAST (SIXTH) sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) 6
(B) 5
(C) 4
(D) 3
(E) 2
Ans : (D)

30. Which of the following should be the SECOND sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) 1
(B) 2
(C) 3
(D) 4
(E) 6
Ans : (B)

Directions– (Q. 31-35) In each of the following sentences there are five parts (1), (2), (3), (4) and (5). Rearrange these parts to form a meaningful and grammatically correct sentence and choose the alternative which represents the arrangement.

31. (1) she bought
(2) her friend
(3) so happy that
(4) flowers for
(5) she was
(A) 1 4 2 3 5
(B) 3 5 1 4 2
(C) 2 5 1 3 4
(D) 5 3 1 4 2
(E) 1 5 324
Ans : (D)

32. (1) people attended
(2) there were
(3) the meeting that
(4) no seats available
(5) so many
(A) 5 1 3 2 4
(B) 2 4 5 1 3
(C) 2 5 1 3 4
(D) 5 2 1 3 4
(E) 1 5 32 4
Ans : (A)

33. (1) customers who visit
(2) want to know
(3) nowadays banks
(4) everything about
(5) their branches
(A) 3 2 4 1 5
(B) 4 3 1 2 5
(C) 2 3 4 1 5
(D) 5 3 2 4 1
(E) 1 5 2 4 3
Ans : (A)

34. (1) wait for them
(2) before we
(3) we should
(4) make this decision
(5) to explain
(A) 3 4 5 2 1
(B) 3 1 5 24
(C) 2 1 3 4 5
(D) 1 5 2 4 3
(E) 4 2 1 5 3
Ans : (B)

35. (1) one should
(2) in advance
(3) a house
(4) before buying
(5) plan well
(A) 1 5 4 3 2
(B) 4 2 1 5 3
(C) 2 1 5 3 4
(D) 1 5 2 3 4
(E) 1 5 2 4 3
Ans : (E)

Directions–(Q. 36-40) 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 letter of that part is the answer. If there is no error, the answer is (E). (Ignore errors of punctuation, if any.)

36. A man sleeping (A) / at night in his cabin (B) / that suddenly (C) / his room filled with light. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (C)

37. For hours the secretary ignoring them, (A) / hoping that the couple would (B) / finally be discouraged (C) / and go away. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (A)

38. Working together for the first time, (A) / the father and son developed concepts of how (B) / they could accomplish the task and (C) / how the obstacles could be overcome. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (B)

39. Once upon a time there was (A) / a water-bearer who had two large pots. (B) / each hung on each end of a pole (C) / who he carried across his neck. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (D)

40. Often when we face obstacles (A) / in our day-to-day life, our hurdles (B) / seemed very small in comparison (C) / to what many others have faced. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (C)

Directions– (Q. 41-50) In the following passage there are blanks, each of which has been numbered. These numbers 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.

On Noah's Ark things were getting a bit boring. Noah and his animals had spent so many days secluded there that they started organising games and activities to ...(41)... themselves. But, with all that pent up energy, the games got rather rowdy, and a woodpecker ended up drilling a hole in the bottom of the ark. As water began ...(42)... the boat, the hole got bigger. So, more water came in, and things got a bit disquieting.

One by one, different animals tried to ...(43)... the hole. They even got competitive about it because everyone wanted to be the animal that had saved the ark. The beaver built a dam over the hole, but not ...(44)... that worked. Everyone was ...(45)... and worried that the boat would sink. That was, until the bee started talking. The bee explained to everyone how it was that bees always worked together, as a team, each one doing the job they were best at. On hearing this, all the animals set about working together, each one playing their part by contributing their own special talent. The birds grabbed onto parts of the ark with their beaks, and flapped their wings furiously, lifting the boat up a little. The elephants ...(46)... up the water in their trunks and shot it back into the sea. The fastest animals ran here and there, collecting material. Those used to making nests' took this material and stuffed it quickly into the hole.

And so, working together, the animals managed to reduce the amount of water coming into the ark, but they still hadn't stopped it ...(47) ... Desperate, they kept asking each other if there were any other animals that could ...(48) ... They searched and searched, but there were no other animals left in the ark. Then suddenly, a little fish swam in through the hole. The animals ...(49)... that they still had not asked for, help from all the sea creatures. They asked the little fish to go and summon help to save their boat. He swam off and soon fish after fish ...(50)... at the ark. Even a big whale came, and the whale pressed its great belly against the hole in the ship. This stopped any more water from entering, and it gave the animals on the ark time to close up the hole.

41. (A) haunt
(B) entertained
(C) find
(D) kill
(E) amuse
Ans : (E)

42. (A) on
(B) pouring
(C) seeping
(D) entering
(E) coming
Ans : (C)

43. (A) watch
(B) fix
(C) blocks
(D) closed
(E) make
Ans : (B)

44. (A) more
(B) it
(C) also
(D) even
(E) so
Ans : (D)

45. (A) hungry
(B) scared
(C) much
(D) dead
(E) happy
Ans : (B)

46. (A) sucked
(B) dipped
(C) drank
(D) sorted
(E) draw
Ans : (A)

47. (A) completely
(B) not
(C) entire
(D) full
(E) flow
Ans : (A)

48. (A) worry
(B) worship
(C) help
(D) swim
(E) survive
Ans : (C)

49. (A) wept
(B) understand
(C) fought
(D) stood
(E) realised
Ans : (E)

50. (A) brought
(B) occurred
(C) arrived
(D) come
(E) swam
Ans : (B)

General Knowledge Solved Paper : Prathama Gramin Bank Officers Exam, 2011




Prathama Gramin Bank Officers Exam., 2011


(Held on 25-9-2011)


General Knowledge : Solved Paper



1. Who amongst the following is a Classic Russian author and had written famous book ‘Anna Karenina’ ?

(A) Anton Chekhov
(B) Leo Tolstoy
(C) Maxim Gorky
(D) Vladimir Nabokav
(E) Boris Pasternak
Ans : (B)

2. What is the full form of the letter ‘D’ in the abbreviation ‘MPLADS’ which was recently in news ?
(A) Damaging
(B) Decorating
(C) Development
(D) Dealing
(E) Delimitation
Ans : (C)

3. The World Bank has given a US $ 1 billion loan to clean which of the following rivers in India ?
(A) Narmada
(B) Krishna
(C) Ganga
(D) Jhelum
(E) Beas
Ans : (C)

4. India is a member of which of the following group of countries ?
(A) OPEC
(B) NATO
(C) European Union
(D) Least Developed countries
(E) BRICS
Ans : (E)

5. Prime Minister of India was recently on a visit to Ethiopia and Tanzania. This means he visited two—
(A) European countries
(B) African countries
(C) Asian countries
(D) American countries
(E) Middle East countries
Ans : (B)


6. The 34th National Games were organized in which of the following States ?
(A) Bihar
(B) Assam
(C) Maharashtra
(D) Gujarat
(E) Jharkhand
Ans : (E)

7. Who among the following has taken over as Union Minister of Railways ?
(A) Dinesh Trivedi
(B) Lalu Prasad Yadav
(C) Kamal Nath
(D) Sharad Pawar
(E) Anand Sharma
Ans : (A)

8. India recently decided to provide US $ 500 million to which of the following nations in its neighbourhood to help it in its redevelopment projects as the country is trying to come up after a long civil war and control of UN peace keeping forces ?
(A) Bangladesh
(B) Pakistan
(C) Afghanistan
(D) Nepal
(E) Bhutan
Ans : (C)

9. As per the amendments made in the Right to Education Act, now free-education will be available to the children upto Standard—
(A) 4th
(B) 6th
(C) 8th
(D) 10th
(E) 12th
Ans : (D)

10. Which of the following State Govts. signed a historical pact on Gorkhaland Administration a few months back ?
(A) Uttarakhand
(B) Uttar Pradesh
(C) West Bengal
(D) Assam
(E) Manipur
Ans : (C)

11. NATO recently attacked and bombarded which of the following countries as it wanted to control violence between the Govt. of that country and a group of protestors ?
(A) Russia
(B) Iran
(C) Pakistan
(D) Bangladesh
(E) Libya
Ans : (E)

12. India’s population is approximately—
(A) 1 billion
(B) 1•5 billion
(C) 1•75 billion
(D) 1•21 billion
(E) 1•6 billion
Ans : (D)

13. Who amongst the following is the Speaker of the Lok Sabha at present ?
(A) Ambika Soni
(B) Meira Kumar
(C) Pranab Mukherjee
(D) Sushma Swaraj
(E) Sonia Gandhi
Ans : (B)

14. India recently resumed Foreign Ministerial level talks with which of the following countries which was suspended sometimes back due to deadlock on certain crucial issues ?
(A) USA
(B) Bangladesh
(C) China
(D) Pakistan
(E) Sri Lanka
Ans : (D)

15. Which of the following was the issue which was discussed in a specially convened session of the Parliament on August 27, 2011 ?
(A) Land Acquisition Amendment Bill
(B) Constitutional Reforms Bill
(C) Women’s Reservation Bill
(D) Anti Commercial Violence Bill
(E) Lok Pal Bill after its redrafting
Ans : (E)

16. ‘Dhanush’ is an indigenously developed by India—
(A) Missile
(B) Sub-marine
(C) Patton tank
(D) Fighter plane
(E) Passenger aircraft
Ans : (A)

17. Islam Karimov who was on a visit to India is the President of—
(A) Iraq
(B) Iran
(C) Ethiopia
(D) Tanzania
(E) Uzbekistan
Ans : (E)

18. Which of the following is the name of a missile developed by India ?
(A) Dhruva
(B) USHA
(C) Vivian
(D) Trishul
(E) PADMA
Ans : (D)

19. Who among the following is not a Cricket Player ?
(A) Ashish Nehra
(B) James Anderson
(C) Shivnarine Chanderpaul
(D) Jade Dernbach
(E) Vishwanathan Anand
Ans : (E)

20. The 11th Five Year Plan will be over in—
(A) December 2011
(B) January 2012
(C) March 2012
(D) December 2012
(E) March 2013
Ans : (C)

21. Who amongst the following is a well known name in the field of Banking in India ?
(A) H. R. Bharadwaj
(B) S. Y. Qureshi
(C) Yusuf Pathan
(D) D. Subbarao
(E) Ashok Gehlot
Ans : (D)

22. Who among the following is not a Chief Minister of a State at present ?
(A) Tarun Gogoi
(B) Ghulam Nabi Azad
(C) N. Rangaswamy
(D) Raman Singh
(E) Arjun Munda
Ans : (B)

23. Mamta Banerjee belongs to which political party ?
(A) Congress
(B) CPM (I)
(C) BJP
(D) Trinamool Congress
(E) BSP
Ans : (D)

24. Who among the following was given Lifetime Achievement Award in 12th IIFA Awards Ceremony held in Toronto in June 2011 ?
(A) Asha Bhonsle
(B) Lata Mangeshkar
(C) Amitabh Bachchan
(D) Rajesh Khanna
(E) Hema Malini
Ans : (A)

25. Asian Cup Women’s Boxing Tournament was organized in May 2011 in—
(A) Japan
(B) China
(C) South Korea
(D) India
(E) Malaysia
Ans : (B)

26. Which of the following States won the National Hockey Championship 2011 ?
(A) Karnataka
(B) Haryana
(C) Punjab
(D) Maharashtra
(E) Kerala
Ans : (B)

27. Which of the following is an ore of a metal ?
(A) Bauxite
(B) Lime Stone
(C) Sulphur
(D) Menthol
(E) Camphor
Ans : (A)

28. The 43rd Jnanpith Award was given to whom among the following ?
(A) S. L. Bhyrappa
(B) Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari
(C) O. N. V. Kurup
(D) Javed Akhtar
(E) Malti Joshi
Ans : (C)

29. Who among the following is a famous Chess Player ?
(A) Koneru Humpy
(B) Pargat Singh
(C) Baichung Bhutia
(D) Ajit Pal Singh
(E) Ishant Sharma
Ans : (A)

30. Which of the following is the full form of ‘CBS’ as used in banking system ?
(A) Corporate Business Strategies
(B) Core Banking Solution
(C) Common Banking Strategies
(D) Common Business Strategies
(E) Corporate Banking Solution
Ans : (B)

31. Which of the following is the name of a Private Sector Bank in India ?
(A) Dena Bank
(B) Syndicate Bank
(C) IDBI Bank
(D) Corporation Bank
(E) South Indian Bank
Ans : (E)

32. Which of the following terms is used in the field of Banking and Finance ?
(A) Accrued interest
(B) Assimilation
(C) Deviance
(D) Diffusion
(E) Stagnant population
Ans : (A)

33. Which of the following is not a Public Sector Unit ?
(A) Mishra Dhatu Nigam
(B) Hindalco Industries
(C) Bharat Bhari Udyog Nigam
(D) Container Corporation of India
(E) Hindustan Organic Chemicals
Ans : (E)

34. Which of the following terms is used in the game of Cricket ?
(A) Back hand
(B) Volley
(C) Follow on
(D) Jockey
(E) Deuce
Ans : (C)

35. Which of the following books is written by Arundhati Roy ?
(A) The God of Small Things
(B) A House for Mr. Biswas
(C) The Glass Palace
(D) The Namesake
(E) A Fine Balance
Ans : (A)

36. Which of the following is grown as a Spice used in daily cooking and also to be used as a quick remedy of many common ailments ?
(A) Marigold
(B) Turmeric
(C) Jatropha
(D) Cactus
(E) Fern
Ans : (B)

37. Which of the following prizes / awards is given by the Govt. of India ?
(A) Kalinga Award
(B) Pulitzer Prize
(C) Padma Bhushan
(D) Jamanalal Bajaj Award
(E) Saraswati Samman
Ans : (D)

38. Which of the following is grown as a vegetable ?
(A) Groundnut
(B) Cotton seed
(C) Custard apple
(D) Radish
(E) Castor
Ans : (D)

39. Which of the following cups/trophies is associated with the game of Hockey ?
(A) Irani Cup
(B) Duleep Trophy
(C) Rovers Cup
(D) Agha Khan Cup
(E) Ranji Trophy
Ans : (D)

40. ‘Kathakali’ is a form of dance drama originated in—
(A) Kerala
(B) Tamil Nadu
(C) Orissa
(D) Uttar Pradesh
(E) Manipur
Ans : (A)

41. Who among the following was a famous Scientist of Indian origin and was awarded Nobel Prize during his life time ?
(A) C. V. Raman
(B) Meghnad Saha
(C) Jagdish Chandra Basu
(D) Birbal Sahni
(E) Homi Bhabha
Ans : (A)

42. Which of the following agencies/organizations is closely associated with the functioning of the banking and finance companies in India ?
(A) UNESCO
(B) WTO
(C) SEBI
(D) UGC
(E) CBFC
Ans : (C)

43. Which of the following is not a member of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) ?
(A) Pakistan
(B) Afghanistan
(C) Nepal
(D) Bhutan
(E) Japan
Ans : (E)

44. Which of the following is called the upper House of the Parliament in India ?
(A) The Lok Sabha
(B) Office of the President of India
(C) The Union Cabinet
(D) Office of the Prime Minister of India
(E) The Rajya Sabha
Ans : (E)

45. What is the full form of ‘KYC’ as used in banking world ?
(A) Keep Your Credibility
(B) Know Your Credibility
(C) Know Your Clients
(D) Keep Your Customer
(E) Know Your Customer
Ans : (E)

46. Which of the following is the name of a bank having offices and branches in India ?
(A) Kotak Mahindra
(B) NCL
(C) Wipro
(D) DLF
(E) GAIL
Ans : (A)

47. Which of the following is a software and allied services company functioning in India ?
(A) NTPC
(B) SAIL
(C) AXIS
(D) Infosys
(E) Ambuja
Ans : (D)

48. What is full form of ‘NGO’ a term we listen very often these days ?
(A) National Growth and Opportunities
(B) Non-Governmental Organisation
(C) New Growth & Organisation
(D) Not Growing Organisation
(E) Net Growing Options
Ans : (B)

49. Nirupama Rao is appointed new Ambassador of India to—
(A) Germany
(B) France
(C) Russia
(D) USA
(E) China
Ans : (D)

50. Financial Inclusion does not include which of the following ?
(A) Having a bank account
(B) Micro credit during emergency
(C) Free registration of business enterprises
(D) Access to all kinds of commercial/personal loans
(E) Access to credit/debit cards
Ans : (C)

SSC (CPO) Sub-Inspectors Exam, 2011 : English Solved Paper

S.S.C. (C.P.O.) Sub-Inspectors Exam., 2011
(Held on 28-8-2011)


English Comprehension : Solved Paper



Directions—(Q. 1–5) In these questions, some of the sentences have errors and some are correct. Find out which part of a sentence has an error and blacken the rectangle (●) corresponding to the appropriate letter (A, B, C). If a sentence is free from errors, blacken the rectangle corresponding to (D) in the Answer Sheet.


1. The political candidate talked (A) / as if she has already been elected (B) / to the presidency. (C) No Error. (D)
Ans : (B)

2. The way to increase the production of the food (A) / is to bring more land (B) / under cultivation. (C) No Error. (D)
Ans : (A)

3. The girls watched intently (A) / as the model applied her make-up (B) / with a practiced hand. (C) No Error. (D)
Ans : (C)

4. If he is a millionaire (A) / he would help (B) / the millennium project. (C) No Error. (D)
Ans : (A)

5. The Prime Minister along with his Cabinet colleagues (A) / have been welcomed by the Chief Minister (B) / at a formal ceremony. (C) No Error (D)
Ans : (B)


Directions–(Q. 6–10) In these questions, sentences are given with blanks to be filled in with an appropriate word(s). Four alternatives are suggested for each question. Choose the correct alternative out of the four and indicate it by blackening the appropriate rectangle (●) in the Answer Sheet.

6. I am exhausted, let’s …… a day.
(A) call it
(B) call at
(C) call off
(D) call in
Ans : (A)

7. The worker used …… to patch up the hole in the wall.
(A) Sand
(B) Cement
(C) Soil
(D) Grass
Ans : (B)

8. She made her stepson her ……to her large fortune.
(A) Hare
(B) Heir
(C) Hair
(D) Here
Ans : (B)

9. The stewardess showed the passenger …….
(A) When to start travelling
(B) Where to land the plane
(C) How to fasten the seat belt
(D) How to judge the altitude of the plane
Ans : (C)

10. Many people reported …… a noise in the night.
(A) To hear
(B) Having heard
(C) To have heard
(D) Been hearing
Ans : (C)

Directions–(Q. 11–15) In these questions, out of the four alternatives, choose the one which best expresses
the meaning of the given word.

11. Stringent
(A) Flexible
(B) Inflexible
(C) Staunch
(D) Tough
Ans : (B)

12. Deliberately
(A) Spontaneously
(B) Inadvertently
(C) Intentionally
(D) Naturally
Ans : (C)

13. Flaunt
(A) Cut
(B) Deceive
(C) Exhibit
(D) Blame
Ans : (C)

14. Subjugate
(A) Capitulate
(B) Conquer
(C) Strike
(D) Confuse
Ans : (B)

15. Behaviour
(A) Conduct
(B) Blessing
(C) Character
(D) Response
Ans : (A)

Directions–(Q. 16–20) In these questions, choose the word that is opposite in meaning to the given word and mark it in the Answer Sheet.

16. Impede
(A) Obstruct
(B) Advance
(C) Linger
(D) Guarantee
Ans : (B)

17. Perilous
(A) Carefree
(B) Impetuous
(C) Safe
(D) Impure
Ans : (C)

18. Brittle
(A) Weak
(B) Strong
(C) Fragile
(D) Bright
Ans : (A)

19. Callous
(A) Rude
(B) Insensitive
(C) Indifferent
(D) Sympathetic
Ans : (A)

20. Dishevelled
(A) Composed
(B) Tidy
(C) Confident
(D) Jovial
Ans : (B)

Directions–(Q. 21–25) In these questions, four alternatives are given for the idiom/Phrase Printed in Bold in the sentence. Choose the alternative which best expresses the meaning of the given Idiom/Phrase and mark it in the Answer Sheet.

21. He and his friend are sailing in the same boat.
(A) Sailing together in the same boat
(B) Sharing the financial and social condition
(C) Being in the same difficult situation
(D) Getting rid of the difficult situation
Ans : (C)

22. To be successful in Today’s world, we require the gift of the gab.
(A) Ability to speak well
(B) Good interpersonal skills
(C) Divine help and guidance
(D) A fierce competitive spirit
Ans : (A)

23. Winter was so bad that the nomadic tribesmen found it difficult to keep the wolf from the door.
(A) Hunt wild animals
(B) Escape starvation
(C) Get woollen clothes
(D) Walk on ice
Ans : (B)

24. There is no soft option to the crisis now.
(A) Popular opinion
(B) Popular solution
(C) Easy and agreeable option
(D) Difficult choice
Ans : (C)

25. The teacher’s announcement to conduct a snap test came as a bolt from the blue to many students.
(A) Imaginary
(B) Unexpected
(C) Forbidden
(D) Heavenly
Ans : (B)

Directions–(Q. 26–30) In these questions, A part of the sentence is bold part of which may need improvement. Alternatives are given at (A), (B) and (C) below which may be a better option. In case no improvement is needed, your answer is (D).

26. He work hard will succeed.
(A) Who will work hard
(B) Who will be working hard
(C) Who works hard
(D) No improvement
Ans : (C)

27. It is high time you started revising your lessons.
(A) Start
(B) Had started
(C) Will start
(D) No improvement
Ans : (A)

28. With these extra people you can work easily with this job.
(A) Deal
(B) Improve
(C) Cope
(D) No improvement
Ans : (C)

29. I visited my aunt just before a week.
(A) A week before
(B) A week earlier
(C) A week ago
(D) No improvement
Ans : (C)

30. Foreigners often come a cross with serious difficulties in studying English.
(A) Have to come across with
(B) Come cross with
(C) Come across
(D) No improvement
Ans : (C)

Directions–(Q. 31–35) In these questions, out of the four alternatives, choose the one which can be substituted for the given words/sentence.

31. The study of insects—
(A) Anthropology
(B) Zoology
(C) Etymology
(D) Entomology
Ans : (D)

32. List of issues to be discussed at a meeting—
(A) Schedule
(B) Agenda
(C) Time-table
(D) Plan
Ans : (B)

33. Speed of an object in one direction—
(A) Pace
(B) Tempo
(C) Velodrome
(D) Velocity
Ans : (D)

34. The place where public, government or historical records are kept—
(A) Coffer
(B) Pantry
(C) Archives
(D) Scullery
Ans : (C)

35. Theft of another person’s writings or ideas and passing them off as one’s own—
(A) Plagiarism
(B) Burglary
(C) Piracy
(D) Pilferage
Ans : (A)

Directions–(Q. 36–40) In these questions, groups of four words are given. In each group, one word is correctly spelt. Find the correctly spelt word.

36. (A) Embarass
(B) Embarrass
(C) Embaras
(D) Embarras
Ans : (A)

37. (A) Separetion
(B) Seperation
(C) Seperetion
(D) Separation
Ans : (D)

38. (A) Discrepancy
(B) Descrepancy
(C) Discripancy
(D) Discrepansy
Ans : (A)

39. (A) Adviceable
(B) Advicable
(C) Advisable
(D) Adviseable
Ans : (C)

40. (A) Millenium
(B) Millennium
(C) Milennium
(D) Milenium
Ans : (A)

Directions–(Q. 41–50) In the following passage, some of the words have been left out. First read the passage over and try to understand what it is about. Then fill in the blanks with the help of the alternatives given. Mark your answer in the Answer sheet.





PASSAGE
(Questions No. 41–50)


Martin Luther King, Jr., was born Michael Luther King, Jr., …41… his grandfather had his name …42… to Martin. Martin Luther attended segregated public schools in Georgia, …43… from high school at the age of fifteen; he received the B.A. degree in 1948 …44… Morehouse college, a distinguished Negro institution of Atlanta from which both his father and grandfather had graduated. After three years of …45… study at Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania where he was elected president of a …46… white senior class, he was awarded the B.D. in 1951. …47… a fellowship won at Ebenezer he enrolled in graduate studies at Boston University, completing his residence …48… the doctorate in 1953 and receiving the degree in 1955. In Boston he …49… and married Coretta Scott, a young woman of …50… intellectual and artistic attainments.

41. (A) And
(B) So
(C) Since
(D) But
Ans : (A)

42. (A) Given
(B) Changed
(C) Become
(D) Made
Ans : (B)

43. (A) Graduating
(B) Finishing
(C) Graduated
(D) Finished
Ans : (C)

44. (A) In
(B) From
(C) By
(D) With
Ans : (B)

45. (A) Theological
(B) Intellectual
(C) Educational
(D) Psychological
Ans : (A)

46. (A) Predetermined
(B) Predominantly
(C) Significantly
(D) Somewhat
Ans : (B)

47. (A) From
(B) By
(C) With
(D) Through
Ans : (C)

48. (A) For
(B) Of
(C) About
(D) To
Ans : (A)

49. (A) Saw
(B) Eloped
(C) Met
(D) Watched
Ans : (C)

50. (A) Common
(B) Particular
(C) Uncommon
(D) General
Ans : (C)
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