Punjab National Bank / Test of English Language 2010

Punjab National Bank

Test Of English Language 2010

Probationary Officers

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

Once upon a time, there lived an old lion. The lion, the king of the forest had grown old. He became frail and due to this, he could not hunt for food. With each passing day he became more and more weak. He realized that he would not live for long if it continued like that. He thought how could he arrange for his food ? After pondering over it for quite some time, he decided that he should have an assistant.

The lion thought that a fox would be the best person to handle this position as he was intelligent and clever. He summoned the fox and said, “Dear friend, I have always liked you because you are smart. I want to appoint you as my minister and advise me on all the affairs of the forest”. The old lion also asked the fox, that since he was the king of the forest, he should not have to hunt for his food. With respect to this, the fox’s first duty as minister was to bring him an animal to eat every day. The fox could not refuse the king and accepted the offer.

After the conversation, the fox went out to find an animal for the lion. On the way, he met a fat donkey. He said “My friend, I have got good news for you. You are very lucky. Our king, the lion has chosen you to be his chief minister. He asked me to meet you and inform you about his decision.” The donkey was scared of the lion and said, “I am afraid of the lion. He might kill me and eat me up. Why has he chosen me as his chief minsiter ? I am not even fit enough to be a minster as I am not as intelligent as other animals.” The clever fox laughed and, said, “Dear, you don’t know your great qualities. Our king is dying to meet you. He has chosen you because you are wise, gentle, and hard working. By serving the king, you will be the second most powerful animal of our forest. Imagine, all the other animals will respect you and seek favours from you.” “You must not lose your greatest chance in life.” So, the poor donkey was convinced and got ready to go along with the fox.

In this way, the fox managed to attract the donkey to the lion’s den. When the fox and the donkey approached, the lion was hungrier than ever. But he kept a smiling face and said, “Welcome, my dear friend. Come near me. You are my chief minister.” As the donkey came closer, the lion pounced on him and killed him instantly. The lion thanked the clever fox and was happy to get the food. As the lion sat down to take his meal, the fox said, “Your Majesty, I know you are very hungry but a king must take a bath before his meal”. The lion thought it was a good idea and told the fox to keep a watch on the carcass of the donkey”. The fox silently sat down to keep a watch of the donkey and thought to himslef, “I took all the trouble of getting the donkey here. It is I who deserve the best portion of the meal”. Thus, the fox cut open the head of the donkey and ate up the whole brain. When the lion returned he shouted, “What happened to the donkey’s brain ? I wanted to eat the brain first.” The fox smilingly replied, “Your majesty,
donkeys have no brains. If he had any, he would not have come near a lion at all”.

1. Why did the lion decide to have an assistant for him ?
(A) He was too lazy to hunt for himself
(B) He was old and weak and could not hunt any more
(C) He wanted someone to help him kill the fat donkey
(D) He could not handle the affairs of the forest alone
(E) None of these

2. Why did the lion select the fox as his assistant ?
(A) He had heard that the fox had good hunting skills
(B) He wanted the fox to take over as the king of the forest
(C) The fox had offered to let the lion have his leftovers
(D) He had planned to eat the fox after luring him to become his assistant
(E) None of these

3. Why did the fox say ‘our king is dying to meet you’ to the donkey ?
(A) The king would have died of hunger if the donkey did not meet him
(B) The king desperately wanted the donkey to be his chief minister as he was gentle and hard working
(C) The fox wanted to convince the donkey to come with him to the lion so that the lion could eat him
(D) The king wanted to meet the doneky since all other animals respected the donkey more than the king
(E) None of these

4. Which of the following best describes the donkey ?
(A) Honest
(B) Wicked
(C) Clever
(D) Opportunist
(E) Foolish

5. Which one of the phrases given below the following statement should be placed in the blank space provided so as to make a meaningfully correct sentence in the context of the passage ?
When the lion did not see any brain in the donkey’s head ……….
(A) he spared his life and let him go
(B) he got upset with the fox for having selected such a donkey
(C) he took his decision to make him the chief minister back
(D) the fox explained to him that donekys do not have any brains
(E) None of these

6. What, according to the lion, was the fox’s primary duty as a minister ?
(A) To force all animals to respect their king and seek favours from him
(B) To convince the donkey to become his chief minister
(C) To take over as the king of the forest since the lion had grown too old
(D) To bring him an animal to eat every day
(E) None of these

7. What did the fox do when the lion went to take a bath before having his meal ?
(A) He secretly told the donkey to run away as the lion had planned to kill him
(B) He ate up the donkey’s brain as he had done all the hard work of bringing him to the lion’s den
(C) He held himself responsible for the death of the poor donkey and did not let the lion eat the donkey
(D) He killed the lion with the help of the donkey and became the king of the forest
(E) None of these

8. Which of the following is TRUE in context of the passage ?
(A) Finally, the fox got the best part of the meal
(B) The donkey was appointed as chief minister to the king
(C) The donkey which the fox had brought for the king did not have any brain in his head
(D) The donkey was very intelligent and clever
(E) None is true

9. What did the lion do when he saw the donkey in his den ?
(A) He was impressed by the donkey and made him his chief minister
(B) He ordered the fox to kill him and eat his brain
(C) He went to take a bath before meeting the donkey
(D) He immediately noticed that the donkey did not have any brain
(E) None of these

10. Which of the following is the moral of the story ?
(A) An idle brain is the devil’s workshop
(B) Fools are deaf to wise words
(C) Never believe an enemy’s sweet talks
(D) Morality can be best tested while one has power
(E) One can only lead a horse to water, but not make him drink it

Directions—(Q. 11–13) Choose the word which is most similar in meaning to the word printed in bold as used in the passage.

11. POUNCED
(A) Climbed
(B) Grew
(C) Attacked
(D) Plunged
(E) Roared

12. FIT
(A) Healthy
(B) Deserving
(C) Strong
(D) Valuable
(E) Important

13. LOSE
(A) Misplace
(B) Suffer
(C) Dispose
(D) Defeat
(E) Miss

Directions—(Q. 14–15) Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning to the word printed in bold as used in the passage.

14. HANDLE
(A) Mismanage
(B) Drop
(C) Confront
(D) Decline
(E) Uncover

15. FRAIL
(A) Unhealthy
(B) Massive
(C) Rich
(D) Robust
(E) Civilised

Directions—(Q. 16–25) 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 letter of that part is the answer. If there is ‘No error’, the answer is (E). (Ignore errors of punctuation, if any.)

16. When I called him yesterday, (A) / he offered to donate (B) / a handsome sum to (C) / the flood relief fund. (D) No error (E)

17. The student which (A) / you had thought (B) / so highly of has (C) / failed to pass the examination. (D) No error (E)

18. Government took strict action (A) / against the doctors on strike (B) / but they refused to (C) / resume to work. (D) No error (E)

19. If a person has been given (A) / diplomatic immunity then he (B) / cannot be arrested on a (C) / foreign land under any circumstance. (D) No error (E)

20. A group of birds (A) / migrate from southern part (B) / of the country to the (C) / Northern part during summer. (D) No error (E)

21. The constable said that (A) / the prisoner seize a (B) / fully loaded gun from a policeman (C) / and shot the prosecutor. (D) No error (E)

22. It will not be possible for you (A) / to catch the train on time (B) / because the nearest railway station (C) / is at ten kilometres away. (D) No error (E)

23. Each of the survivors of the Tsunami (A) (B) / have been offered free (C) / psychological consultation to ease their trauma, / by some of the top consultants. (D) No error (E)

24. Considering about her good credentials, (A) / the manager offered her a job (B) / in his organization (C) / despite the lack of experience. (D) No error (E)

25. Although he has been (A) / winning the elections (B) / all years, this year his popularity (C) / has substantially reduced. (D) No error (E)

Directions—(Q. 26–30) 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) To their surprise, however, the reward went to a beggar who had contributed only a Rupee instead of a wealthy donor.
(b) He received funds from many people as rich and poor donated generously to his trust.
(c) The man explained that the one Rupee given by the beggar was worth millions of Rupees as that was all the money he possessed and that he had made a much greater sacrifice than others.
(d) During the function everyone waited with bated breath to hear who had made the maximum contribution.
(e) A man went from town to town to collect money for his charitable trust.
(f) On returning he decided to hold a function and reward the person whose contribution had been maximum.

26. Which of the following should be the SECOND sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) b
(B) c
(C) d
(D) e
(E) f

27. Which of the following should be the LAST (SIXTH) sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) a
(B) c
(C) d
(D) e
(E) f

28. Which of the following should be the FOURTH sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) b
(B) c
(C) d
(D) e
(E) f

29. Which of the following should be the THIRD sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) a
(B) b
(C) c
(D) e
(E) f

30. Which of the following should be the FIRST sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) a
(B) b
(C) d
(D) e
(E) f

Directions—(Q. 31–35) In each of the following questions six words are given which are denoted by (a), (b), (c), (d), (e) and (f). By using all the six words, each only once, you have to frame a meaningful and grammatically correct sentence. The correct order of words is the answer. Choose from the five alternatives, the one having the correct order of words and mark it as your answer on the answer-sheet.

31. (a) OTHERS
(b) HER
(c) SHE
(d) MISTAKES
(e) FOR
(f) BLAMES
(A) cfaebd
(B) acfebd
(C) bdacfe
(D) cfdabe
(E) bdafce

32. (a) FINALISE
(b) WE
(c) DETAILS
(d) LATER
(e) THE
(f) WILL
(A) BFEACD
(B) BDCFEA
(C) BDCAEF
(D) ECFDBA
(E) BFAECD

33. (a) UV-RAYS
(b) ABSORBS
(c) THE
(d) LAYER
(e) HARMFUL
(f) OZONE
(A) ACBEFD
(B) CFDBEA
(C) ACBFED
(D) CFBDAE
(E) CBEAFD

34. (a) PRACTISING
(b) SPEECH
(c) SPENT
(d) HIS
(e) HE
(f) HOURS
(A) DBCFEA
(B) DBFCAE
(C) EBCDAF
(D) FACBED
(E) ECFADB

35. (a) TO
(b) AROUND
(c) SEE
(d) THEY
(e) HIM
(f) HATED
(A) DFAECB
(B) DBFAEC
(C) DFCAEB
(D) DFACEB
(E) CEBFAD

Directions—(Q. 36–40) In each question below a sentence with four words printed in bold type is given. These are lettered as (A), (B), (C) and (D). One of these four words printed in bold may be either wrongly spelt or inappropriate in the context of the sentence. Find out the word, if any, which is wrongly spelt or inappropriate. The letter of that word is your answer. If all the words printed in bold are correctly spelt and also appropriate in the context of the sentence, mark (E), i.e., ‘All correct’ as your answer.

36. A large number of celebrities (A) have joined an NGO involved (B) in the movement for protection (C) of animal writes. (D) All correct (E)

37. The teacher liked the poem (A) so much that she requested (B) Saba to read it allowed (C) to the whole (D) class. All correct (E)

38. Breathe (A) deeply and inhale the sents (B) of Roses and Daisies in the landscaped gardens (C) surrounding (D) my house. All correct (E)

39. As the wind blue (A) harder every minute, (B) people got a fairly (C) good idea that a storm was approaching (D) the town. All correct (E)

40. The family had to bear (A) a leaky sealing (B) throughout the rainy season (C) as they could not afford (D) to get it repaired. All correct (E)

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.

Once upon a time, there lived a sparrow on a banyan tree. She laid her eggs in the nest. One afternoon, a wild elephant came under the tree and in a fit of rage, broke a branch of the tree on which the nest was …(41)…. Unfortunately, all the eggs of the sparrow …(42)… after falling down though the sparrow was saved. The sparrow was full of grief and began weeping for her eggs.

A woodpecker, a close friend of the sparrow, heard her crying and asked her, “Why are you crying, my friend ?” The sparrow said, “The …(43)… elephant has killed my offspring. If you are a true friend of mine, suggest a way-to kill him”. The woodpecker …(44)… her and told her that he knew a fly and she would definitely help them kill the elephant.

Both of them went to seek the help of the fly. The woodpecker said, “A wild elephant has crushed my friend’s eggs. We need your help in killing him.” the fly replied, “One of my friends is a frog. Let us go to him and take his help too”. They went to the frog and …(45)… the whole incident. The frog said, “What can an elephant do before a united crowd like us ? Do what I tell you. Dear Fly, you go to the elephant and hum a sweet tune into his ears. When he closes his eyes in delight, the woodpecker will poke his eyes. This way, he will become …(46)…. When he gets thirsty, he will …(47)… for water. I will go to a marshy land and begin croaking there. …(48)… that there is water, the elephant will come there. He will sink into the marshy area and …(49)….

The next day in the noon, all of them played out the plan and the elephant was killed, as he drowned into a marshy area after being blinded by the woodpecker, when he closed his eyes in response to the music. Thus, the smartness of all the animals enabled the sparrow in taking her …(50)… on the elephant.

41. (A) Born
(B) Built
(C) Grown
(D) Broken
(E) Found

42. (A) Fell
(B) Escaped
(C) Damaged
(D) Survived
(E) Broke

43. (A) Defective
(B) Attacking
(C) Wicked
(D) Poor
(E) Harmless

44. (A) Ignored
(B) Protected
(C) Scolded
(D) Consoled
(E) Defended

45. (A) Said
(B) Informed
(C) Revived
(D) Mention
(E) Narrated

46. (A) Blind
(B) Unseen
(C) Regretful
(D) Sorry
(E) Dead

47. (A) Need
(B) Want
(C) Search
(D) Drink
(E) Demands

48. (A) Recalling
(B) Informed
(C) Sure
(D) Assuming
(E) Accepting

49. (A) Hurt
(B) Die
(C) Fall
(D) Kill
(E) Realise

50. (A) Help
(B) Revenge
(C) Anger
(D) Insult
(E) Fight

Answers :1. (B) 2. (E) 3. (A) 4. (E) 5. (D) 6. (D) 7. (B) 8. (A) 9. (E) 10. (C)
11. (C) 12. (B) 13. (E) 14. (A) 15. (D) 16. (C) 17. (A) 18. (D) 19. (D) 20. (B)
21. (B) 22. (D) 23. (B) 24. (D) 25. (B) 26. (A) 27. (B) 28. (C) 29. (E) 30. (D)
31. (A) 32. (E) 33. (B) 34. (E) 35. (D) 36. (D) 37. (C) 38. (B) 39. (A) 40. (B)
41. (B) 42. (E) 43. (C) 44. (D) 45. (E) 46. (A) 47. (C) 48. (D) 49. (B) 50. (B)

Bank Of Maharashtra / Clerical Exam. / 2007.

Test of  Reasoning

1. Four of the following five are alike in a certain way and so form a group.
Which one does not belong to the group?
(1) 48 (2) 24
(3) 15 (4) 35
(5) 65
2. In a row of 40 students facing North, Kailas is 6th to the left of Soman. If
Soman is 30th from the left end of the row, how far is Kailas from the right end
of the row?
(1) 17th (2) 16th
(3) 15th (4) 26th
(5) None of these
3. Which of the following indicates similar relationship as ‘CASE’ has with ‘EASC’?
(1) PICK : KIPC
(2) JAIL : IJLA
(3) DOME : MOED
(4) PILE : EPLI
(5) None of these
4. How many such pairs of digits are there in the number 7326985 each of which
has as many digits between them in the given number as when the digits of the
number are rearranged in ascending order within the number?
(1) Three (2) Nil (3) Two
(4) One (5) None of these
5. P is father of J. S is mother of N who is brother of J. B is son of S. C is sister
of B. How J is related to C?
(1) Data inadequate (2) Cousin
(3) Brother (4) Sister
(5) None of these
6. If A is denoted by 1, B by 2, C by 3, D by 1, E by 2, F by 3 and so on, what
would be the sum of the numbers for the word MULE?
(1) 7 (2) 8
(3) 9 (4) 10
(5) None of these
7. After arranging the letters of the word FOLK in alphabetical order, if each
letter is substituted by the letter immediately preceding to it in the English
alphabet, what will be the resultant form of the word?
(1) GLMP (2) EJKP
(3) EKJN (4) EJKN
(5) None of these
8. If ‘+’ is denoted by ‘#’, ‘÷’ is denoted by ‘_’, ‘×’ is denoted by ‘@’ and ‘–’ is
denoted by ‘$’; then what is the value of ‘40 $ 20 @ 2 # 40 _ 20 # 38’?
(1) 44 (2) 40/58
(3) 40 (4) 44/58
(5) None of these
9. In a certain code GROUP is written as OTNQF. How is THEIR written in that
code?
(1) SJFIU
(2) QHDGS
(3) SGDHQ
(4) QJFIS
(5) None of these
10. In a certain code ‘LOCK’ is written as ‘MPBJ’ and ‘BLOW’ is written as ‘CMNV’.
How is ‘WINE’ written in that code?
(1) VHOF
(2) XJMD
(3) XJOF
(4) VHMD
(5) None of these
11. Four of the following five are alike in a certain way based on the positions of
the letters in the English alphabet and hence form a group. Which one does not
belong to the group?
(1) UX
(2) BE
(3) GJ
(4) KO
(5) NQ
Q. 12-16. Each of the questions below consists of a question and two statements
numbered I and II given
below it. You have to decide whether the data provided in the statements are
sufficient to answer the question.
Read both the statements and—
Give answer:
(1) if the data in Statement I alone are sufficient to answer the question, while
the data in Statement
II alone are not sufficient to answer the question.
(2) if the data in Statement II alone are sufficient to answer the question, while
the data in Statement
I alone are not sufficient to answer the question.
(3) if the data in Statement I alone or in Statement II alone are sufficient to
answer the question.
(4) if the data in both the Statements I and II are not sufficient to answer the
question.
(5) if the data in both the Statements I and II together are necessary to answer
the question.
12. Who is youngest among R, S, T, U and V?
I. T is younger than S and older than R and V.
II. U is younger than T but not the youngest.
13. ‘D’ is in which direction with respect to ‘E’?
I. N is to the West of E and D is to the East of N.
II. P is to the East of E and D is midway between P and E.
14. Among M, N, O, P and Q, who reached the temple first?
I. N was the only one who reached the temple earlier than P.
II. M, who reached the temple earlier than O and Q was not the one to reach
earliest.
15. What is Ketan’s rank in the class of 45 students?
I. Latish, who is 7 ranks above Ketan is 25th from the bottom.
II. Satwik is 20th from the top and 4 ranks above Ketan.
16. What is the code for ‘nail’?
I. ‘best nail polish’ is coded as ‘te lo ni’.
II. ‘sharp nail’ is coded as ‘me te’.
Q. 17-22. To answer these questions, study the following arrangement of digits,
letters and symbols carefully.
6 N P = @ 7 1 £ R T 3 L B _ E 4 © 8 G H $ 5 K M ? 2 D C
17. If all the symbols in the arrangement are deleted which of the following will
be the 4th to the left of
the 12th element from the left end?
(1) G
(2) L
(3) 3
(4) H
(5) None of these
18. How many such digits are there in the arrangement each of which is
immediately followed by a symbol but not immediately preceded by a letter?
(1) Nil
(2) Three
(3) One
(4) Four
(5) None of these
19. ‘=N’ is to ‘T1’ and ‘B3’ is to ‘G4’ in the same way as ‘EB’ is to:
(1) SH
(2) $8
(3) $G
(4) SG
(5) None of these
20. Four of the following five are alike in a certain way based on the positions of
the elements in the arrangement and hence form a group. Which one does not
belong to the group?
(1) P = 76
(2) £T37
(3) 3L_R
(4) ©8HE
(5) 5K?H
21. If all the digits in the arrangement are deleted which of the following will be
midway between the 3rd and the 15th elements from the left end?
(1) T
(2) _
(3) L
(4) B
(5) None of these
22. If all the letters in the arrangement are deleted, which of the following will
be the third to the right of the 11th element from the right end?
(1) _
(2) £
(3) 1
(4) ©
(5) None of these
Q. 23-28. Study the following information carefully to answer these questions:
(i) P, Q, R, S, T, U & V are sitting alone a circle and are facing the centre.
(ii) P is between T and S.
(iii) U is between Q and V.
(iv) Q is 2nd to the right of T.
23. V is…….
(1) 2nd to the left of P
(2) Between P and U
(3) To the immediate left of U
(4) 4th to the left of T
(5) None of these
24. Which of the following is the correct statement?
(1) S is between R and P
(2) Q is between T and R
(3) P is 3rd to the left of Q
(4) S is to the immediate left of V
(5) None of these
25. What is the position of R?
(1) Cannot be determined
(2) Between Q and T
(3) To the immediate left of T
(4) 2nd to the right of Q
(5) None of these
26. Which of the following pairs has its 2nd member sitting to the immediate left
of the first member?
(1) PT
(2) RQ
(3) UV
(4) SP
(5) None of these
27. Which of the following pairs has its first member sitting second to the right of
the second member?
(1) TS
(2) US
(3) RU
(4) PR
(5) None of these
28. Which of the following is the wrong statement?
(1) S is immediate neighbour of V
(2) R is immediate neighbour of T
(3) Q is immediate neighbour of R
(4) T is immediate neighbour of S
(5) All are correct statements
Q. 29-32. In each question below are given three Statements followed by three
Conclusions numbered I, II and III. You have to take the given Statements to be
true even if they seem to be at variance from commonly
known facts. Read all the Conclusions and then decide which of the given
Conclusions logically follows from the three given Statements disregarding
commonly known facts.
Statements:
29. Some trees are branches.
All buds are branches.
All flowers are trees.
Conclusions:
I. Some branches are buds.
II. Some trees are flowers.
III. Some buds are trees.
(1) Only I follows
(2) Only II follows
(3) Only I and II follow
(4) All follow
(5) None of these Statements:
30. All actors are writers. Some writers are dancers. All poets are writers.
Conclusions:
I. All actors are poets.
II. Some dancers are writers.
III. Some dancers are actors.
(1) None follows
(2) Only I and II follow
(3) Only II and III follow
(4) Only I and III follow
(5) None of these
Statements:
31. Some pots are eatables.
All eatables are drinks.
No banana is pot.
Conclusions:
I. Some pots are drinks.
II. All eatables are pots.
III. Some drinks are eatables.
(1) Only I follows
(2) Only III follows
(3) Only II follows
(4) Only I and III follow
(5) None of these
Statements:
32. All jewels are rings.
Some rings are necklaces.
Some cakes are jewels.
Conclusions:
I. Some necklaces are jewels.
II. Some rings are cakes.
III. No jewel is necklace.
(1) Only II and either I or III follow
(2) Only either I or III follows
(3) Only II and III follow
(4) Only II follows
(5) None of these
Q. 33-37. In each of the questions given below, a group of digits is given
followed by four combinations of letter/symbols numbered (1), (2), (3) and (4).
You have to find out which of the four combinations correctly
represents the group of digits based on the letter/symbol codes and the
conditions given below. If none of the four combinations represents the group of
digits correctly, give (5) i.e. ‘None of these’ as the answer.
Digit : 2 8 3 9 4 7 6 5 1 Letter/Symbol : B = T @ K $ © P C Conditions:
(i) If the first digit is odd and last digit is even, the codes for the first and the
last digits are to be interchanged.
(ii) If the first as well as the last digit is even, both are to be coded by the code
for last digit.
(iii) If the first as well as the last digit is odd, both are to be coded as ‘X’.
(iv) If the first digit is even and last digit is odd, both are to be coded by the
code for the first digit.
33. 8135246
(1) =CTPBK=
(2) ©CTP=K©
(3) ©CTPBK©
(4) =CTPB$=
(5) None of these
34. 4352718
(1) XTPB$CX
(2) KTPB$C =
(3) =TPB$CK
(4) KTPB$CK
(5) None of these
35. 7269534
(1) $B©@PTK
(2) KB©@PT$
(3) $B©@PT$
(4) KB©@P=$
(5) None of these
36. 9256473
(1) XBP©K$T
(2) @BP©K$X
(3) @BP©K$T
(4) XBP©K$X
(5) None of these
37. 2976581
(1) B@$©P=B
(2) C@$©P=C
(3) B@$©P=C
(4) C@$©P=B
(5) None of these
38. How many such 4s are there in the following
number series each of which is immediately followed by
5 but not immediately preceded by 3?
5 4 4 3 3 4 5 4 5 5 3 4 4 3 4 5 4 3 3 5
4 5 4 3 5 4 4 3 5 4
(1) Nil
(2) One
(3) Two
(4) Three
(5) More than three
39. What will come in place of question mark (?) in the following letter-group
series based on English alphabet?
WC RE NI KO ?
(1) JX
(2) JW
(3) IX
(4) IW
(5) None of these
40. L, M, N and P are sitting around a circle and facing the centre. P is to the
immediate left of N. L is
between N & M. What is the position of M?
(1) To the immediate left of L
(2) To the immediate right of P
(3) In front of P
(4) Between L & N
(5) None of these

Test of English Language.

Indian Overseas Bank / Clerical

examination 2009

Directions—(Q. 1–15) Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.
Certain words have been printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the
questions.
Goldman Sachs predicted that crude oil price would hit $200 and just as it appeared that alternative
renewable energy had a chance of becoming an economically viable option, the international price of
oil fell by over 70%. After hitting the all-time high of $147 a barrel, a month ago, crude oil fell to less
than $40 a barrel. What explains this sharp decline in the international price of oil? There has not been
any major new discovery of a hitherto unknown source of oil or gas. The short answer is that the
demand does not have to fall by a very sizeable quantity for the price of crude to respond as it did. In
the short run, the price elasticity of demand for crude oil is very low. Conversely, in the short run, even
a relatively big change in the price of oil does not immediately lower consumption. It takes months, or
years, of high oil price to inculcate habits of energy conservation. World crude oil price had remained
at over $60 a barrel for most of 2005-2007 without making any major dent in demand.
The long answer is more complex. The economic slowdown in the US, Europe and Asia along with
dollar depreciation and commodity speculation have all had some role in the downward descent in the
international price of oil. In recent years, the supply of oil has been rising but not enough to catch up
with the rising demand, resulting in an almost vertical escalation in its price. The number of crude oil
futures and options contracts have also increased manifold which has led to significant speculation in
the oil market. In comparison, the role of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
in fixing crude price has considerably weakened. OPEC is often accused of operating as a cartel
restricting output thus keeping prices artificially high. It did succeed in setting the price of crude during
the 1970s and the first half of the 80s. But, with increased futures trading and contracts, the control of
crude pricing has moved from OPEC to banks and markets that deal with futures trading and contracts.
It is true that most oil exporting regions of the world have remained politically unstable fuelling
speculation over the price of crude. But there is little evidence that the geopolitical uncertainties in west
Asia have improved to weaken the price of oil. Threatened by the downward slide of oil price, OPEC
has, in fact, announced its decision to curtail output.
However most oil importers will heave a sigh of relief as they find their oil import bills decline except
for those who bought options to import oil at prices higher than market prices. Exporting nations, on
the other hand, will see their economic prosperity slip. Relatively low price of crude is also bad news
for investments in alternative renewable energy that cannot compete with cheaper and non-renewable
sources of energy.
1. Why are oil importing countries relieved ?
(A) Price of crude reached $ 147 not $ 200 as was predicted
(B) Discovery of oil reserves within their own territories
(C) Demand for crude has fallen sharply
(D) There is no need for them to invest huge amounts of money in alternative sources of energy
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)
2. Which of the following factors is responsible for rise in speculation in crude oil markets ?
1. OPEC has not been able to restrict the oil output and control prices
2. The supply of oil has been rising to match demand
3. Existence of large number of oil futures and oil contracts
(A) Only 1
(B) Both 1 & 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 & 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)
3. What does the phrase “the price elasticity of demand for crude oil is very low” imply ?
(A) When the price rises the demand for crude oil falls immediately
(B) A small change in demand will result in a sharp change in the price of crude
(C) Within a short span of time the price of crude oil has fluctuated sharply
(D) Speculation in oil does not have much of an impact on its price
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)
4. Which of the following is/are TRUE in the context of the passage ?
1. The decline in oil prices has benefited all countries
2. Renewable energy sources are costlier than non-renewable ones
3. Lack of availability of alternative renewable energy resulted in rise in demand for crude
(A) Only 2
(B) Both 1 & 2
(C) Both 2 & 3
(D) Only 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)
5. What has been the impact of the drop in oil prices ?
(A) Exploration for natural gas resources has risen
(B) The dollar has fallen sharply
(C) OPEC has decided to restrict its production of oil
(D) Economic depression in oil importing countries
(E) Drastic fall in demand for crude oil
Ans : (C)
6. What led to alternative energy sources being considered economically feasible ?
(A) The price of oil rose by 70 per cent while renewable energy sources are cheap
(B) Exorbitant crude oil prices made alternative energy sources an attractive option
(C) Expert predictions that the price of oil would alternately escalate and plunge sharply
(D) Evidence that no new sources of oil and gas are available
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)
7. What does the author want to convey by citing the statistic of 2005-2007 ?
(A) The prices of crude were rising gradually so people were not alarmed
(B) The dollar was a strong currency during that period
(C) Many people turned to alternative renewable energy sources because of high oil prices
(D) If the price of oil is high for a short time it does not necessarily result in a drop in consumption
(E) People did not control their demand for fuel then which created the current economic slowdown
Ans : (D)
8. Which of the following factors is not responsible for the current drop in oil prices ?
(A) Economic crisis in America, European and Asian nations
(B) Speculation in oil markets
(C) Weakening of the dollar
(D) Political stability in oil exporting countries
(E) All the above are not responsible for the current drop in oil prices
Ans : (E)
9. Which of the following is NOT TRUE in the context of the passage ?
1. OPEC was established in 1970 to protect the interests of oil importing countries
2. When demand for oil exceeds supply there is a sharp rise in price
3. Today futures trading markets set the oil prices to a large extent
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 3
(C) Both 1 & 3
(D) Only 2
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)
10. Which of the following is the function of OPEC ?
(A) Controlling speculation in oil
(B) Ensuring profits are equally distributed to all its members
(C) Monitoring inflation in oil prices and taking necessary steps to lower it
(D) Guaranteeing political instability in oil exporting countries does not impact output
(E) Determining prices of crude oil
Ans : (E)
Directions—(Q. 11–13) Choose the word which is most similar in meaning to the word printed in bold
as used in the passage.
11. INCULCATE
(A) Modify
(B) Construct
(C) Initiate
(D) Fix
(E) Instill
Ans : (D)
12. FUELLING
(A) Incentive
(B) Supplying
(C) Stimulating
(D) Irritating
(E) Restoring
Ans : (C)
13. DENT
(A) Reduction
(B) Break
(C) Tear
(D) Breach
(E) Split
Ans : (A)
Directions—(Q. 14–15) Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning to the word printed in
bold as used in the passage.
14. CONVERSELY
(A) Compatibly
(B) Similarly
(C) Likely
(D) Aligning
(E) Resembling
Ans : (B)
15. WEAKEN
(A) Powerful
(B) Nourish
(C) Intense
(D) Boost
(E) Energise
Ans : (D)
Directions—(Q. 16–20) Which of the phrases (A), (B), (C) and (D) given below each sentence should
replace the phrase 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.
16. We have hired an advertising agency to prepare a campaign to encourage people votes.
(A) People from voting
(B) Voting for people
(C) People to vote
(D) Votes by people
(E) No correction required
Ans : (C)
17. During the training programme the new recruits will be briefed about how their role in the new
organisation.
(A) What their roles
(B) About their role
(C) For its roles
(D) Which are their role
(E) No correction required
Ans : (B)
18. The equipment is in such poor condition that we have no alternative to buy new ones.
(A) Many alternative like
(B) Any alternative except
(C) No other alternative
(D) No alternative but
(E) No correction required
Ans : (D)
19. Since the deadline has been changed from next week to this Thursday you should give this work
priority.
(A) Be given this work priority
(B) Not give priority this work
(C) Prioritised this work
(D) Priority this work
(E) No correction required
Ans : (E)
20. After the success of our project we have been receiving more requests than we do not have the
resources to handle them.
(A) Many requests but
(B) Most of the requests
(C) More requests that
(D) Too many requests
(E) No correction required
Ans : (A)
Directions—(Q. 21–25) In each question below, a sentence with four words printed in bold type is
given. These are lettered as (A), (B), (C) and (D).One of these four words printed in bold may be either
wrongly spelt or inappropriate in the context of the sentence. Find out the word which is wrongly spelt
or inappropriate, if any. The letter of that word is your answer. If all the words printed in bold are
correctly spelt and also appropriate in the context of the sentence, mark (E) i.e., ‘All correct’ as your
answer.
21. The document (A) he gave me was long and complicated (B) and I struggled (C) to understand (D)
it. All correct (E)
Ans : (E)
22. We shall have to await (A) and see if these measures (B) are sufficient (C) to address (D) the
problem. All correct (E)
Ans : (A)
23. They are negotiating (A) to try and reach (B) an agreement which will beneficial (C) everyone
concerned. (D) All correct (E)
Ans : (C)
24. The company has decided (A) to allott (B) a substantial (C) portion (D) of its profits to research and
development. All correct (E)
Ans : (B)
25. It remains (A) to be seen whether (B) these reforms (C) will be acceptable (D) by the Board. All
correct (E)
Ans : (D)
Directions—(Q. 26–30) Rearrange the following five sentences (1), (2), (3), (4) and (5) in the proper
sequence to form a meaningful paragraph; then answer the questions given below them.
(1) For instance, if we measure the room temperature continuously and plot its graph with time on Xaxis
and temperature on the Y-axis,we get a continuous waveform, which is an analog signal. Analog is
always continuous.
(2) The absence or presence of something can be used to plot a digital signal.
(3) An analog signal is a continuously varying signal, similar to a sinusoidal waveform.
(4) Any signal can be classified into one of the two types : analog and digital.
(5) In contrast, a digital signal takes the form of pulses,where we have something or nothing.
26. Which of the following should be the FIRST sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) 1
(B) 2
(C) 3
(D) 4
(E) 5
Ans : (D)
27. Which of the following should be the FIFTH sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) 1
(B) 2
(C) 3
(D) 4
(E) 5
Ans : (B)
28. Which of the following should be the FOURTH sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) 1
(B) 2
(C) 3
(D) 4
(E) 5
Ans : (E)
29. Which of the following should be the THIRD sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) 1
(B) 2
(C) 3
(D) 4
(E) 5
Ans : (A)
30. Which of the following should be the SECOND sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) 1
(B) 2
(C) 3
(D) 4
(E) 5
Ans : (C)
Directions—(Q. 31–40) 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.)
31. He has taken care to (A) / compliance with the norms (B) / so he expects the proposal (C) / to be
approved without delay. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (B)
32. Under the terms of the new deal (A) / the channel can broadcast (B) / the next cricket tournament to
be (C) / played among India and Australia. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (D)
33. Our equipment gets damage (A) / very often in summer (B) / because there are (C) / frequent power
cuts. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (A)
34. We have received many (A) / of the letters from customers (B) / asking us to extend (C) / the
deadline to repay their loans. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (B)
35. Since I had lived there (A) / for many years the villagers (B) / were very comfortable talked (C) / to
me about their problems. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (C)
36. We have been under (A) / a lot of pressure to (B) / open fifty new stores (C) / by the ending of the
year. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (D)
37. The government has (A) / launched many creative schemes (B) / to make banking services (C) /
available to everyone. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (E)
38. The company is in debt (A) / and has been unable (B) / to pay their employees’ salaries (C) / for the
past six months. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (C)
39. This is turned out to be (A) / one of our most successful projects (B) / and we have made quite (C) /
a large profit from it. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (A)
40. A non banking financial company is a (A) / financial institution similarly to a bank (B) / but it
cannot issue (C) / cheque books to customers. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (B)
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 October 2, 1983 the Grameen Bank Project …(41)… the Grameen Bank. We invited the Finance
Minister to be the Chief Guest at our …(42)… ceremony. But when the Ministry came to …(43)… that
the ceremony would take place in a remote district, they said it would not be an …(44)… place to
launch a Bank and that the ceremony should be …(45)… in Dhaka so that all the top Government
Officials could …(46)… We stood firm and …(47)… to them that we did not work in urban areas so it
made no …(48)… to have the ceremony in a city …(49)… we had no borrowers. We had the ceremony
in a big open field with the Finance Minister present as Chief Guest. For all of us who had worked so
hard to …(50)… this it was a dream come true.
41. (A) reorganised
(B) merged
(C) named
(D) converted
(E) became
Ans : (E)
42. (A) opening
(B) closing
(C) dedicated
(D) inaugurate
(E) induction
Ans : (A)
43. (A) reveal
(B) know
(C) aware
(D) inform
(E) acquaint
Ans : (B)
44. (A) excellent
(B) available
(C) inauspicious
(D) appropriate
(E) obvious
Ans : (D)
45. (A) invited
(B) assembled
(C) done
(D) shifted
(E) held
Ans : (E)
46. (A) present
(B) accompany
(C) attend
(D) involve
(E) entertain
Ans : (C)
47. (A) apologised
(B) told
(C) explained
(D) denied
(E) refused
Ans : (C)
48. (A) difference
(B) sense
(C) difficulty
(D) meaning
(E) point
Ans : (B)
49. (A) where
(B) while
(C) that
(D) however
(E) which
Ans : (A)
50. (A) obey
(B) achieve
(C) discover
(D) built
(E) perform
Ans : (B)

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