Solved Paper : SBI PO Exam - 2010

ENGLISH LANGUAGE

(Held on 18-4-2010)

Direction : Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words/phrases have been printec in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.

Governments have traditionally equated economic progress with steel mills and cement factories. While urban centers thrive and city dwellers get rich, hundreds of millions of farmers remain mired in poverty. However, fears of food shortages, a rethinking of antipoverty priorities and the crushing recession in 2008 are causing a dramatic shift in world economic policy in favour of greater support for agriculture.

The last time when the world’s farmers felt such love was in the 470s. At that time, as food prices spiked, there was real concern that the world was facing a crisis in which the planet was simply unable to produce enough grain and meat for an expanding population. Governments across the developing world and international aid organisations plowed investment into agriculture in the early 470s, while technological breakthroughs, like high­yield strains of important food crops, boosted production. The result was the Green Revolution and food production exploded.
But the Green Revolution became a victim of its own success. Food prices plunged by some 60% by the late 480s from their peak in the mid- 470s. Policymakers and aid workers turned their attention to the poor’s other pressing needs, such as health care and education. Farming got starved of resources and investment. By 2004, aid directed at agriculture sank to 3.5% and “Agriculture lost its glitter.” Also, as consumers in high-growth giants such as China and India became wealthier, they began eating more meat, so grain once used for human consumption got diverted to beef up livestock. By early 2008, panicked buying by importing countries and restrictions slapped on grain exports by some big producers helped drive prices upto heights not seen for three decades. Making matters worse, land and resources got reallocated to produce cash crops such as biofuels and the result was that voluminous reserves of grain evaporated. Protests broke out across the emerging world and fierce food riots toppled governments.

This spurred global leaders into action. This made them aware that food security is one of the fundamental issues in the world that has to be dealt with in order to maintain administrative and political stability. This also spurred the U.S. which traditionally provisioned food aid from American grain surpluses to help needy nations, to move towards investing in farm sectors around the globe to boost productivity. This move helped countries become more productive for themselves and be in a better position to feed their own people.

Africa, which missed out on the first Green Revolution due to poor policy and limited resources, also witnessed a ‘change’. Swayed by the success of East Asia, the primary poverty­fighting method favoured by many policymakers in Africa was to get farmers off their farms and into modern jobs in factories and urban centers. But that strategy proved to be highly insufficient. Income levels in the countryside badly trailed those in cities while the FAO estimated that the number of poor going hungry in 2009 reached an all time high at more than one billion.

In India on the other hand, with only 40% of its farmland irrigated, entire economic boom currently underway is held hostage by the unpredictable monsoon. With much of India’s farming areas suffering from drought this year, the government will have a tough time meeting its economic growth targets. In a report, Goldman Sachs predicted that if this year too receives weak rains, it could cause agriculture to contract by 2% this fiscal year, making the government’s 7% GDP-growth target look “a bit rich”. Another green revolution is the need of the hour and to make it a reality, the global community still has much backbreaking farm work to do.

1. What is the author’s main objective in writing the passage

(1) Criticising developed countries for not bolstering economic growth in poor nations
(2) Analysing the disadvantages of the Green Revolution
(3) Persuading experts that a strong economy depends on industrialization and not agriculture
(4) Making a case for the international society to engineer a second Green Revolution
(5) Rationalising the faulty agriculture policies of emerging countries

2. Which of the following is an adverse impact of the Green Revolution ?

(1) Unchecked crop yields resulted in large tracts of land becoming barren
(2) Withdrawal of fiscal impetus from agriculture to other sectors
(3) Farmers began soliciting government subsidies for their produce
(4) Farmers rioted as food prices fell so low that they could not make ends meet
(5) None of these

3. What is the author trying to convey through the phrase “making the government’s 7% GDP growth target look “a bit rich” ?

(1) India is unlikely to achieve the targeted growth rate
(2) Allocation of funds to agriculture has raised India’s chances of having a high GDP
(3) Agricultural growth has artificially inflated India’s GDP and such growth is not real
(4) India is likely to rave one of the highest GDP growth rates
(5) A large portion of India’s GDP is contributed by agriculture

4. Which of the following factors was/were responsible for the neglect of the farming sector after the green revolution ?

(A) Steel and cement sectors generated more revenue for the government as compared to agriculture.
(B) Large scale protests against favouring agriculture at the cost of other important sectors such as education and healthcare.
(C) Attention of policy makers and aid organizations was diverted from agriculture to other sectors.
(1) None (2) Only (C)
(3) Only (B) & (C) (4) Only (A) 8s (B)
(5) All (A), (B) & (C)

5. What prompted leaders throughout the world to take action to boost the agriculture sector in 2008?

(1) Coercive tactics by the U.S. which restricted food aid to poor nations
(2) The realization of the link between food security and political stability
(3) Awareness that performance in agriculture is necessary in order to achieve the targeted GDP
(4) Reports that high-growth countries like China and India were boosting their agriculture sectors to capture the international markets
(5) Their desire to influence developing nations to slow down their industrial development.

6. What motivated the U.S. to focus on investing in agriculture across the globe ?

(1) To make developing countries become more reliant on U.S. aid
(2) To ensure grain surpluses so that the U.S. had no need to import food
(3) To make those countries more self sufficient to whom it previously provided food
(4) To establish itself in the market before the high-growth giants such as India and China could establish themselves
(5) None of these

7. What impact did the economic recession of 2008 have on agriculture ?

(1) Governments equated economic stability with industrial development and shifted away from agriculture
(2) Lack of implementation of several innovative agriculture programmes owing to shortage of funds
(3) It prompted increased investment and interest in agriculture
(4) The GDP as targeted by India was never achieved because of losses in agriculture
(5) None of these

8. What encouraged African policymakers to focus on urban jobs ?

(1) Misapprehension that it would alleviate poverty as it did in other countries
(2) Rural development outstripped urban development in many parts of Africa
(3) Breaking out of protests in the country and the fear that the government would topple
(4) Blind imitation of western models of development
(5) None of these

9. Which of the following had contributed to exorbitant food prices in 2008 ?

(A) Hoarding of food stocks by local wholesalers which inadvertently created a food shortage.
(B) Export of foodgrains was reduced by large producers.
(C) Diverting resources from cultivation of foodgrains to that of more profitable crops.

(1) None (2) Only (C)
(3) Only (B) (4) All (A), (B) & (C)
(5) Only (B) & (C)

10. Which of the following is true about the state of agriculture in India at present ?

(A) Of all the sectors, agriculture needs the highest allocation of funds.
(B) Contribution of agriculture to India’s GDP this year would depend greatly upon the monsoon rains.
(C) As India is one of the high-growth countries, it has surplus food reserves to export to other nations.

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

Direction: Choose the word/group of words which is most similar it meaning to the word printed in bold as used in the passage.

11. STARVED

(1) Deprived (2) Disadvantaged
(3) Hungry (4) Fasting
(5) Emaciated

12. SLAPPED

(1) Beaten (2) Imposed
(3) Withdrawn (4) Avoided
(5) Persuaded

13. PLOWED

(1) Cultivated (2) Bulldozed
(3) Recovered (4) Instilled
(5) Withdrew

Direction: Choose the word/phrase which is most opposite in meaning to the word printed in bold as used in the passage.

14. PRESSING

(1) Unpopular (2) Undemanding
(3) Unobtrusive (4) Unsuitable
(5) Unimportant

15. EVAPORATED

(1) Absorbed (2) Accelerated
(3) Grew (4) Plunged
(5) Mismanaged

Direction: Which of the phrases (1), (2),(3) and (4) given below each statement should be placed in the blank space provided so as to make a meaningful and grammatically correct sentence ? If none of the sentences is appropriate, mark (5) i.e. ‘None of these’ as the answer.

16. Refuting the rationale behind frequent agitations for formation of separate States, a recent report

(1) proved that such agitations result in loss of governmental property
(2) indicated that the formation of small states does not necessarily improve the economy
(3) suggested that only large scale agitations have been effective in bringing out desired change in the past
(4) recommended dividing large States into smaller ones to improve governance
(5) None of these

17. Overlooking the fact that water scarcity intensifies during summer,

(1) the government issued guidelines to all builders to limit their consumption to acceptable limits
(2) provision for rainwater harvesting has been made to aid irrigation in drought prone areas
(3) the water table did not improve even after receiving normal monsoon in the current year
(4) many residential areas continue to use swimming pools, wasting large quantities of water
(5) None of these

18. He has lost most of his life’s earning in the stock market but

(1) He still seems to be leading his life luxuriously and extravagantly
(2) he could not save enough to repay his enormous debts
(3) stock market is not a safe option to invest money unless done with caution
(4) experts have been suggesting to avoid investments in stock market because of its unpredictable nature
(5) None of these

19. Achieving equality for women is not only a laudable goal,

(1) political reforms are also neglected preventing women from entering legislatures and positions of power
(2) the problem is also deep rooted in the society and supported by it
(3) their empowerment is purposefully hampered by people with vested interests in all sections of the society
(4) it is also equally difficult to achieve and maintain for a long term
(5) None of these

20. _______or else they would not keep electing him year after year.

(1) The party leader gave a strong message to the mayor for improving his political style
(2) Owing to numerous scandals against the mayor, he was told to resign from the post immediately
(3) The mayor threatened the residents against filing a complaint against him
(4) The residents must really be impressed with the political style of their mayor
(5) None of these

Direction: Each question below has two blanks, each blank indicating that something has been omitted. Choose the set of words for each blank that best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

21. Drawing attention to the pitfalls of______solely on Uranium as a fuel for nuclear reactors, Indian scientists warned that Uranium will not last for long and thus research on Thorium as its____ must be revived.

(1) using, substitute
(2) believing, replacement
(3) depending, reserve
(4) reckoning, option
(5) relying, alternative

22. In an effort to provide ______ for higher education to all, most of the universities have been providing education without adequate infrastructure, thus churning out ______ graduates every year.

(1) chances, fresh
(2) platform, capable
(3) opportunities, unemployable
(4) prospects, eligible
(5) policy, incompetent

23. The move to allow dumping of mercury _____ an outcry from residents of the area who _____ that high levels of mercury will affect their health and destroy ecologically sensitive forest area.

(1) resulted, insist
(2) provoked, fear
(3) incited, determined
(4) activated, accept
(5) angered, believe

24. _______ has been taken against some wholesale drug dealers for dealing in surgical items without a valid license and maintaining a stock of _____ drugs.

(1) Note, overwhelming
(2) Step, impressive
(3) Execution, outdated
(4) Action, expired
(5) Lawsuit, invalid

25. Even as the _____ else where in the world are struggling to come out of recession, Indian consumers are splurging on consumer goods and to _____ this growth, companies are investing heavily in various sectors.

(1) economies, meet
(2) countries, inhibit
(3) governments, measure
(4) nations, inflict
(5) companies, counter

Direction : Rearrange the following sentences (A), (B), (C), (D), (E) and (F) to make a meaningful paragraph and then answer the questions which follow

(A) While these disadvantages of bio fuels are serious, they are the only alternate energy source of the future and the sooner we find solutions to these problems the faster we will be able to solve the problems wo are now facing with gasoline.

(B) This fuel can also help to stimulate jobs locally since they are also much safer to handle thaw” gasoline and can thus have the potential to turnaround a global economy.

(C) These include dependence on fossil fuels for the machinery required to produce biofuel which ends up polluting as much as the burning of fossil fuels on roads and exorbitant cost of biofuels which makes it very difficult for the common man to switch to this option.

(D) This turnaround can potentially help to bring world peace and end the need to depend on foreign countries for energy requirements.

(E) Biofuels are made from plant sources and since these sources are available in abundance and can be reproduced on a massive scale they form an energy source that is potentially unlimited.

(F) However everything is not as green with the biofuels as it seems as there are numerous disadvantages involved which at times overshadow their positive impact.

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

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

27. Which of the following sentence should be the THIRD after rearrangement ?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Direction: Which of the phrases (1), (2), (3) and (4) given below each statement 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 (5) as the answer.

31. Soon after the Tsunami had killed thousands of people along the coasts of southern India, parliament psssas a bill that proposed to set up an institutional mechanism to respond promptly to natural disasters.

(1) passed a bill that proposed
(2) passes a bill with purpose
(3) pass a bill proposing
(4) passed a bill which propose
(5) No correction required

32. Denial of wages forced scientists and teachers at the agriculture universities throughout the country to go on strike, crippling crucial research that could help the state of agriculture in the country.

(1) from going on strike
(2) which went on strike
(3) on going for a strike
(4) for going to strike
(5) No correction required

33. In an attempt to boost their profits many edible oil producing companies have been engaging themselves in propaganda against commonly used oils and. promoting exotic and expensive varieties of oils as more healthier options.

(1) as most healthiest options
(2) as less healthy option
(3) as a healthier option
(4) as much healthiest option
(5) No correction required

34. Thanks to numerous government initiatives, rural masses which was earlier unaware of the luxuries of urban ways of living are now connected to the same lifestyle.

(1) who was earlier unaware
(2) which were earlier aware
(3) who were earlier conversant
(4) who were earlier unaware
(5) No correction required

35. Over the last few months, while most industries are busy in restructuring operations, cutting costs and firing, the Indian pharmaceutical and healthcare industry was adding manpower and giving salary hikes.

(1) as many industries are
(2) while most industries were
(3) while many industries is
(4) where many industries were
(5) No correction required

Direction: In the following passage there are blanks, each of which ]’as been numbered. These numbers are printed below the passage and against each, five words/phrases are suggested, one of which fits the blank appropriately. Find out the appropriate word/phrase in each case.

There is a considerable amount of research about the factors that make a company innovate. So is it possible to create an environment(36 ) to innovation? This is a particularly pertinent (37) for India today. Massive problems in health, education etc. (38) be solved using a conventional approach but (39) creative and innovative solutions that can ensure radical change and (40). There are several factors in India’s (41). Few countries have the rich diversity that India or its large, young population (42). While these (43) innovation policy interventions certain additional steps are also required. These include (44) investment in research and development by (45) the government and the private sector, easy transfer of technology from the academic world etc. To fulfill its promise of beng prosperous and to be at the forefront, India must be innovative.

36. (1) stimuli (2) conducive
(3) incentive (4) facilitated
(5) impetus

37. (1) objective (2) controversy
(3) doubt (4) question
(5) inference

38. (1) cannot (2) possibly
(3) should (4) never
(5) must

39. (1) necessary (2) apply
(3) need (4) consider
(5) requires

40. (1) quantity (2) advantages
(3) increase (4) chaos
(5) growth

41. (1) challenges (2) praises
(3) favour (4) leverage
(5) esteem

42. (1) blessed (2) enjoys
(3) endows (4) prevails
(5) occurs

43. (1) aid . (2) jeopardise
(3) promotes (4) endure
(5) cater

44. (1) acute (2) utilising
(3) restricting (4) inspiring
(5) increased

45. (1) both (2) besides
(3) combining (4) participating
(5) aid

Direction: In each of the following questions four words are given of which two words are most nearly the same or opposite in meaning. Find the two words which are most nearly the same or opposite in meaning and indicate the number of the correct letter combination, by darkening the appropriate oval in your answer sheet.

46. (A) consent (B) nascent
(C) emerging (D) insecure

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

47. (A) elated (B) eccentric
(C) explicit (D) abnormal

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

48. (A) abundance (B) incomparable
(C) projection (D) plethora

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

49. (A) purposefully (B) inaccurately
(C) inadvertently (D) unchangeably

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

50. (A) germane (B) generate
(C) reliable (D) irrelevant

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

Answer

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

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