In a series of providing free study material for SBI Clerk exam, today I am providing English Language questions set to my readers.
English Language Question Set
Directions (Q. 41-50): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words/phrases in the passage are printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.
Indra foresaw that a supreme fontest was ievitable between his son Arjuna and Karna; and he put on the garb of a Brahmana and came to Karna,
who was reputed for his charity, and begged of him his earrings and armour. The Sun god had already warned Karna in a dream that Indra would try to deceive him in this manner. Still, Karna could not bring himself to refuse any gift that was asked of him. Hence he cut off the earrings and armour with which he was born and gave them to the Brahmana.
Indra, the king of gods, was filled with surprise and joy. After accepting the gift, he praised Karna as having done what no one else would do, and shamed into generosity, bade Karna ask for any boon he wanted.
Karna replied: “I desire to get your weapon, the Sakti which has the power to kill enemies.” Indra granted the boon, but with a fateful proviso. He said : “You can use this weapon against but one enemy, and it will kill him whosoever he may be. But this killing done, this weapon will no longer be available to you but will return to me.” With these words Indra disappeared.
Karna went to Parasurama and became his disciple by representing to him that he was a Brahmana. He learnt of Parasurama the mantra for using the master weapon known as Brahmastra. One day Parasurama was reclining with the head on Karna’s lap when a stinging worm burrowed into Karna’s thigh. Blood began to flow and the pain was terrible, but Karna bore it without tremor lest he should disturb the master’s sleep. Parasurama awoke and saw the blood which had poured from the wound. He said: “Dear pupil, you are not a Brahmana. A Kshatr5iya alone can remain unmoved under all bodily torments. Tell me the truth.”
Karna confessed that he had told a lie in presenting himself as a Brahmana and that he was infact the son of a charioteer. Parasurama in his anger pronounced this curse on him: “Since you deceived your guru, the Brahmastra you have learnt shall fail you at the fated moment. You will be unable to recall the invocatory mantra when you hour comes.”
It was because of this curse that at the crisis of his last fight with Arjuna, Karna was not able to recall the Brahmastra spell, though he had remembered it till then. Karna was the faithful friend of Duryodhana and remained loyal with the Kauravas until the end. After the fall of Bhishma and Drona, Karna became the leader of the Kaurava army and fought briulliantly for two days. In the end, the wheel of his chariot stuck in the ground and he was not able to lift it free and drive the chariot along. While he was in this predicament, Arjuna killed him. Kunti was sunk in sorrow, all the more poignant because she had, at that time, to conceal it.
41. How did Parasurama find that Karna was not a Brahmana?
a) Karna himself confessed his identity before Parasurama.
b) Karna bore the sting of a worm without any tremor.
c) Parasurama had acquire3d the ability to know everything through his third eye.
d) He asked Karna’s father about his identity.
e) None of these
42. Why did Karna decide toi become Parasurama’s disciple on the pretext that he was a Brahmana?
a) Because Parsurama was a Brahmana.
b) Parasurama hated Kshatriyas and Sudras.
c) Parasurama was a man who believed in strict notions of castes.
d) Karna was a Kshatriya and he knew that Parasurama would not allow him tobecome his disciple unless he pretended to be a Brahmana.
e) Not given in the passage
43. Why could Karna not refuse the demands for his earrings and armour made by Indra?
a) Because Karna was the son of Indra.
b) Because Karna was known for his charity.
c) Karna, being the son of a charioteer, could not refuse Indra, the King of Gods.
d) Karna was deceived by Indra in the guise of a Brahmana.
e) None of these
44. Why did Parasurama curse Karna?
a) Because Karna decided to use the Brahmastra on Parasurama.
b) Because Karna failed to learn the techniques of a Kshatriya.
c) Because Karna concealed his identity and betrayed his master.
d) Because Karna had vowed to destroy the hermitage of Parasurama.
e) None of these
45. What would be the effect of the curse?
a) That Karna would not be able to recall the Brahmastra spell when his hour came.
b) That the invocatory mantra would cease to act on the person targeted.
c) That he would not be able to pass the spell to his friends.
d) That he would be killed by his own invocatory mantra of the Brahmastra.
e) None of these
Directions (Q. 46-48): 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.
46. Tremor
a) Fear b) Trembling c) Offering
d) Sorrow e) Anger
47. Poignant
a) Defile b) Straight c) Foul
d) Painful e) Close
48. Predicament
a) Difficulty b) Fancy c) Hurry
d) Emergency e) Vanity
Directions (Q. 49-50): Choose the word/group of words which is MOST OPPOSITE in meaning of the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
49. Reclining
a) Resting b) Standing c) Waiting
d) Thinking e) Rejoicing
50. Torments
a) Suffering b) Pain c) Anxiety
d) Trouble e) Comfort
Directions (Q. 51-55): In each sentence below four words have been printed in bold which are numbered 1), 2), 3) and 4). One of these words may be misspelt or inappropriate in the context of the sentence. Find out the wrongly spelt or inappropriate words. The number of that word is the answer. If all four words are correctly spelt and appropriate the anser is 5), ie’ All correct.’
51. It is bureaucratic recalcitrance rather than any lack
1) 2) 3)
of political will that is the main hurdle. All correct.
4) 5)
52. The planning commission had evinced considerable
1) 2)
Interest in taking forward District planning as
3)
envisaged in the Constitution. All correct.
4) 5)
53. A low once passed is fait accompli- protests and
1)
critiques are conveniently termed disrupting the rule
2)
of law, and protestors become the target of state
suspison and victimization. All correct.
3) 4) 5)
54. If we look at some of the essential requisites of
1)
democratic institutional structure to send
representatives to Panchayats, assembly and
2)
Parliament, there is implisit in the election process an
3)
obligation for representatives to be accountable for their actions. All correct.
4) 5)
55. The gradual extinction of traditional songs and folk lores celebrating the beauty and colour
1)
of the innumerable varieties of seeds attracted Babulal’s attention towards the conservation
2)
of vulnerable indigenous grains which have nearly lost the battle to the hybrid varieties.
3) 4)
All correct.
5)
Directions (Q. 56-60): Read each sentence to find out whether there is any grammatical or idiomatic error in it. The error, if any, will be in one part of the sentence. The number of that part is the answer. If there is ‘No Error’, the answer is 5). (Ignore errors of punctuation, if any.)
56. 1) France is one of the wealthiest economy in the world, 2) home to leaders in aviation, insurance, banking, tourism 3) and retail and is known for its 4) fine cuisine and appellation-controlled wines. 5) No error
57. 1) The fashion is becoming a global game now, 2) where the label may originate in one country, 3) chief designer from another country, 4) the owner investor from third nation 5) No error
58. 1) In India, for over a decade now, 2) Ermenegildo Zegna has had a successful 3) run with its stand alone stores 4) In Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad. 5) No error
59. 1) The final outcome of India’s first environmental referendum is not yet known 2) but the very fact that it is taking place 3) in the thick forested and remote region of Niyamgiri 4) provides a small glimmer of hope. 5) No error
60. 1) The court ordered the seizure of his properties 2) and gave him 3) an additional 10 years in jail 4) for misuse of power. 5) No error
Answers:
41 C
42. B
43. B
44. B
45. A
46. B
47. E
48. E
49. B
50. E
51. C
52. B
53. B
54. B
55. A
56. A
57. B
58. D
59. D
60. D
42. B
43. B
44. B
45. A
46. B
47. E
48. E
49. B
50. E
51. C
52. B
53. B
54. B
55. A
56. A
57. B
58. D
59. D
60. D
