Recently, new types of English questions have become a common trend in all the Banking exams. The only solution to score well in English is to understand the pattern and practice as much as you can.
Pattern 1
In this type, usually a paragraph of two/three line is given and we are asked to identify the statement that would complete the given paragraph.
(a) A poor monsoon and subsequent food inflation might well throw off the Reserve Bank of India’s schedule for rate cuts.
(b) The monsoon’s behaviour this year seems to bear out the notion that climate change is affecting the Indian monsoon and altering its rainfall calendar.
(c) They impact supplies and prices of most farm commodities, especially coarse cereals, pulses, oilseeds, vegetables, fruit and livestock products, as well as the rural sector demand for consumer goods.
(d) Nevertheless, the first stage monsoon forecast of the IMD should normally be taken with a pinch of salt, as the weather agency’s accuracy record on this count is none too inspiring.
(a) Describing India as a “great” market, Cook said Apple will make significant investments in the country going forward.
(b) He further added, “But in the longer term it’s a great move and I feel really good about how we are doing there”.
(c) He said the iPad and its laptop range Macs did very well in the Indian market.
(d) Apple’s CEO said the company established new all-time revenue records in most developed and emerging markets.
(a) RBI has cut the repo rate by 1.50 percent.
(b) Repo rate is the rate at which the banks borrow from the RBI, while CRR refers to quantum of fund to be parked mandatorily with the RBI.
(c) It now remains to be seen how the banks react and when will they start reducing their lending rates.
(d) The rate cut could lead to a very good borrowing environment, particularly for retail customers.
The Indian Meterological Department (IMD) has come up with dismaying prediction that the southwest monsoon this year will be below normal. If the prognosis holds true, it may mar the prospects of redeeming the rabi crop output losses through bumper harvests in the later kharif season. India’s farm sector has certainly acquired a degree of resilience when it comes to monsoon – as reflected in the positive growth numbers in all the weak monsoon years since 2009. However, monsoon rainfall and its distribution still remains crucial.
(a) A poor monsoon and subsequent food inflation might well throw off the Reserve Bank of India’s schedule for rate cuts.
(b) The monsoon’s behaviour this year seems to bear out the notion that climate change is affecting the Indian monsoon and altering its rainfall calendar.
(c) They impact supplies and prices of most farm commodities, especially coarse cereals, pulses, oilseeds, vegetables, fruit and livestock products, as well as the rural sector demand for consumer goods.
(d) Nevertheless, the first stage monsoon forecast of the IMD should normally be taken with a pinch of salt, as the weather agency’s accuracy record on this count is none too inspiring.
To solve these types of questions following points must be kept in mind.
- First of all read the paragraph with full concentration and try to find out the gist of the paragraph.
- For e.g. in the above example we are talking about the monsoon and its impact on the farming sector.
- The paragraph is left at a particular thread of thought, try to identify that thought and then go to the given options.
- For e.g. in the above example the last line asks a question that why monsoon is still important? What will be its effects on the farming sector?
- According to the gist of the paragraph and the thought at which it was left, choose the correct option.
- For e.g. in the above example option (c) we come to know the impact of monsoon on the farming sector thus option (c) is the correct answer.
Or the other way the same type of question can be asked is:
Which of the following options follows the given sentence?
Cook, 56, said the impact of demonetization has not worked its way through yet and it is “still definitely having some overhang”.
(a) Describing India as a “great” market, Cook said Apple will make significant investments in the country going forward.
(b) He further added, “But in the longer term it’s a great move and I feel really good about how we are doing there”.
(c) He said the iPad and its laptop range Macs did very well in the Indian market.
(d) Apple’s CEO said the company established new all-time revenue records in most developed and emerging markets.
Answer (b)
Pattern 2
Which of the following options precedes the given sentence?
_________________________. Both, along with several other tools, are used by the RBI to infuse or suck out liquidity from the market.
(a) RBI has cut the repo rate by 1.50 percent.
(b) Repo rate is the rate at which the banks borrow from the RBI, while CRR refers to quantum of fund to be parked mandatorily with the RBI.
(c) It now remains to be seen how the banks react and when will they start reducing their lending rates.
(d) The rate cut could lead to a very good borrowing environment, particularly for retail customers.
Answer (b)
- In these types of questions we need to find out that about which topic the sentence is talking about and then link up the option with the sentence.
- For e.g. in the above question we are talking about 2 RBI tools to deal with liquidity and in the options only (b) is talking about 2RBI tools i.e. Repo rate and CRR while in rest of the sentences we are just revolving around the impacts or the steps taken by the RBI.
Pattern 3:
Here we need to find the missing sentence.
After demonetization, people rushed to deposit the scrapped notes into their bank accounts.________________________________________________. In other words, depositors are unable to withdraw as much cash as they deposited. Also, the surge in deposits has not resulted in a corresponding increase in demand of loans.
(a) With restrictions on exchange of old notes and withdrawal of new ones, the banking system has been flushed with deposits.
(b) As a result, banks are forced to lower interest rates on deposit and lending.
(c) For the government, which is the largest borrower, the cost of new borrowings comes down.
(d) The government recalled Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes on November 8.
Answer (a)
We need to follow the same steps as mentioned above to find the missing sentence. Just find out the main idea, work on the options, try to find what the options and sentence is saying and you can then easily get the correct answer.
Some questions for practice
Ques 1. Normally, falling oil prices would boost global growth. This time, though, matters are less clear cut. The big economic question is whether lower prices reflect weak demand or have been caused by a surge in the supply of crude. If weak demand is the culprit that is worrying: it suggests the oil price is a symptom of weakening growth. If the source of weakness is financial, then cheaper oil may not boost growth all that much: consumers may simply use the gains to pay down their debts. Indeed, in some countries, cheaper oil may even make matters worse by increasing the risk of deflation.
(a) An energy-induced drop in prices, though good for consumer purchasing power, risks reinforcing expectations of lower inflation overall.
(b) The IEA, an oil importers’ club, said it expects global demand to rise by just 700,000 barrels a day this year.
(c) On balance, energy consumers win and energy producers and exporting countries lose with falling oil prices.
(d) On the other hand, if plentiful supply is driving prices down, that is potentially better news: cheaper oil should eventually boost spending in the world’s biggest economies.
Ques 2. In the annals of computing, nothing has caused as much disappointment as putting ideas on paper. __________. However, with the coming of the inkjet printer it was soon possible to print really high quality images.
(a) For decades, printing computer files was a thankless task for users seeking to reproduce precisely what they saw on their screens.
(b) To start with, thermal inkjets were no match for the costlier laser printers that had just been introduced.
(c) For all its originality the idea behind the inkjet is far from new.
(d) The first inkjet printers were slow, messy machines, but they gradually got better and better.
(e) Designers of printers grew more ambitious and they started to want color, speed and low costs.
Ques 3. ____________________. And they are certainly right. Sunscreen protects your ski n from ultraviolet light rays. Too much ultraviolet is bad for your skin. If you spend a long time outside without any sunscreen on, you might get sunburn because of the ultraviolet rays.
(a) Ultraviolet light can get rid of bacteria in eggs and apple and make them safer to eat
(b) Your parents tell you to wear sunscreen when you're outside in the summer
(c) When we are outdoors, we are exposed to pollens and dust, and other irritants
(d) However, they can also trigger asthma attacks, which are more serious
(e) It seems to be the safest way to make food safer before we buy it
Ques 4. Most Western industrialized nations have an individualistic orientation, which values independence and self-assertiveness. __________. They stress the interdependence of people within the community.
(a) There is no internal evidence to suggest this.
(b) Individuals in collectivist Asian cultures are even less likely to commit such errors.
(c) In contrast, many non-Western cultures have a more collectivist orientation.
(d) This is why Americans tend to use psychological traits to describe themselves.
(e) Actually, situational factors also play quite an important role.
Ques 5. A fax machine works by scanning each outgoing page, turning the image into a series of light and dark dots. This pattern is then translated into audio tones, and sent over regular phone lines. The receiving fax "hears" the tones, pieces the grid together, and prints the total number of dots._____________________________________.
(a) He invented a machine capable of receiving signals from a telegraph wire
(b) The idea of fax machines has been around for a long time
(c) They were an easy way to send documents to any phone number
(d) The resulting document is a black and white copy of the original page
(e) Then he finally managed to translate these symbols into images on paper
Answers
Ans 1. d
Ans 2. a
Ans 3. b
Ans 4. b
Ans 5. d
