English Questions: Fill in the Blanks 88

Direction (1-10): In each question below a sentence is given with two blanks in each. Each question is followed by four options with two words in each. You have to select that option as your answer which can fill both the blanks of the sentence.

1. The market regulator has finally laid down its arms in the battle against algorithmic trading in India. For the changes _______________________ to algo trading rules in SEBI’s recent Board Meeting are mainly aimed at addressing the complaints of the users of stock exchanges’ _______________________ facilities, from where most algo programs are run.
   esoteric, bedlam
   announced, collocation
   repressed, havoc
   privy, mayhem
   All are correct
   Option B
   

    

2. The now impugned guidelines _______________________ immediate suspension of access rights to _______________________ journalists accused of propagating ‘fake news’ and a permanent ban for repeat offences. Now that the dust has settled on the contentious order, it is critical to understand the issues it raises.
   promised, confidential
   firm, familiar
   stipulated, accredited
   contracted, intimate
   All are correct
   Option C
   

    

3. As expected, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has chosen to keep repo rates unchanged, citing a range of risks – internal and external – that could _______________________ the economy. However, its arguments for not reducing interest rates are decidedly _______________________.
   destabilise, ambivalent
   support, decided
   sabotage, blatant
   cripple, actual
   All are correct
   Option A
   

    

4. A large part of Indian banks’ non-performing asset (NPA) woes can be _______________________ to the fact that when their lending decisions go awry, they sweep them under the carpet to present a _______________________ financial picture to the public. This window-dressing is now set to extend to their treasury operations too.
   sketched, foul
   traced, palatable
   outlined, obnoxious
   delineated, repugnant
   All are correct
   Option B
   

    

5. Tamil Nadu has in the past _______________________ Karnataka of not keeping to its monthly release commitment during this period. The repeated _______________________ of water disputes points to weak institutional arrangements and an unwillingness to take a long-term view of the problem.
   prisoner, decease
   respondent, appoint
   defendant, conclusion
   accused, outbreak
   All are correct
   Option D
   

    

6. India sits on the third-largest coal _______________________ in the world — enough to last for the next 400 years at current consumption levels. The fossil fuel’s importance to the country cannot be over-emphasised — 66 per cent of India’s electricity is generated from it. Despite its criticality, the sector continues to be _______________________ by periodic crises, when coal stocks with power plants almost run out.
   discharges, afflicted
   reserves, plagued
   warmths, pestered
   hurts, haunted
   All are correct
   Option B
   

    

7. More than eight months after the introduction of GST, exporters remain cash-strapped for working capital; this is despite _______________________ made by the Centre last October-November that the process of granting refunds for input tax credit (ITC) and IGST would be _______________________. Given that exports of goods and services account for about 20 per cent of GDP and are characterised by labour intensity and a high working capital to sales ratio, this is no small matter.
   insecurities, accelerated
   assurances, expedited
   dismays, assisted
   timidities, urged
   All are correct
   Option B
   

    

8. It all came out alright in the end — just about. But there were many tense moments before Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Prime Minister Narendra Modi hugged and posed for the cameras, shaking hands and _______________________ with _______________________. The two later addressed a joint press conference where Modi stressed the battle against terrorism and Trudeau focused on economic cooperation and Indian students heading to Canada in droves.
   darksome, glum
   beaming, bonhomie
   obscure, sullen
   murky, aloofness
   All are correct
   Option B
   

    

9. India Inc’s earnings scorecard for the latest September-December quarter offers light at the end of the tunnel for stock market investors. Thirty-six of the Nifty50 companies managed to either match or beat _______________________ estimates of profit growth. The 50 firms registered healthy sales growth of 13.4 per cent, signalling a continued recovery from the _______________________ of demonetisation and GST.
   unanimity, routs
   concurrence, amorphous
   harmony, expansions
   consensus, setbacks
   All are correct
   Option D
   

    

10. The _______________________ from this year’s Nasscom India Leadership Forum are not very encouraging for India’s IT industry. For the second year in a row, Nasscom has projected a flat growth in industry _______________________ at 7-9 per cent in fiscal year 2019 compared to an estimated growth of 7.8 per cent in 2017-18.
    signals, revenue
    alarms, expenses
    gestures, assume
    indications, defrayment
    All are correct
    Option A