English Questions for IBPS RRB/NABARD exams — Set 103

Directions: In each of the following questions a passage is given in which there is a blank. Choose the most logical and appropriate option from the five options given that can be filled in the blank.

1. When the brain is affected by hypnosis — a trance-like state with focussed attention and reduced peripheral awareness — it faces an extreme reduction in its activities, although simple perception still takes place, according to a new study._______________________.
   A)They were also told to imagine that there was a wooden board in front of their eyes. As a result of the suggested obstruction, the number of counting errors rose significantly, the researchers said.  
   B)When we look at the neural processes that take place in the brain while processing the symbols, we see that around 400 milliseconds after the presentation of the to-be-counted symbol, there is an extreme reduction in brain activity.
   C)The findings showed that the hypnosis influences specific regions of the brain while it receives a visual stimulus and greatly impairs the brain’s deeper processing operations, such as counting.
   D) Although simple perception still takes place, deeper processing operations, such as counting, are greatly impaired, the professor  said.
   E) None of these.
   
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     Option C
   Explanation:The passage says about  hypnosis and the state experienced after that according to a study. A says about “They” which is not known as to whom it is referring to ; B talking about some symbols which is also not relatable to the topic in a clear way ; D seems very much close as it says about simple perception taking place which is also talked about just before the blank but It is also incorrect as it talks about a professor but passage tells about the findings of a study not a professor so it is also incorrect. C is the correct answer.
                 
2. Central banks have a problem: Growth in much of the world is accelerating, but inflation has failed to take off. Of course, for most people, growth without inflation is the ideal combination. But central banks have set the goal of achieving an inflation rate of “below, but close to 2 per cent,” as the European Central Bank (ECB) puts it.And, at this point, it is hard to see how that can be achieved.
   Central banks never pretended that they could steer inflation directly._______________.
   A)But it would clearly be more comfortable if the competitive imbalances that arose during the boom years were corrected more quickly. 
   B)But they thought that by providing rock-bottom interest rates and generous liquidity conditions in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis, they could push investment and consumption upward.  
   C)That was a mistake.
   D)But this mechanism, the socalled Phillips curve, seems to have broken down.
   E)None of these.
   
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     Option B
   Explanation:The passage says about the inflation not in sync with the growth and steps taken by central banks to overcome this problem. The sentence before the blank says that banks have never pretended they can guide/handle inflation directly means there should be some additional force as well . B completes it in the accurate sense.  
                 
3. Older adults who live with a purpose in life are more likely to have a good night sleep and less sleep apnoea as well as restless leg syndrome, a study has showed.
   Individuals have more sleep disturbances and insomnia as they get older.
   But, the findings demonstrated that people who felt their lives had meaning were 63 per cent less likely to have sleep apnoea — shallow breathing or pauses in breathing during sleep, several times per hour. ____________________________________.
   A)Helping people cultivate a purpose in life could be an effective drug-free strategy to improve sleep quality, particularly for a population that is facing more insomnia and restless leg syndrome as well.
   B)Further, they were 52 per cent less likely to have restless leg syndrome — uncomfortable sensations in the legs and an irresistible urge to move them. 
   C)Researchers said the findings were likely to be applicable to the broader public.
   D)But sleep quality is related to having trouble falling asleep, staying asleep and feeling sleepy during the day.
   E) None of these.
   
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     Option B
   Explanation:The passage is saying that according to a study the people with a purpose in life are healthier in the sense of good sleep and restless leg syndrome. So the passage talks about two things and one thing is already discussed that is the sleep so logically the next sentence should talk about the second issue that is the leg syndrome so B fulfils this logic . We can also eliminate other options as A is giving us the solution to the problem straightaway but remember the second issue is still not discussed ( leg syndrome) so this is not the valid sentence ; C talks about its application to the broader public – it is talked in a contrasting manner but application to specific class is not specifically stated ( the passage already says the study is about older people but not specifically given before the blank ) so it is incorrect here ; D starts with BUT , but to what issue it is contrasting , seems ambiguous and incomplete too. B is the right sentence.
                 
4. India is investigating whether last week’s outage of Airtel network in Delhi, alleged data breach of users of Reliance Jio Infocomm on Sunday and the technical glitch at the National Stock Exchange (NSE) on Monday were part of a “possible cyberattack.”
   The government’s senior cybersecurity officials are looking into both the Airtel and Jio incidents to see if they were possible attacks,” a senior government official told The Hindu,____________________________.
   A) also the measures it plans to take to avoid such recurrences.
   B) adding that the glitch was not related to any kind of cyberattack.
   C)when the exchange is in the midst of a regulatory probe related to co-location and algorithmic trading.
   D)adding they expected to know more about the cases in the next few days. Another official said the attacks could have emanated from a neighbouring country.
   E) None of these.
   
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     Option D
   Explanation:The passage deals about the network issues of Airtel and Jio infocomm; also the technical problem at NSE and chances of it being a cyber attack .The sentence before the blank says about officials looking into the matter and D completes  it correctly. In A,pronoun IT is used but the sentence is telling about an individual so it can’t follow ; B being the completely contrasting statement is not valid here because the matter is looked into only and there is no conclusion yet so wrong option ; C is not relating with the previous part  both are different topics.
                 
5. In Bangalore, tech giants and startups typically spend their days fiercely battling each other for customers. Now they are turning their attention to a common enemy: the city’s infernal traffic congestion.Cross-town commutes that can take hours has inspired Gridlock Hackathon, a contest initiated by Flipkart Online Services for technology workers to find solutions to the snarled roads that cost the economy billions of dollars__________________.
   A) While the prize totals a mere $5,500, it’s attracting teams from global giants Microsoft Corp, Google and Amazon.com to local startups including Ola.
   B) The technology industry began booming decades ago and with its base of talent, it continues to attract companies
   C)The ideas put forward at the hackathon range from using artificial intelligence and big data on traffic flows to true moonshots, such as flying cars.
   D)Using artificial intelligence and big data on traffic flows to true moonshots, such as flying cars, have been proposed
   E) None of these.
   
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     Option A
   Explanation:The sentence before the blank says about a contest initiated by flipkart for technology workers to find solution to the common problem in bengaluru that is the traffic , A follows it accurately as it tells the prize money and also the companies participating in the contest.
                 

Directions: In each of the following questions one sentence is given with a word in bold , choose the most similar meaning of that word and mark it as your answer.

6. Capacious : She holds a capacious bag.
   A) sophisticated
   B) extra large
   C) ugly
   D) pretty
   E) None of these.
   
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     Option B
   Explanation: When something is really big and holds a lot it is capacious, like a woman’s [purse that is so big, people mistake it for a piece of luggage.
                 
7. Condescending: He tends to adopt a condescending manner when talking to young women.
   A) polite
   B) aggressive
   C) haughty
   D) appreciating  
   E) None of these.
   
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     Option C
   Explanation: If you are being condescending, you are looking down on someone. A 10-year-old who says to his sibling, “What do you know? You’re only a 6-year-old!” is being condescending.
                 
8. Brazen : The brazen woman laughed loudly at the judge who sentenced her.
   A) culprit  
   B) dumb
   C) shocked
   D)shameless
   E) None of these.
   
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     Option D
   Explanation: Brazen refers to something shocking, done shamelessly.
                 
9. Anachronistic: English public schools are anachronistic.
   A) unreliable  
   B) superior 
   C) expensive
   D)old fashioned  
   E) None of these.
   
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     Option D
   Explanation:Something that’s old-fashioned and maybe a little out of place is anachronistic, like a clunky black rotary-dial telephone sitting on a desk beside a sleek new smart-phone
                 
10. Deleterious:  Petty crime is having a deleterious effect on community life.
    A) negligible 
    B) appreciable  
    C) harmful
    D) unknown
    E) None of these.
    
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      Option C
    Explanation: If something is deleterious, it does harm or makes things worse. Smoking has obvious deleterious effects on your health.