English Test for IBPS PO 2018 Prelim Exam Set – 30

Directions: In the passage given below there are 10 blanks. Every blank has four alternative words given in options (A),(B),(C), and (D). You have to tell which word is APPROPRIATE according to the context. If all are appropriate then mark your answer as “E”.

In September, when the Fed ___1___ raising rates, average hourly pay had just grown by 2%, on an annualised basis, over the prior three months. Now that has risen to 2.8%. By one measure, wages grew by fully 4% in the third quarter of the year. Accelerating pay suggests that ___2___ in the labour market has almost gone. The pick-up in wages could ___3___, however. Since the recession hordes of workers have left the labour force altogether: labour-force participation among 25- to 54-year-olds in the third quarter of the year was lower than at any time since 1984. If some can be ___4___ back to work, wages will be ___5___.

1. fiddled with
   toyed with
   played with
   speculated with
   All are Correct
   Option E
   

    

2. slack
   taut
   desirous
   rigorous
   All are Correct
   Option A
   

    

3. shoot up
   wax
   surge
   peter out
   All are Correct
   Option D
   

    

4. appalled
   averse to
   tempted
   dissented
   All are Correct
   Option C
   

    

5. held in
   held down
   hold back
   bottle up
   All are Correct
   Option E
   

    

Directions: Which of the phrases (A), (B), (C), (D) given below each sentence should replace the phrase printed in bold to make the sentence grammatically correct? If the sentence is correct as it is, mark (E) ie ‘No correction required’ as the answer.

6. She rushed to the station but could find any trace of her daughter there.
   not found trace
   find no trace
   found not trace
   finding no trace
   No correction required
   Option B
   The use of ‘but’ suggests that the phrase in bold must have a negative sense. Hence ‘find any trace’ should be replaced with ‘find no trace’. Hence go with option (2).

    

7. As it was already afternoon, Rohan decided to check out of the hotel and go home.
   for checking out
   to checking out
   to check outing
   to checked out
   No correction required
   Option E
   No correction required

    

8. Five people which ignored an evacuation order were trapped in a mountain region encircled by a wildfire.
   who ignored an
   those ignoring an
   who ignores a
   that ignored a
   No correction required
   Option A
   For ‘people’ we use ‘who’ not ‘which’. Further, ‘ignored’ (past tense) cannot be replaced with ‘ignores’ (present tense) as given in option(3). Hence (1) is the correct option.

    

9. Since she was the most popular model on the ramp, she thought no end to herself.
   no ending to herself
   no ends of herself
   no end of herself
   no end with herself
   No correction required
   Option C
   The correct phrase is ‘no end of’ which means ‘very many or much’; ‘very great’. The phrase is correctly written in option (3) only. Hence go with it.

    

10. actress says that she is not comfortable walk into the ramp in designer-wear.
    to walks on
    walking down
    walking with
    walks to
    No correction required
    Option B
    Walk on’ means ‘a very small part in a film or a play which usually does not involve any speaking’. ‘Walk down’ means ‘to walk along a path of something like that’. ‘Walk with’ means ‘to walk with someone’. ‘Walk to’ means ‘to go to a pre-decided destination/ place’. Here for the given sentence, the correct option is (2).