English Test for IBPS PO Prelims 2020 Exam set – 7

Directions(1-5): Four statements are given below at A, B, C and D. There may be some errors in the given statements. Mark the incorrect statement as the answer. If all the statements are incorrect, mark option E, i.e., “All are incorrect” as the answer.

1. The villagers were made aware of the plans of the Google imagery of the land mafia at Bondvol, around six years before by careful observation of charting of water level depletion.
   Google imagery helped the villagers to be aware of the plans of the land mafia at Bondvol around six years ago by charting how the lake had been depleted over the years.
   Villagers had become aware of the plans of the land mafia at Bondvol around six years ago, when they used Google imagery to chart how the lake had been depleted over the years.
   The land mafia at Bondvol was thwarted around six years ago when the locals used Google imagery to chart how the lake had been depleted over the years.
   All are incorrect
   Option A
   Sentence A is the incorrect statement here. ‘Google imagery’ is a service provide by Google and cannot ‘make plans’. Also, when we mention the tie lapse at the end of the clause we use ‘ago’ not before’. So, it should be ‘six years ago’.

    

2. Her biggest ambition in life is to write and had regrets that she did not sooner have the courage to devote herself to it.
   She always wanted to write and only regrets that she did not sooner have the courage to devote herself to it.
   She wishes that she had the courage to devote herself completely to writing.
   The only regret that she ever had in her life is that she never had the courage to devote herself to writing.
   All are incorrect
   Option A
   In sentence A, “had regrets” is a verb designated to the subject “her biggest ambition”. This is a logical error as “ambition” cannot be to possess regrets. If we place the subject “she” before “had regrets” then the sentence will be correct.

    

3. The government’s decision of focusing on farm irrigation instead of an ecological approach to water conservation will reserve two decades of carefully crafted conservation policies.
   Two decades of carefully crafted policies advocating an ecological approach to water conservation has been reversed by the government’s narrow focus on farm irrigation.
   The government reversed two decades of carefully crafted policies advocating an ecological approach to water conservation, replacing them with a narrow focus on farm irrigation.
   The reversal of the government over two decades of carefully crafted policies advocating an ecological approach to narrow focus on farm replacement irrigation.
   All are incorrect
   Option D
   Sentence D is the incorrect statement. Governments do not get ‘reversed’, they can fall, formed, etc. Also, neither ‘farm’ nor ‘irrigation’ can be replaced or separated.

    

4. The sky is lead grey, and so the oranges and yellows of the maples stand out vibrant in contrast.
   The oranges and yellows of the maples have been standing by the lead grey of the sky to form of a contrast.
   The vibrant oranges and yellows of the maples stand in contrast against the lead grey of the sky.
   It is beautiful outside with the lead grey of the sky bringing out the vibrant oranges and yellows of the maples.
   All are incorrect
   Option B
   

    

5. Last fortnight, 400 villagers gathered in a community hall despite the dreadful weather caused by Cyclone Vayu.
   Last fortnight, as Cyclone Vayu was pelting rain on Goa, 400 villagers braved the rain and gathered in a community hall.
   As Cyclone Vayu was pelting rain on Goa on a rainy-day last fortnight, 400 villagers braved a community hall to gather in the inclement weather.
   Despite the torrential rain caused by Cyclone Vayu, 400 villagers braved the inclement weather to gather in a community hall.
   All are incorrect
   Option C
   Sentence C is the incorrect statement here. Sentence C says that Cyclone Vayu pelted rain on Goa on a rainy-day, which means it was raining when Cyclone Vayu hit Goa. Rain comes along with cyclone not before it. Also, ‘to brave’ means to face and endure. ‘To brave a community hall’ doesn’t make any sense as the community hall doesn’t posses any danger

    

Directions(6-10): The following question carries a statement with a blank. The statement is followed by three phrases, more than one of which may fit in the blank. Choose the phrase(s) that can be placed in the blank to make the sentence grammatically correct and meaningful.

6. War has no place in today’s modern world, but a nuclear arms race is still ______________________.
   I. taking place globally
   II. a global issue
   III. a looming threat at the global level
   Only I
   Only II
   Both I and II
   Both II and III
   All I, II and III
   Option E
   

    

7. Around 66 million years ago, life on Earth ___________, dramatic occurrence that caused 75% of all plant and animal species to become extinct.
   I. prospered after a rapid
   II. continued to evolve rapidly
   III. was devastated by a sudden
   Only I
   Only II
   Only III
   Both I and III
   All of the above
   Option C
   The sentence mentions ‘75% of all plant and animal species to become extinct’, so the only possible phrase which can be used to fill the blank is (iii) i.e. ‘was devastated by a sudden’ to define the cause and its negative effect clearly.

    

8. Mr. Powers was so gullible that he believed even the _____________________ of his insincere employees.
   I. Most commonplace excuses
   II. More outlandish excuses
   III. Most outlandish excuses
   Only I
   Only III
   Both I and II
   Both II and III
   All I, II & III
   Option B
   ‘Gullible’ means easily persuaded to believe something. Thus, the sentence implies that the person would believe anything. In point I, ‘commonplace’ refers to ordinary excuses and it does not take a stretch of imagination to believe those. In option II, ‘more’ which is a comparative adjective has been incorrectly used. In point III, ‘outlandish’ refers to bizarre excuses and it 􀁽ts the given blank correctly. Thus, option B is the correct answer.

    

9. When Katya refused to lie to her parents about where she was spending the night, she was completely ostracized by her usually loyal friends, who had __________________ before.
   I. never rebuffed her
   II. never shunned her
   III. never spurned her
   Only I
   Only II
   Both I and II
   Both II and III
   All I, II and III
   Option E
   The given statement talks about how a girl was being excluded from her group of friends who had never done so before. ‘Rebuffed’, ‘shunned’ and ‘spurned’ are all synonymous and means ignored or rejected. Hence all three points are good fits in the given blank making option E the correct answer.

    

10. Meeting one of the key demands that India had put on Whatsapp to ___________________________, which triggered mob killings, the Facebook-owned company has updated its website to reflect the appointment of a ‘Grievance Officer for India’.
    I. Suppress hoaxes
    II. Curb fake messages
    III. Compress forgery
    Only I
    Only II
    Both I and II
    Both II and III
    All of the above
    Option C
    The given statement talks about the appointment of a grievance officer to deal with problems arising in a social media application. ‘Hoaxes’ and ‘fake messages’ are synonymous and refer to a humorous or malicious deception which can lead to violent reactions like ‘mob killings.’ ‘Forgery’ refers to the action of forging a copy or imitation of a document, signature, banknote, or work of art and is not known to lead to such violent reactions. Thus, i and ii are good fits for the given blank making option C the correct answer.