English Test for IBPS RRB PO Mains 2021 Exam set – 2

Directions(1-5): Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Certain words are printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of these.

1. Most of the world’s population spends one-third of their adult lives at work. When work is fulfilling, it can help a person feel engaged, valued and productive. When work is stressful, the overall quality of life suffers, and work related concerns can exacerbate mental health conditions including anxiety and depression. Satisfaction in our home lives allows us to bring our best selves to work. But when challenges in our personal lives demand attention and induce stress, we can become distracted, upset and exhausted. In today’s fast-paced society, the line between work and life is fading, making mental health increasingly difficult to prioritize. For employers, that means that a significant portion of their workforce may be struggling on any given day, resulting in impaired performance (socalled “presenteeism” where an employee is at work but unable to be fully productive) and absenteeism.

   Unfortunately, the stigma surrounding mental health, along with a fear of being viewed differently as a team member or for promotion, or even losing your job, has left much of the world’s workforce avoiding treatment. The first step employers can take to mitigate the hidden burden of mental health conditions is to recognize – or better yet, measure – a broad spectrum of metrics. Anonymous employee surveys or other assessment tools can help shed light on the mental health of your workforce, including workplace culture issues that may be impeding the effectiveness of other efforts. It is not only unrealistic but also costly for an employer to assume that its workforce is not in need of mental health support, and it is not possible for an organization, large or small, to be immune from the effects of employee mental health challenges. From an executive’s perspective, it makes good business sense to ensure that your organization’s workforce is healthy, both physically and mentally. Currently, many workplaces overlook mental wellbeing, meaning that people with mental health conditions go untreated. Some may even worsen under the expectation that individuals can recognize and seek appropriate support or professional services to overcome issues like depression or anxiety by their own initiative. Widespread changes are necessary to reduce the heavy but often invisible toll that mental health challenges have on the workplace. Fostering a mentally healthy workplace is the new frontier for leading executives, and those looking to maintain a competitive advantage will embrace new approaches to support and inclusion.

   1. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
   I. There’s interconnectivity between our personal and professional lives too.
   II. Employees and executives need to make mental health a priority, but a negative stigma pervades.
   III. When mental health disorders are adequately treated, companies reduce job-related accidents, sick days, and employee turnover, as well as improve the number of hours worked and employee productivity.

   Only I
   Only II
   Both I and II
   Both II and III
   Both I and II
   Option A
   To infer means to indicate the truth or existence of something by suggestion rather than explicit reference.
   Option I: The passage states ‘Satisfaction in our home lives allows us to bring our best selves to work. But when challenges in our personal lives demand attention and induce stress, we can become distracted, upset and exhausted. In today’s fast-paced society, the line between work and life is fading, making mental health increasingly difficult to prioritize.’ This means a person could not draw clear-cut boundaries or lines between their personal and professional lives. Thus, this option can be inferred.
   Option II: This statement is explicit in the first and the last line of the second paragraph. Thus, this option is not inferred from the passage.
   Option III: This statement can be considered as an assumption for “..those looking to maintain a competitive advantage will embrace new approaches to support and inclusion.” Thus, this option is also not inferred from the passage.

    

2. Which of the following statements is untrue with respect to the passage?
   Mental health disorders often go unrecognized and untreated.
   Employees are reluctant to seek mental health treatment out of fear that they might jeopardize their jobs.
   To change the status quo, the engagement of executive leadership in creating a “culture of care” is crucial.
   In most companies, collective attitudes and perceptions of mental health need to be shifted.
   Momentum around mentally healthy and supportive workplaces is building, but considerable challenges exist.
   Option E
   Option E: There is no mention that momentum around mentally healthy and supportive workplaces is building. The passage only states the condition and what needs to be done. Thus, this statement is untrue.

    

3. What does the author mean when he/ she says, “For employers, that means that a significant portion of their workforce may be struggling on any given day, resulting in impaired performance (so-called “presenteeism” where an employee is at work but unable to be fully productive) and absenteeism.”
   Depression and anxiety cost the global economy a lot in lost productivity.
   Mental health disorders are associated with productivity losses in the form of absenteeism, short‐term disability absences and reduced on‐the‐job productivity known as presenteeism.
   Although mental health disorders may cause absenteeism, the biggest impact is in lost productivity.
   The costs of an untreated illness are significant.
   Chances are, either you, a loved one, or someone you work alongside has experienced a mental health challenge.
   Option B
   Depression and other mental health disorders have a large impact on the quality of life and productivity of millions of individuals worldwide. A significant number of employees may be struggling with some type of mental health challenge. They might be experiencing stress, depression or anxiety at work at levels that were making them ill. Presenteeism is defined in terms of lost productivity that occurs when employees come to work ill and perform below par because of that illness. Absenteeism is defined in terms of lost productivity that occurs when employees miss work due to ill health. Thereby, mental health disorders are associated with productivity losses.

    

4. How the heavy, invisible toll that mental health challenges have on the workplace could be eased?
   I. If a greater proportion of workers who need treatment were able to receive it.
   II. Through anonymous employee surveys or other assessment tools that can help shed light on the workplace culture issues that may be impeding the effectiveness of the workers.
   III. If an organization believes that it is possible to be immune from the effects of employee mental health challenges.
   Only II
   Both I and II
   Both II and III
   Both I and III
   All of the above
   Option B
   The passage states “Anonymous employee surveys or other assessment tools can help shed light on the mental health of your workforce, including workplace culture issues that may be impeding the effectiveness of other efforts. It is not only unrealistic but also costly for an employer to assume that its workforce is not in need of mental health
   support, and it is not possible for an organization, large or small, to be immune from the effects of employee mental health challenges. From an executive’s perspective, it makes good business sense to ensure that your organization’s workforce is healthy, both physically and mentally. Currently, many workplaces overlook mental well-being, meaning that people with mental health conditions go untreated. Some may even worsen under the expectation that individuals can recognize and seek appropriate support or professional services to overcome issues like depression or anxiety by their own initiative.”

    

5. The word “alleviate” is a synonym to which of the highlighted words in the passage?
   Fostering
   Exacerbate
   Mitigate
   Immune
   Fulfilling
   Option C
   Alleviate means to make suffering, deficiency, or a problem less severe.
   Option A: Fostering means to encourage the development of something, especially something desirable.
   Option B: Exacerbate means to make a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling worse.
   Option C: Mitigate means to make something bad less severe, serious, or painful.
   Option D: Immune means ‘protected or exempt, especially from an obligation or the effects of something.’ In other words, ‘not affected or influenced by something.’
   Option E: Fulfilling means to achieve or realize something desired, promised, or predicted.

    

Directions(6-9): In this question, two columns, I and II and three sentences are given, which are divided into two parts. Column I (A, B and C) consists of first half of each sentence and Column II (D, E and F) consists of second half of each sentence. Match column I with column II, so that the sentences formed are both meaningful and grammatically correct. Choose the option as your answer.

6. I.
   A) Are the ordinances justified, given the need to both preserve and create jobs
   B) In the Constitution, under the directive principles of state policy,
   C) Some State governments have proposed ordinances to

   II.
   D) in mind that the national codification and the labour law reform process is on.
   E) exempt manufacturing establishments from the purview of most labour laws.
   F) and conduct any kind of a State-level or national struggle

   B-E and C-F
   C-E
   A-F and C-D
   B-F
   A-D and C-E
   Option B
   

    

7. I.
   A) Japan has avoided the kind of explosive
   B) Destroying the protective canopy provided for
   C) The TV show aims to offer a humorous take

   II.
   D) on the sweeping changes unleashed by the pandemic.
   E) big trees can be catastrophic for the sheltered community.
   F) outbreak seen in countries such as the US and Brazil.

   B-E and C-F
   C-E and B-F
   A-F and C-D
   B-F
   A-D and C-E
   Option C
   

    

8. I.
   A. The government decided to encourage
   B. The party vowed to incorporate environmental
   C. We will strive to accelerated the eradication

   II.
   D. considerations on all its policies.
   E. of ozone depleting substances.
   F. industries based on biotechnology.
   

   C-E
   B-D
   A-F
   Both B-D and C-E
   None of the above
   Option C
   

    

9. I.
   A. The company’s profits have been
   B. The general misread the enemy’s intentions, and
   C. The effects of global warming, while not

   II.
   D. didn’t anticipated the attack.
   E. substantially lower this year.
   F. immediate, are potentially catastrophic.
   

   A-E and C-F
   All A-E, C-F and B-D
   B-D
   Both B-D and A-E
   C-F
   Option A
   

    

Directions(10-12): In the given question, an idiom/phrase has been printed in bold in the sentence. Choose the alternative that best expresses the meaning of the idiom/phrase.

10. India and Bangladesh should pressurize the UN to (prevail upon) Myanmar to take back the Rohingya refugees.

    Force or oblige to do something
    Induce someone to do something through reasoning or argument
    Cause to believe firmly in the truth of something
    Try earnestly or persistently to persuade someone to do something
    All of the above
    Option E
    The highlighted phrase means to convince or cause someone to do something. The sentence is talking about how the UN should convince Myanmar to take back the refugees. All the options are synonyms and can depict the similar meaning as given in phrase.

     

11. This piece of news appears to be a blown-up account of what actually happened. Thus, I’ll (take it with a grain of salt).
    Take it seriously.
    Prove it wrong.
    Strongly condemn it.
    Not take it seriously.
    Reveal it before everyone
    Option D
    The phrase “take with a grain of salt” means that the listener should take the source of the information as prone to be unreliable or exaggerated.

     

12. The only advice I would give you after your performance on the stage is that (don’t give up your day job).
    
    The standard of performance is acceptable.
    Since you have a good future in theatre, you should pursue it.
    In spite of your passionate onstage performance, hold on to your regular work until you are a celebrity.
    Your onstage performance is substandard.
    None of these
    Option D
    ‘Don’t give up your day job’ a usually humorous way of telling someone not to pursue something full time as he or she is not good at it. Thus, the person’s on stage performance is not up to the mark. Hence option D is the correct answer.