Dear Friends, SBI Clerk 2018 Notification has been released we hope you all have started your preparation. Here we have started New Series of Practice Materials especially for SBI Clerk 2018. Aspirants those who are preparing for the exams can use this “20-20” English Questions.
[WpProQuiz 2559]
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Directions (1-10): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.
The National Policy on Education that was adopted by Parliament in May 1986 and Programme of Action, 1986, as updated in 1992, are perhaps the last government policy statements on higher education and which have guided actions since the mid-1980s. Now that there are new moves on the policy front, it is necessary to identify the key issues, build on the earlier efforts and then take a step ahead. The last major initiative on the development of higher education was during the 11th Plan. The problems that confront education today are low rates of enrolment, unequal access, poor quality of infrastructure and lack of relevance. The goals remain the same expansion with inclusion and ensuring quality and relevant education. The first challenge to be overcome is to increase the present rate of enrolment of 20 per cent. During the 11th Plan, a two-fold strategy that was in place helped ensure this to an extent there was an increase in the number of new institutions, and in the intake capacity of existing institutions. But despite this, our institutional capacity is still low. We have only 722 universities, as against the National Knowledge Commission recommendation of 1,500. The aim should be to arrive at a proper estimate of universities and undergraduate institutions in order to plan a strategy for the next 20 years or so.The influence of academicians on policies and the obsession with a flawed notion of excellence in terms of it being only about research have undermined the focus of having good teaching institutions. Another challenge that confronts India is in the disparities in access to education, especially in terms of economic class, gender, caste and ethnic and religious belonging. In 2008, as against an all-India enrolment rate of 17 per cent, the break-up for these categories was 7 per cent for Scheduled Tribes, 11 per cent for Scheduled Castes, 28 per cent for Other Backward Classes and 47 per cent for higher castes. In addition, it was 9 per cent for Muslims, 18 per cent for Hindus and 30 per cent for Christians. In a comparison of disparities between the poor and the affluent and in terms of income levels, it was 6 per cent for the bottom 20 per cent of society.
The expansion of the private, self-financing education sector, with its aim of commercial intent, has been another reason for the propagation of disparities. Between 1996 and 2008, private institutions expanded every year at the rate of 10 per cent. The corresponding decline in government and private-aided institutions, by 1.65 per cent yearly, resulted in the share of students in the private, self-financing sector increasing from about 7 per cent in 1996 to about 25 per cent in 2008.The high cost of private education has affected access by the poor to education. In 2012, of the total share of students in private institutions, the top 20 per cent cornered more than half the number of seats. Unfortunately, here in India, unequal opportunities have developed unequal human capabilities and converted education into an instrument to further economic inequalities. This is a new and the next challenge. There are two ways to deal with it. First, public and private aided institutions must be strengthened and expanded and the expansion of self-financing private institutions restricted to a reasonable level. However, given the political economy of private institutions, the chances of this happening are slim. The alternative would be to extend ‘poor-friendly’ financial assistance by setting up a government finance organisation, based on the models in Australia and Canada. The quality of higher education is an equally serious problem. In this area, the 11th Plan recognised three areas for interventions physical infrastructure, academic reform and ensuring adequate faculty. Infrastructure can be improved with an increase in financial allocation. Academic reform which includes semester and credit systems, courses by choice, and examination reform is a process which should be advanced only after the pre-requisites are met. In the case of faculty, which is an issue that has assumed serious proportions, several steps were effected in the 11th Plan.
Ensuring quality textbooks is another point. Now that teaching in most undergraduate and State universities is in the regional languages, good textbooks and quality translations from the original English books are a must if a student is to make progress. The three-language formula needs to be adhered to. Teaching in the regional languages would make understanding relatively easy while minimal language competence in English should facilitate student access to English books. Apart from these, there is the issue of ensuring the access of Indian education to global frontiers. In this, a popular view is to allow global universities to set up campuses in India. However, this is countered by some who argue that the presence of a few quality institutions is hardly the solution as far as the majority of rural and poor students are concerned. The alternative is to allow foreign educational institutions to enter into collaborations with Indian institutions on a large scale. Enabling an education that is relevant to the economy and society is another challenge. The development of human resources for the economy has been translated into action through vocational and professional education. The last government took the initiative by setting up a National Skill Development Corporation which the present government has taken to greater heights by creating a Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. The 1986 policy required that: In our culturally plural society, education should foster universal and eternal values, oriented towards the unity and integration of our people. Such value education should eliminate obscurantism, religious fanaticism, violence, superstition and fatalism. This requires youth and children to be sensitised about the problem of inequities, poverty, undemocratic practices and reiterating commitment to upholding equality, justice, freedom and fraternity. Another issue relates to reform in the UGC.
1) According to the passage which of the following ways are mentioned to deal with the challenge of unequal opportunities and unequal human capabilities?
i. By enhancing poor-friendly financial cooperation through setting up a government finance organization
ii. By strengthening and enlarging public and private aided institutions and the development of self-financing private institutions restricted to a reasonable level.
iii. By enabling an education that is relevant to the economy
a) ii and iii
b) i and ii
c) i and iii
d) Only i
e) None of these
2) According to the passage what are the problems that confront education policy today?
i.The challenge is to certify the access of Indian education to global frontiers.
ii.The challenge is to increase the present rate of enrolment of 20 per cent.
iii. The Challenge that resists India is in the discrepancies in access to education, in terms of economic class, gender, caste and religious belonging.
a) ii and iii
b) i and ii
c) Only iii
d) Only i
e) None of these
3) According to the passage which of the following is not one of the problem that confront country’s education?
a) Low rates of enrolment
b) Undemocratic practices
c) Unequal access
d) Poor quality of infrastructure
e) Lack of relevance
4) Which of the following is true in the context of the passage?
i.Even after the National Knowledge Commission’s recommendation of 1,500, there are only 722 universities
ii.The high cost of private education has affected access by the children to education
iii. The National Policy on Education was adopted by Parliament in May 1986.
a) ii and iii
b) i and ii
c) i and iii
d) Only i
e) None of these
5) According to the passage which of the following has been mentioned correct regarding eleventh plan?
i.In the course of 11th Plan, a strategy helped ensure this to an extent there was an increase in the number of new institutions and in the intake capacity of existing institutions.
ii.The 11th Plan recognised three areas for involvement physical infrastructure, academic reform and ensuring adequate faculty.
iii. The 11th plan took the initiative of setting up a National Skill Development Corporation.
a) i and ii
b) i and iii
c) ii and iii
d) Only ii
e) None of these
6) Which of the following is not true in the context of the passage?
i.Academic reform which includes semester and credit systems, courses by choice, and examination reform, should be stepped up only after the pre-requisites are met.
ii.Private institutions expanded every year at the rate of 10% between 1997 and 2008
iii. The decline in government and private-aided institutions by 1.45% yearly, resulted in the share of students in the private institutions.
a) Only iii
b) i and ii
c) ii and iii
d) i and iii
e) None of these
7) Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning as the word “sensitized” printed in bold as used in the passage.
a) Etherized
b) Abated
c) Stupefied
d) Benumbed
e) Depurated
8) Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning as the word “affluent” printed in bold as used in the passage.
a) Destitute
b) Bountiful
c) Flawed
d) Impoverished
e) Vacuous
9) Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning of the word “reiterating” printed in bold as used in the passage.
a) Rehash
b) Abjure
c) Ingeminate
d) Recapitulate
e) Imitate
10) Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning of the word “adhered” printed in bold as used in the passage.
a) Hewed
b) Clutched
c) Retained
d) Detained
e) Neglect
Directions (11-15): In each of the following sentences there is one blank space. Below each sentence there are four words denoted by a), b), c) d) and e). Find one word that to be fitted in both the sentences I and II and another word that to fit in sentence III and to make it meaning fully complete
11)
i.The man was _______ on charges of aiding and abetting terrorists.
ii.Johnson _______ the modern politics of this country as entirely devoid of all principle
iii. Larissa spoke in the lyrical _______ of her East African accent.
a) Inculpate, tempo
b) Summoned, swings
c) Arraigned, cadence
d) Acquitted, inflection
e) Chastise, intonation
12)
i.The decision was made to _______ the skin around the stump right after the leg amputation
ii.A laser was used to________ the patient’s artery, but the burning procedure did not work.
iii. Needless to say, mastering a foreign language is an _______challenge
a) Cauterize, arduous
b) Parched, onerous
c) Smolder, amiable
d) Quench, strenuous
e) Cremated, laborious
13)
i.I _______ with people who have the same family problems that I have.
ii.Offenders listen to victims’ experiences, preferably until they are able to _________ with the experience.
iii. We can’t afford to become _________ about any of our products.
a) Comprehended, gratified
b) Communed, egoistic
c) Pervert, conceited
d) Empathize, complacent
e) Respond, equivocal
14)
i.Although I had listened to the calculus lecture, I was still _________ by the assignment and could not complete it
ii.Since the therapist had never seen a delusional person before, she was quite _________ by her unusual behaviour.
iii. He’s the author of an_________ book on Scottish history.
a) Bewildered, uncouth
b) Flummoxed, erudite
c) Cofound, aesthetic
d) Perplexed, obscene
e) Mystify, recondite
15)
i.As long as the mobster never told his wife about his illegal deeds, he knew she could never _________ him
ii.The man refused to talk because he did not want to _________ himself in court.
iii. As a new manager, Hank is not used to dealing with __________ employees who do not follow directions.
a) Prosecute, complaisant
b) Retreat, restive
c) Incriminate, fractious
d) Alleged, pettish
e) Indicted, grouchy
Directions (16-20): In each of the following questions on phrase has been given and it has been followed by four sentences. You have to find out on which sentences phrase has been used properly according to its meaning and mark your answer from the options denoted a), b), c), d). Mark e) as your answer of you find that the phrase has been applied properly in all sentences.
16) Pin on
i.The detective pinned the murder on the wrong suspect.
ii.The gang member tried to pin the crime on a rival gang.
iii. Doctors finally pinned on the cause of the disease.
iv.I pinned my tie on to stop it from flapping in the wind.
a) i and iii
b) ii and iii
c) i and ii
d) ii and iv
e) All are correct
17) Tack on
i.The hotel tacked on a five percent service fee.
ii.I read my essay again and tacked an introduction on.
iii. I tack my children’s drawings on the kitchen door
iv.The drapes started to fall, so we tacked them on again.
a) All except iv
b) i and ii
c) iii and iv
d) ii and iii
e) All are correct
18) Step up
i.The factory stepped up production to meet the growing demand
ii.They stepped up of the meeting to discuss the proposal.
iii. Jamie stepped up and got wet in the rain.
iv.The speaker stepped up to the podium and addressed the crowd.
a) iii and iv
b) ii and iii
c) i and iv
d) i and ii
e) All are correct
19) Hook up
i.He hooked up with the other members of the band in UK.
ii.Give me a call if you’d like to hook up for lunch sometime.
iii. He hooked up with the wrong crowd.
iv.The program is really an opportunity for college kids to hook up and get to know each other.
a) iii and iv
b) ii and iii
c) i and ii
d) All except iv
e) All are correct
20) Tone up
i.My body has really toned up since I started this exercise program.
ii.I need to get busy and tone myself up.
iii. That new house doesn’t tone up with the rest of the neighbourhood.
iv.Walking to work has toned up my legs
a) i and ii
b) ii and iii
c) i and iv
d) All except iii
e) All are correct
Answers:
Directions (1-10):
1.Correct Answer is: b)
It is mentioned in para 2-First, public and private aided institutions must be strengthened and expanded and the expansion of self-financing private institutions restricted to a reasonable level. The alternative would be to extend ‘poor-friendly’ financial assistance by setting up a government finance organisation, based on the models in Australia and Canada.
2.Correct Answer is: a)
It is clearly mentioned in para 3-The first challenge to be overcome is to increase the present rate of enrolment of 20 per cent. Another challenge that confronts India is in the disparities in access to education, especially in terms of economic class, gender, caste and ethnic and religious belonging.
3.Correct Answer is: b)
It is mentioned in para 1-The problems that confront education today are low rates of enrolment, unequal access, poor quality of infrastructure and lack of relevance
4.Correct Answer is: c)
It is clearly mentioned in para 1-The National Policy on Education that was adopted by Parliament in May 1986, we have only 722 universities, as against the National Knowledge Commission recommendation of 1,500.
5.Correct Answer is: a)
It is mentioned in para 1&2-During the 11th Plan, a two-fold strategy that was in place helped ensure this to an extent there was an increase in the number of new institutions, and in the intake capacity of existing institutions. In this area, the 11th Plan recognised three areas for interventions physical infrastructure, academic reform and ensuring adequate faculty
6.Correct Answer is: c)
It is clearly mentioned in para 2-Between 1996 and 2008, private institutions expanded every year at the rate of 10 per cent. The corresponding decline in government and private-aided institutions, by 1.65 per cent yearly, resulted in the share of students in the private, Academic reform which includes semester and credit systems, courses by choice, and examination reform is a process which should be advanced only after the pre-requisites are met
7.Correct Answer is: e)
The meaning of word sensitized is to cause someone or something to respond to certain actions
8.Correct Answer is: b)
The meaning of word affluent is having a great deal of money especially of a group or area
9.Correct Answer is: b)
The meaning of word reiterating is to repeat something
10.Correct Answer is: e)
The meaning of word adhered is obey or respect
Directions (11-15):
11.Correct Answer is: c)
The meaning of “arraigned” is “to bring an action against or to find fault” and it is suitable for i and ii blanks and the meaning of “cadence” is “a modulation of the voice” so it is appropriate for iii blank.
12.Correct Answer is: a)
The meaning of “cauterize” is “to disinfect by burning” and it is suitable for i and ii blanks and the meaning of “arduous” is “difficult and tiring” so it is appropriate for iii blank.
13.Correct Answer is: d)
The meaning of “empathize” is “to understand and share the feelings of another” and it is suitable for i and ii blanks and the meaning of “complacent” is “pleased with oneself” so it is appropriate for iii blank.
14.Correct Answer is: b)
The meaning of “flummoxed” is “to confuse someone so much” and it is suitable for i and ii blanks and the meaning of “erudite” is “having or showing great knowledge or learning” so it is appropriate for iii blank.
15.Correct Answer is: c)
The meaning of “incriminate” is “to make someone appear guilty of a crime or wrongdoing” and it is suitable for i and ii blanks and the meaning of “erudite” is “difficult to control” so it is appropriate for iii blank
Directions (16-20):
16.Correct Answer is: c)
The meaning of “pin on” is to blame something on someone or to frame someone for a crime and the phrase has been applied properly in i and ii sentences.
17.Correct Answer is: a)
The meaning of “tack on” is to attach something or to add something additional and the phrase has been applied properly in i, ii and iii sentences
18.Correct Answer is: c)
The meaning of “step up” is to increase something, especially in stages or to come forward the phrase has been applied properly in i and iv sentences
19.Correct Answer is: e)
The meaning of “hook up” is to meet or associate with someone and the phrase has been applied properly in all the sentences
20.Correct Answer is: d)
The meaning of “tone up” is to make something firmer or stronger and the phrase has been applied properly in i, ii and iv sentences
Daily Practice Test Schedule | Good Luck
| Topic | Daily Publishing Time |
| Daily News Papers & Editorials | 8.00 AM |
| Current Affairs Quiz | 9.00 AM |
| Quantitative Aptitude “20-20” | 11.00 AM |
| Vocabulary (Based on The Hindu) | 12.00 PM |
| General Awareness “20-20” | 1.00 PM |
| English Language “20-20” | 2.00 PM |
| Reasoning Puzzles & Seating | 4.00 PM |
| Daily Current Affairs Updates | 5.00 PM |
| Data Interpretation / Application Sums (Topic Wise) | 6.00 PM |
| Reasoning Ability “20-20” | 7.00 PM |
| English Language (New Pattern Questions) | 8.00 PM |
