Dear Aspirants, Our IBPS Guide team is providing new series of English Questions for IBPS PO Prelims so the aspirants can practice it on a daily basis. These questions are framed by our skilled experts after understanding your needs thoroughly. Aspirants can practice these new series questions daily to familiarize with the exact exam pattern and make your preparation effective.
Direction (1-7): A passage has been given below. Few words and sentences have been highlighted to help you answer some of the questions. Read the same carefully and answer the questions that follow:
On October 3, the ICIJ released the Pandora papers. The collaborators included media organizations like the BBC and The Guardian from the UK and The Indian Express from India. The data is in 11.9 million files, consisting of documents, images, emails, spreadsheets, presentations, audio and video files and even ink on paper. The work was done mostly in secrecy, over nearly two years. While the records go back to the 1970s, most of the data pertains to the period from 1996 to 2020. What the Pandora Papers reveal are the financial dealings of the super-rich, including politicians, businessmen, sports stars and celebrities. They provide data on secret private trusts ‘settled’ or placed in obscure offshore tax havens and the identity of the ultimate beneficiaries of the wealth in those trusts. The data also reveals the multi-layered complex structures, possibly constructed to hide the identity of ultimate beneficiaries. There are shell companies within offshore shell companies, which safeguard wealth in the form of cash, shares, real estate ownership, aircrafts, yachts and art. The multiple layers of ownership are to make it difficult to trace the true ownership and beneficiaries.
There are at least 380 persons of Indian nationality in the Pandora Papers. These include some against whom investigations are ongoing for financial fraud, and some whose revelation has raised eyebrows. There is data on more than 130 billionaires from various countries. What is different about the Pandora Papers from the earlier Panama Papers leaks, revealed by the ICIJ five years ago? Unlike the Panama Papers which were leaked from a single source, a law firm called Mossack Fonseca, the Pandora Papers are sourced from 14 different providers, whose identity has been concealed. It is a much more comprehensive picture of how the wealthy shift their wealth across tax jurisdictions, possibly to evade taxes or to have a system of ‘more efficient tax planning’. For decades, big companies like Apple, Google and Amazon have hooked profits from their European and global income in the low-tax haven of Ireland. That will now end. Indeed, the European Union has imposed a fine on Ireland for such irresponsible taxation, which amounts to ‘stealing the taxes’ of other jurisdictions. Leaving aside the fugitives who have defrauded banks, or defaulted on large loans from public sector banks, another issue to think about is that even if the wealth has been salted away legally, does it reflect a flight of capital? Are high net worth individuals moving significant assets abroad? What is their anxiety? Do they feel their wealth is not secure in India? If India were to open up its capital account completely, would we see a massive flight of capital? The Pandora Papers raise a lot of issues that need serious introspection. However, one hopes that like the Panama and Paradise Papers, they don’t become forgotten headlines in a fortnight.
1) Which of the following would replace the word ‘hooked’ as used in the passage above?
A.Looked
B.Spooked
C.Booked
D.Rebuked
E.No replacement needed
2) Which media house has not been mentioned in the passage?
A.The Guardian
B.BBC
C.Indian Express
D.The New York Times
E.All have been mentioned
3) How do the Pandora’s papers claim to have preserved the wealth of the businessmen and the personalities?
A.In the form of the financial dealings of the super-rich
B.In complex structures that hide the real identities of the beneficiaries
C.Shell companies that safeguard the wealth in the form of cash, real estate, aircrafts, yachts etc.
D.They have sourced information from various information providers
E.None of the above
4) Which of the following words can fit as the best antonym to the word ‘evade’ as used in the passage above?
A.Pay
B.Escape
C.Hide
D.Unintentional
E.Intentional
5) How are the Pandora papers different from the Panama Papers?
A.The Panama papers have been revealed by the ICIJ and they had been planning for the same for the last 5 years
B.The role of tax havens has been huge as they provide a way for the wealthy to evade taxes
C.The Pandora papers have named the banks that have helped their clients create the shell companies
D.The Panama papers had extensively named Ireland blaming that they have ended up in huge losses for the other countries
E.The Pandora papers have been leaked from 14 different sources unlike the ones done by the Panama where a single entity was involved
6) Which of the following points can be negated as discussed in the passage above?
A.The data is in 11.9 million files, consisting of documents, images, emails, spreadsheets, presentations, audio and video files and even ink on paper.
B.There are at least 350 persons of Indian nationality in the Pandora Papers.
C.There is data on more than 130 billionaires from various countries.
D.Both (b) and (c)
E.All are true
7) Which of the following issue/(s) need/(s) a serious deliberation as per the Pandora papers leak?
(i) The high-net worth individuals feel that their wealth is not secure in India
(ii) Is there a fear of returning the estate duty?
(iii) Is there going to be a fair allocation of profits and taxable income?
A.Only (ii)
B.Only (i)
C.Both (i) and (iii)
D.All (i), (ii) and (iii)
E.Both (i) and (ii)
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Answers :
1) Answer: C
The sentence talks about big businessmen encashing profits from their investments overseas. The word that must make sense here would be ‘booked profits.’
Spooked means to get frightened. And Rebuked means expressed sharp criticism over something. Both do not fit in the context here.
Hence, option (c) is the correct answer.
2) Answer: D
The following lines from the first paragraph will make it clear for us:
The collaborators included media organizations like the BBC and The Guardian from the UK and The Indian Express from India.
The line does not mention the New York Times and hence, option (d) is the best option.
3) Answer: C
The following lines in the passage above have the clue to the answer:
There are shell companies within offshore shell companies, which safeguard wealth in the form of cash, shares, real estate ownership, aircrafts, yachts and art.
Options (a), (b) and (d) have been given but they do not provide information on how the wealth has been stored.
Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.
4) Answer: A
The given passage is talking about wealthy businessmen and politicians who have been hiding their investments in order to escape from paying taxes. As we are required to find an antonym to the given word, the best word that fits the context is ‘pay’.
Options (b), (c) and (e) are synonymous to the word and (d) is unrelated as per the context.
5) Answer: E
Read the following lines from the passage given above. These lines explain the required reason
What is different about the Pandora Papers from the earlier Panama Papers leaks, revealed by the ICIJ five years ago? Unlike the Panama Papers which were leaked from a single source, a law firm called Mossack Fonseca, the Pandora Papers are sourced from 14 different providers, whose identity has been concealed.
Hence, option (e) is the best answer.
6) Answer: B
Statement given in (b) is incorrect as the correct number as per the passage is at least 380 persons and not 350.
The other two options have been correctly given in the passage and hence are correct.
Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.
7) Answer: E
Refer to the following lines and easily get the clue:
Most developed countries have an inheritance or a stiff estate tax. India does not. Is there a fear of the return of estate duty? (Point ii)
Leaving aside the fugitives who have defrauded banks, or defaulted on large loans from public sector banks, another issue to think about is that even if the wealth has been salted away legally, does it reflect a flight of capital? Are high net worth individuals moving significant assets abroad? What is their anxiety? Do they feel their wealth is not secure in India? (Point i) If India were to open up its capital account completely, would we see a massive flight of capital? The Pandora Papers raise a lot of issues that need serious introspection.
Therefore, option (e) is the correct answer.
Directions (8-14): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given. Certain words/phrases have been given in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.
Deforestation, clearance, clear cutting, or
clearing is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated deforestation occurs in tropical rainforests. About 31% of Earth’s land surface is covered by forests. Between 15 million to 18 million hectares of forest, an area the size of Belgium, are destroyed every year, on average 2,400 trees are cut down each minute. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations defines deforestation as the conversion of forest to other land uses (regardless of whether it is human-induced). “Deforestation” and “forest area net change” are not the same: the latter is the sum of all forest losses (deforestation) and all forest gains (forest expansion) in a given period. Net change, therefore, can be positive or negative, depending on whether gains exceed losses, or vice versa.
The removal of trees without sufficient reforestation has resulted in habitat damage, biodiversity loss, and aridity. Deforestation causes extinction, changes to climatic conditions, desertification, and displacement of populations, as observed by current conditions and in the past through the fossil record. Deforestation also has adverse impacts on biosequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide, increasing negative feedback cycles contributing to global warming. Global warming also puts increased (A)/pressure on communities who seek food security (B) / by clearing forests for agricultural use (C)/ and reduce arable land more
generally(D)/No error (E). Deforested regions typically incur significant other environmental effects such as adverse soil erosion and degradation into wasteland.
The resilience of human food systems and their capacity to adapt to future change depends on that very biodiversity – including dry land-adapted shrub and tree species that help combat desertification, forest-dwelling insects, bats and bird species that pollinate crops, trees with extensive root systems in mountain ecosystems that prevent soil erosion, and mangrove species that provide resilience against flooding in coastal areas. With climate change capturing (a) the risks to food systems, the role of forests in exacerbating (b) and storing carbon and increasing (c) climate change is of ever mitigating (d) importance for the agricultural sector.
According to a study published in Scientific Reports if deforestation continues in current rate in the next 20 – 40 years, it can trigger a full or almost full extinction of humanity. To avoid it humanity should pass from a civilization dominated by the economy to “cultural society” that “privileges the interest of the ecosystem above the individual interest of its components, but eventually in accordance with the overall communal interest”.
8) Which of the following is the synonym of the word INCUR used in the passage?
A.Forfeit
B.provoke
C.Dodge
D.Obviate
E.All of the above
9) Four words are given in bold. The sentence is then followed by options with the correct combination of words that should replace each other in order to make the sentence grammatically and contextually correct.
With climate change capturing (a) the risks to food systems, the role of forests in exacerbating (b) and storing carbon and increasing (c) climate change is of ever mitigating (d) importance for the agricultural sector.
A.a-b
B.a-c
C.a-d, b-c
D.a-b, c-d
E.All of the above
10) Read the sentence to find out whether there is any grammatical or idiomatic error in it. The error, if any, will be in one part of the sentence. The number of that part is the answer.
A.Global warming also puts increased
B.pressure on communities who seek food security
C.by clearing forests for agricultural use
D.and reduce arable land more generally
E.No error
11) Which of the following statements are not true based on the passage given.
I) Scientific Reports published that if deforestation continues at its current rate in the next 20 – 30 years, it can trigger a full or almost full extinction of humanity.
II) Deforestation, clearance or clearing is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to forest use
III) Between 15 million to 18 million hectares of forest, an area the size of Belgium, are destroyed every year, on average 2,400 trees are cut down each minute.
IV) Net change can be positive or negative, depending on whether gains exceed losses, or vice versa
A.Only IV
B.Only III
C.Both I and II
D.Both I & III
E.All of the above
12) Which of the following are not the causes of deforestation according to the passage?
A.extinction
B.biodiversity loss
C.displacement of populations
D.desertification
E.All of the above
13) Which organisation defines deforestation as the conversion of forest to other land uses?
A.The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
B.World health Organization
C.Indian council of medical research
D.Indian Agriculture association
E.None of the above
14) Which of the following defines all forest gains in the passage?
A.Deforestation
B.Desertification
C.Forest Expansion
D.Biodiversity loss
E.None of the above
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Answers :
8) Answer: B
Incur, provoke – suffer
Forfeit – fine, charge, penalty
Dodge- avoid
Obviate – avert, counteract
9) Answer: D
With climate change exacerbating (b) the risks to food systems, the role of forests in capturing (a) and storing carbon and mitigating (d) climate change is of ever-increasing (c) importance for the agricultural sector.
10) Answer: D
Reduce should be modified as ‘reducing’, as it will help maintain a parallel construction with ‘clearing’
Global warming also puts increased pressure on communities who seek food security by clearing forests for agricultural use and reducing arable land more generally.
11) Answer: C
As per the first paragraph;
We can find that
Options I and II are given false statements whereas options III and IV are true statements
Hence option C is answer.
12) Answer: B
Biodiversity loss is not the cause of deforestation but all other options are related to deforestation.
13) Answer: A
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations defines deforestation as the conversion of forest to other land uses
14) Answer: C
By first paragraph we can know that
All forest gains means forest expansion which means the area or size of forest get increased.
Directions (15-21): Read the following passage carefully. Some words and phrases have been highlighted and blanks have been put in lines to help you locate the place from where the question has been given easily
Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence demonstrated by machines, unlike the natural intelligence displayed by humans and animals, which involves consciousness and emotionality. The distinction between the former and the latter categories is often revealed by the acronym chosen. ‘Strong’ AI is usually labelled as artificial general intelligence (AGI) while attempts to emulate ‘natural’ intelligence have been called artificial biological intelligence (ABI). Leading AI textbooks define the field as the study of “intelligent agents”: any device that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its chance of successfully achieving its goals. Colloquially, the term “artificial intelligence” is often used to describe machines that mimic _____________ functions that humans associate with the human mind, such as “learning” and “problem solving”.
As machines become increasingly capable, tasks considered to require “intelligence”
are often removed from the definition of AI, a phenomenon known as the AI effect. A quip in Tesler’s Theorem says “AI is whatever hasn’t been done yet.” For instance, optical character recognition is frequently excluded from things considered to be AI, having become a routine technology. Modern machine capabilities generally classified as AI include successfully understanding human speech, competing at the highest level in strategic game systems (such as chess and Go), and also imperfect-information games like poker, self-driving cars, intelligent routing in content delivery networks, and military simulations.
Artificial intelligence was founded as an academic discipline in 1955, and in the years since has experienced several waves of optimism, followed by disappointment and the loss of funding (known as an “AI winter”), followed by new approaches, success and renewed funding. After Alpha Go successfully defeated a professional Go player in 2015, artificial intelligence once again attracted widespread global attention. For most of its history, AI research has been divided into sub-fields that often fail to communicate with each other. These sub-fields are based on technical considerations, such as particular goals (e.g. “robotics” or “machine learning”), the use of particular tools (“logic” or artificial neural networks), or deep philosophical differences. Sub-fields have also been based on social factors (particular institutions or the work of particular researchers).
The traditional problems (or goals) of AI research include reasoning, knowledge representation, planning, learning, natural language processing, perception and the ability to move and manipulate objects. AGI is among the field’s long-term goals. Approaches include statistical methods, computational intelligence, and traditional symbolic AI. Many tools are used in AI, including versions of search and mathematical optimization, artificial neural networks, and methods based on statistics, probability and economics. The AI field draws upon computer science, information engineering, mathematics, psychology, linguistics, philosophy, and many other fields.
The field was founded on the assumption that human intelligence “can be so precisely described that a machine can be made to simulate it”. This raises philosophical arguments about the mind and the ethics of creating artificial beings endowed with human-like intelligence. These issues have been explored by myth, fiction and philosophy since antiquity. Some people also consider AI to be a danger to humanity if it progresses unabated. Others believe that AI, unlike previous technological revolutions, will create a risk of mass unemployment.
In the twenty-first century, AI techniques have experienced a resurgence following concurrent advances in computer power, large amounts of data, and theoretical understanding; and AI techniques have become an essential part of the technology industry, helping to solve many challenging problems in computer science, software engineering and operations research.
15) What kind of capabilities of a machine comes under AI according to the passage?
I) successfully understanding human speech
II) perfect-informationgames like poker
III) Competing at the lowest level in strategic game systems
A.Only I
B.Only III
C.Both II & III
D.Both I & II
E.None of the above
16) What are the beliefs of people about AI according to the passage?
I) AI facilitates decision-making by making the process faster and smarter
II) AI may peril to humanity if it processed wrongly at any case
III) AI may bring technology revolutions which will lead to enormous employment
A.Only I
B.Only II
C.Both II & III
D.Both I & III
E.None of the above
17) What are the traditional problems faced by AI according to the passage?
I) natural language processing
II) Computational intelligence
III) Knowledge representation
A.Only I
B.Only II
C.Both II & III
D.Both I & III
E.None of the above
18) How is human intelligence described in the passage?
A.It gives support to all humans
B.It maximize its chance of achieving its goals
C.It involves consciousness and emotionality.
D.amachine can be made to simulate it
E.None of the above
19) Which of the following words is an antonym to the word EMULATE according to the passage?
A.Mimic
B.Neglect
C.Imitate
D.Reprimand
E.None of the above
20) Which of the following wordswill fill the blank given in the sentence?
Colloquially, the term “artificial intelligence” is often used to describe machines that mimic _________functions that humans associate with the human mind, such as “learning” and “problem solving”.
A.reluctant
B.Cognitive
C.Corporal
D.Tangible
E.None of the above
21) A sentence is given followed by four options. You have to choose the correct phrasal replacement of the highlighted part in that sentence.
Artificial intelligence was founded as an academic discipline in 1955, and in the years which has experienced several wave of optimism, followed by disappointment and the loss of funding followed by new approaches, success and
renewed funding.
A.that has experienced several waves of optimism
B.because it has experienced several waves of optimism
C.since has experienced several waves of optimism
D.which has experienced several waves of optimism
E.None of the above
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Answers ;
15) Answer: A
By the second paragraph we can know that option I only belongs to the answer where options II & III are wrong to this question.
Hence Option A is the answer
16) Answer: B
By last paragraph we can know that only option II denotes the correct answer where other options are not correct
Hence Option B is the answer
17) Answer: D
By the fourth paragraph we can know that option II does not belong to the traditional problems faced by AI but Options I & III belong to the question.
Hence Option D is the answer
18) Answer: D
By the fifth paragraph human intelligence is described in option D and other options donot belong to this question.
Hence option D is the answer.
19) Answer: B
Emulate – to strive to equal, imitate
Neglect is antonym of emulate
Option B is answer
Reprimand – rebuke, reproach, censure
20) Answer: B
Cognitive fits for the blank correctly which means relating to, being, or involving conscious intellectual activity.
The sentence implies that machines will make intellectual functions and humans associate with the human mind.
Hence option B is the answer.
21) Answer: C
Here option c explains the correct replacement of the sentence.
Hence option C is the answer.
Artificial intelligence was founded as an academic discipline in 1955, and in the years since has experienced several waves of optimism, followed by disappointment and the loss of funding followed by new approaches, success and renewed funding
Direction (22-29): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given. Certain words/phrases have been given in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.
We have witnessed several disasters in recent times – some natural, others man-made. The frequency of such calamities has injured us and deadened our collective sensitivity, but that does not reduce the enormity of the personal tragedy of each victim’s family and community. The economic loss is only secondary to the human suffering, but is also substantial. The Government, whether State or Central, had been standardized it response. This consists of reacting late, blaming others, visits by VIPs announcing a relief package including compensation for those affected, and then forgetting all about it. There seems to be little attempt at drawing lessons from each disaster, storing the knowledge for future use, and long-term planning for possible pre-emptive action. Preparedness for disasters thus falls short of what is possible using today’s technologies.
Floods in many parts of India like the states of Bihar and Assam are a yearly phenomenon. Yet the government seems to be caught by surprise year after year. (It is paramedical that tarpaulins, vaccines and other medicines, clothes, evacuation, large numbers of doctors and obvious staff etc will be needed as will boats and buses for satellite phones). This is known to all those who have combated emergencies, yet the non-availability of these essential services and commodities occurs. Worse, the organizational structure and mechanisms for dealing with disasters are lethargic and ill-defined. The National Disaster Management Agency set up a short time ago, being a Central Government agency, has its limitations relating to infringing the jurisdiction of states. It could have aggregated and disseminated experiences and knowledge, stocked many of the essential items required in an emergency or worked with agencies to ensure sufficient stocks, but has not.
While the reaction to measure disasters is dismal, the response to emergencies like accidents is equally sad. Victims lie unattended since passers-by are wary of getting caught in the labyrinthine of police and legal systems. The resulting delay in treatment ___________ injuries into deaths. Of late, unique and free service to provide assistance in emergency cases is operational. Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI) is a professionally managed operation – initiated by the vision and grant from Ramalinga Raju. The service, which is a successful example of public private partnership, is likely to become operational in a few states in the near future. Given the sad failure of conventional government organizations in handling disasters, it is time we looked at the PPP model as an alternative without the government seeking in any way to abdicate its responsibility. While the state provides the funding, private organization will provide the drive, professionalism, competent, management and output- linked efficiency of a good corporate organization.
22) Why do bystanders not help accident victims?
A.They lack the necessary medical knowledge.
B.It is the responsibility of the driver of the vehicle.
C.Cumbersome police formalities.
D.Medical attention via satellite phones can be provided promptly.
E.None of these.
23) Choose the word which is most similar to the word “Infringing”.
A.Breaking
B.Violating
C.Provoking
D.Hampering
E.Disobeying
24) Which of the following can be inferred about the Natural Disaster Management Agency?
A.It has substantial experience in dealing with disasters.
B.It has been successful in sharing information with other disaster management agencies.
C.It disburses funds to disaster management organizations to procure emergency stocks.
A.None
B.All A, B and C
C.Only A
D.Both A and B
E.Only B
25) Which of the following is TRUE about EMRI?
A.It is run by philanthropists.
B.It has widespread operations all over India.
C.The government has no say in its functioning.
D.EMRI is a non-governmental organization.
E.It is an emergency management service.
26) Why is there a lack of medical care at disaster sites?
A.Inadequate transportation facilities.
B.Lack of disaster management training for medical staff
C.Loss of medical supplies due to dangerous conditions
D.Safety of medical staff cannot be assured
E.None of these
27) In this question some words may or may not be in their correct position. Find the correct combination of words that replaces each other.
It is paramedical (1) that tarpaulins, vaccines and other medicines, clothes, evacuation (2), large numbers of doctors and obvious (3) staff etc will be needed as will boats and buses for satellite phones (4).
A.(1-3)
B.(2-3)
C.Both (3-1) and (4-2)
D.Both (3-2) and (1-4)
E.No interchange required.
28) Fill the correct word in the blank.
The resulting delay in treatment ___________ injuries into deaths.
A.Converts
B.Turns
C.Encompassed
D.Hampering
E.Mixes
29) The given phrase may or may not be correct. Choose the suitable option to make it grammatically correct.
The Government, whether State or Central, had been standardized it response.
A.Has been standardized its response
B.Has standardized its response
C.Had standardized its response
D.Has standardizing it response
E.No correction required
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Answers :
22) Answer: C
As mentioned in the third paragraph-While the reaction to measure disasters is dismal, the response to emergencies like accidents is equally sad. Victims lie unattended since passers-by are wary of getting caught in labyrinthine of police and legal systems
23) Answer: B
Infringing means actively breaking the terms of (a law, agreement, etc), violating.
24) Answer: C
As mentioned in the second paragraph-. It could have aggregated and disseminated experiences and knowledge, stocked many of the essential items required in an emergency or worked with agencies to ensure sufficient stocks, but has not.
25) Answer: E
It is an emergency management service.
26) Answer: E
As mentioned in the second paragraph- it is because of unavailability of above mentions in the options.
27) Answer: C
It is obvious that tarpaulins, vaccines and other medicines, clothes, satellite phones, large numbers of doctors and paramedical staff etc will be needed as will boats and buses for evacuation.
28) Answer: A
The resulting delay in treatment converts injuries into deaths
29) Answer: B
The Government, whether State or central, has standardized its response
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