English
Language Practice Questions for IBPS PO Mains – Set 1
Directions
(1 – 15): Read the passage given below and then answer the questions. Some
words may be highlighted for your attention. Read carefully.
Passage 1: The
Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) grouping has signalled
its intent to expand its footprint in the global
media space, with the injection of a one million dollars fund. During an
inaugural session of the BRICS Media Forum in the Chinese capital, Cai
Mingzhao, president of Xinhua News Agency and executive president of the Forum,
announced that the news agency will invest 1 million U.S. dollars for boosting
media cooperation in the five-nation grouping.
Passage 2: The plan will promote six
objectives, including “balanced reporting”— a view shared by several speakers
at the forum who called for alternative media narrative, which did not take
the cue from Washington or London. The proposal would also focus on
joint development of BRICS digital media, financial information services and
promoting people- to-people contacts.
Passage 3: The BRICS media forum is the result
of a joint initiative by Xinhua News Agency, Brazil's CMA Group, Russia’s
Sputnik News Agency and Radio, The Hindu group of publications from India, and
South Africa's Independent Media.
Passage 4: It was also highlighted that the
BRICS media has to evolve in tune with the explosion of the digital media that
is still searching for a viable “revenue model,” without
compromising the basic values of quality journalism. He stressed that the media
has a “duty and social responsibility” to ensure that “traditional values such
as accuracy, fairness, truth, are not forsaken in the interests of speed,
sensationalism, and more eyeballs”. Besides, he underscored that
the BRICS media must innovate, across multimedia platforms, in order “to remain
unique and relevant so that people are willing to pay for what is
produced rather than let some platform such as Google, Facebook or
Twitter exploit its commercial value”. He pointed out that “the BRICS, and the
emerging economies could well be at the forefront of new wave of
industrialisation driven by the concept of sustainable globalisation, which
stresses on global development and integration of countries' progress meanwhile
caring for the environment, is being currently abandoned by many, especially in
the West”.
Passage 5: VLADIMIR KAZBEKOV, the Vice
President of the New Development Bank —a multilateral lender for the BRICS —
concurred that the media from the emerging economies must expand its influence
in the “global media space” in order to challenge, the often “highly biased
content” of the current mainstream media, mainly pertaining to the parties
vying for the government.
Passage 6: He pointed out that the NDB aspired
strongly to network with the media, academia and the Non-Governmental
Oraganisations (NGO) in the BRICS countries, in order to establish a feedback
mechanism that would support the bank’s transparent functioning. He hoped that
the media will provide the analytical feedstock, during the debate
on the NDB’s upcoming publication of a five-year strategy paper.
Passage 7: Chinese officials at the forum,
said that the BRICS was well positioned to expand its global profile by playing
its due role in countering the fragile international economic
recovery, sluggish investment climate and the challenge posed by international
terrorism as well as mass migration of refugees.
Passage 8: Liu Qibao, head of the Publicity
Department of the CPC Central Committee, underscored that BRICS countries were
inheritors of “magnificent civilizations,” which needed to be re-anchored in
the modern era through multiple engagements including a regular flow of
people-to-people exchanges. Mr. Liu saw the Forum as the precursor of a spate
of meetings, which would culminate in September with the BRICS summit Xiamen.
1. What did the speakers at the Media forum demand
for? ( Based on Para 2 )
a) A more profitable news forum.
b) A different way of presenting the
news.
c) The abolition of Western news
channels because they're biased.
d) Monopolic domination of BRICS
media in the world.
e) To bring in more people to sign
Journalism contracts.
2. In which sector is the highest quantity of
biased content delivered by the media? ( Based on Para 6 )
a) Government
b) Finance
c) Sports
d) Politics
e) Law and Order
3. Why is NDB termed as the multilateral lender for the
BRICS? ( Based on Para 5 )
a) It gives multiple number of grants
to the institution every year.
b) It is the single largest lender.
c) It gives loans only to countries
associated with BRICS.
d) It takes up collateral in a
various number of ways.
e) It is one of the many lenders to
BRICS.
4. Why are they still trying to search for a
viable business model? ( Based on Para 4 )
a) Because that is the only way
businesses can work.
b) Their previous model failed.
c) Other media forms are biased, but
earning huge profits.
d) BRICS has instructed them to do
so.
e) Both (a) and (b)
5. Why would the BRICS countries want to invest so
much money in the media sector? ( Based on Para 1, 2 and 3 )
a) It has untapped potential.
b) They want to bring a change in the
sector through joining hands and spreading across the world.
c) The world needs them to take
initiative, as witnessed by the huge cry for media houses.
d) It wants to establish Monopolic
domination of BRICS media in the world.
e) None of the above
6. Why do you think that sustainable globalisation
is necessary in today's world? ( Based on Para 4 )
a) To increase profits.
b) To bring countries closer
together.
c) Development doesn't mean anything
if we don't survive to experience it.
d) To achieve the goals of BRICS
without compromising with the environment.
e) Both (c) and (d).
7. Which edition of the BRICS Media Forum is being
talked about and where was it held? ( Based on Para 1 )
a) 10th, Beijing
b) 2nd, Cai Mingzhao
c) 1st, Cai Mingzhao
d) 1st, Beijing
e) 10th, Cai Mingzhao
8. In the
question below is given a statement followed by two assumptions numbered I and
II. An assumption is something supposed or taken for granted. You have to
consider the statement and the following assumptions and decide which of the
assumptions is implicit in the statement.
Statement: BRICS countries were inheritors of
“magnificent civilizations,” which needed to be re-anchored in the modern era
through multiple engagements including assisting a regular flow of
people-to-people exchanges. ( Based on Para 8 )
Assumptions:
I. Easing of migration norms is required.
II. Stability is needed for the countries and their economies.
a) Only Assumption I is implicit.
b) Only Assumption II is implicit.
c) Either Assumption I or II is
implicit.
d) Neither Assumption I nor II is
implicit.
e) Both Assumptions I and II are
implicit.
9. In the
question below is given a statement followed by two assumptions numbered I and
II. An assumption is something supposed or taken for granted. You have to
consider the statement and the following assumptions and decide which of the
assumptions is implicit in the statement.
Statement: BRICS media must innovate, across
multimedia platforms, in order “to remain unique and relevant so that people
are willing to pay for what is produced rather than let some platform such as
Google, Facebook or Twitter exploit its commercial value. ( Based on Para
4 )
Assumptions:
I. BRICS does not want to share the spoils of its revenue.
II. BRICS does not want social media platforms to compromise the quality of
it content and exploit people by altering it and spreading bias.
a) Only Assumption I is implicit.
b) Only Assumption II is implicit.
c) Either Assumption I or II is implicit.
d) Neither Assumption I nor II is
implicit
e) Both Assumptions I and II are
implicit.
10. Below
a question is given with two statements (I) and (II). These statements may be
either independent causes or may be effects of independent causes or a common
cause. One of these statements may be the effect of the other statement. Read
both the statements and decide which of the following answer choice correctly
depicts the relationship between these two statements.
I. NDB aspired strongly to network with the media, academia and the
Non-Governmental Oraganisations (NGO) in the BRICS countries, in order to
establish a feedback mechanism that would support the bank’s transparent
functioning. ( Based on Para 6 )
II. It is hoped that the media will provide the analytical feedstock, during
the debate on the NDB’s upcoming publication of a five-year strategy
paper. ( Based on Para 6 )
a) Statement (I) is the cause and
statement (II) is the effect.
b) Statement (II) is the cause and
statement (I) is the effect.
c) Both the statements (I) and (II)
are independent causes.
d) Both the statements (I) and (II)
are effects of independent causes.
e) Both the statements (I) and (II)
are effects of some common cause.
11. Which of the following is the most opposite in
meaning to the word fragile as given in the
passage? ( Based on Para 7 )
a) Tenuous
b) Dainty
c) Dire
d) Robust
e) Slow
12. Which of the following comes closest in
meaning to the word underscore as given in the passage? (
Based on Para 4 and 8 )
a) Give an official statement
b) Emphasize
c) Speak harshly
d) Estimate
e) Both (a) and (c)
13. Which of the following comes closest in
meaning to the word culminate as given in the passage? (
Based on Para 8 )
a) Result in
b) Coalesce
c) Conclude
d) Happen
e) Bring up
14. Which of the following comes closest in
meaning to feedstock as given in the passage? (
Based on Para 6 )
a) Specialists
b) Raw material
c) Tools
d) Buffer
e) Podium
15. Which of the following comes closest in
meaning to the phrase take the cue as given in the passage? (
Based on Para 2 )
a) Lose out to
b) Try to defeat
c) Imitate
d) Utilise
e) Enunciate
Answers with Explanations:
1. B) Para 2, Line 1: Speakers at the forum
who called for alternative media narrative, which did not take the cue from
Washington or London...
Call for = publicly ask
or demand. They demanded an alternative media narrative. Narrative = the way
something is told or presented. Hence, Option (b) A
different way of presenting the news is the correct answer.
2. D) The
sixth para leads us straight to Option (d) Politics being the
correct answer.
Note: 1) Government is
not the most appropriate choice here as the para states: pertaining to
the parties... Not every part is a part of the government. But they
all form the political sphere, and hence, the reason why we chose Option (d).
3. E) Multilateral
= multiple number of sides. Notice how the sentence reads: a multilateral
lender of BRICS. The usage of a further
indicates that it is one of the many sides that lend to the single borrower,
BRICS. Hence, Option (e) is the correct answer.
4. A) Viable
= feasible. No business can run if they are incurring repeated losses. Every
business has to develop a model where they are atleast covering their costs.
Hence, Option (a) is the correct answer.
5. B) Para
1, 2 and 3 state media cooperation, balanced reporting and expanding
footprint in the global media space. All these combined lead us
straight to Option (b) being the correct answer.
6. C) Sustainable
globalisation has been explained as development which doesn't harm the
environment. If the environment keeps on having to endure the damage from human
activities for development, our survival will be in question. If that happens,
there is no use of such development. Hence, Option (c) is the correct answer.
Note: (d) is completely
wrong. The question is asked in context of today's world, not specifically
BRICS.
7. D) Chinese
capital = Beijing. Inaugural = 1st. Hence, Option (d) is the correct answer.
Cai Mingzhao is not the
name of a place. He is actually the President of Xinhua News Agency.
8. E) People
to people exchange = people moving to other countries, an example of which is
University Exchange programmes. => I is implicit.
Re anchor = stabilize or
provide support. => II is implicit.
Hence, Option (e) is the
correct answer.
9. A) Only commercial
value is being talked about => only related to profit. Hence, Only
I stands implicit and therefore, Option (a) is the correct answer.
10. A) The
NDB wants to establish a feedback mechanism and therefore, they hope that media
can provide the much needed analytical feedstock. Hence, I is the cause and II
is the effect. Option (a) is the correct answer.
11. D) Fragile
= easily broken or damaged; not strong. Hence, Option (d) Robust
(strong and firm) is an antonym.
Tenuous (very weak) and dainty (delicate) are
synonyms.
Dire = urgent.
12. B) Underscore
= underline so as to highlight. Hence, Option (b) Emphasize is
the correct answer.
13. C) Culminate
= reach the climax or the end. Hence, Option (c) Conclude is
the correct answer.
Coalesce = come together,
join.
14. B) Feedstock
= raw material to supply or fuel a machine or any process. Hence, Option (b) is
the correct answer.
15. C) Take
the cue = follow someone. Hence, Option (c) Imitate (try to copy) is
the correct answer.
