Dear Aspirants,
Welcome to Mentor for Bank Exams.
Here is the English Lanugage Quiz to help you practice with the best
of latest pattern questions for the upcoming IBPS PO, IBPS Clerk and other bank
and Insurance Exams.
Directions (1 – 5): Read the passage given below and answer the questions
that follow them.
It is welcome that government has
taken up the important subject of reforming political funding. But the proposal
set out in the Budget, to let donors buy so-called electoral bonds that can be
redeemed only in the account of political party from banks and donate them to
the party of their choice, serves little purpose. Instead of advancing
transparency, the bond gives legitimacy to opaque contributions to political
parties, trashing the present norm that party must maintain a list of all
donors who contribute any sum larger than Rs.20000. This denies citizens the
right to know who funds parties.
The identity of bond buyers and
parties redeeming them will be known to the banks issuing them, The Reserve
Bank of India and presumably the ruling government of the day. This leaves the
mechanism open to abuse by incumbent parties, and wreck the market for these
bonds. In a democracy, the fundamental point of campaign finance reform is to
let every voter know the identities of big political funders, and their
interest in doing so. Poll bonds do the exact opposite. Nor will lowering the
ceiling on anonymous cash donations from Rs.20000 to Rs.2000 deter donors or
parties from giving or accepting unnamed cash donations: the number of donors
will simply go up 10 times. In any case, parties show only a fraction of their
actual spending in the accounts they file. Identifying the source of income for
this sliver of their spending is neither here nor there. The starting point of
the reform we need is to get a handle on realistic spending by any party.
Things might work better if the
Election commission scrapped its impractical spending limit and instead, made
it compulsory for each party and candidate to reveal spending at each level,
starting from the polling booth. These numbers should be open to challenge by
rivals, the media and watchdog bodies. The EC can then finalize actual spending
and ask parties to reveal from whom all they received this money. This might
still leave some political funding unaccounted, but would still mark a huge
improvement over the current state of affairs. At any rate, policy should not
valorize opaque political funding.
1. Which of the following steps is taken by the government to reform
political funding?
a)
Introduction of electoral bonds for
making donation to political parties
b)
To force parties to maintain a list
of all donors who contribute more than Rs. 20000 to them
c)
To impose ceiling on anonymous
cash donations to Rs. 2000
d)
To make it compulsory for each
party and candidate to reveal spending at each level
e)
All the above
Answer: A)
Explanation:
Refer to the first paragraph of the
given passage. It talks about the proposal set out in the budget to let donors
buy so-called electoral bonds that can be redeemed only in the account of
political party from banks and donate them to the party of their choice, which
is mentioned in option (a). Option (b) is the current norm while option (c)
wrongly states the ceiling on donation to Rs. 2000 instead of Rs. 20000. Option
(d) that is to make it compulsory for each party and candidate to reveal
spending at each level is a suggestion given by the author in the last paragraph
and is not a step taken by the government. Hence, option (a) is correct.
2. Which of these statements is/are true for the electoral bonds proposed
by the Government?
a)
Electoral bonds allow every voter to
know the identity of big political funders and their interest in doing so.
b)
The identity of the bond buyers
will be known only to the banks issuing them.
c)
These bonds will be available only
in the price limit of Rs. 2000/- to Rs. 20000/-.
d)
These bonds can be redeemed only in
the account of political party of donor's choice.
e)
All the above
Answer: D)
Explanation:
Refer to the first paragraph of the
passage. It is mentioned that "the proposal was set out in the Budget, to
let donors buy so-called electoral bonds that can be redeemed only in the
account of political party from banks and donate them to the party of their
choice" which is what (d) is talking about. The first sentence of the
second paragraph says that "the identity of bond buyers and parties
redeeming them will be known to the banks issuing them, The Reserve Bank of
India and presumably the ruling government of the day"; however, option
(b) only mentions 'the banks issuing the bonds' and is therefore, incorrect.
The third and fourth sentences of the second paragraph talk about "the
fundamental point of campaign finance reform is to let every voter know the
identities of big political funders, and their interest in doing so and poll
bonds doing the exact opposite"; eliminating option (a). The passage does
not give any information about the price limit of these electoral bonds;
therefore option (c) is incorrect. Therefore, out of the given options, only
option (d) is correct.
3. According to the author, the proposed electoral bonds serve a very
little purpose in reforming political funding. Which of these is the practical
resort for this as suggested by the author?
a)
To order political parties to
follow a specific spending limit in election campaigns.
b)
To forbid parties from accepting
anonymous cash donations
c)
To ask parties to reveal the
source of income of all the candidates along with the property details.
d)
To prescribe taking all the
donations only in the bank account of political parties for transparency.
e)
To make it compulsory for each
party and candidate to reveal their spending at each level of elections which
is open to media and public
Answer: E)
Explanation:
Refer to the last paragraph of the
given passage. The author suggests some measures for reforming political
funding like scrapping the impractical spending limit and making it compulsory
for each party and candidate to reveal spending at each level, starting from
the polling booth, which is what option (e) is saying. However, the author does
not suggest following a specific spending limit in election campaigns anywhere
in the passage, ruling out (a). Similarly, options (b), (c) and (d) are not
mentioned anywhere in the passage. Hence, option (e) is the correct answer.
4. What might happen if the ceiling on anonymous cash donations will be
lowered from Rs. 20000 to Rs. 2000?
a)
It will discourage donors from
giving unnamed cash donations.
b)
It will frighten political parties to
accept unnamed cash donations
c)
It will increase the number of
donors up to 10 times.
d)
It will increase transparency of
all transactions which happens in the form of donation.
e)
It will increase the abuse of law
by incumbent parties, and wreck the market for these bonds.
Answer: C)
Explanation:
According to the fifth sentence of
the second paragraph, lowering the ceiling on anonymous cash donations from
Rs.20000 to Rs.2000 will not deter donors or parties from giving or accepting
unnamed cash donations and the number of donors will simply go up 10 times.
Hence, option (c) is correct.
5. Which of these is the "tone of the passage" as expressed
by the author?
a)
Informative
b)
Satirical
c)
Prescriptive
d)
Judgmental
e)
Analytical
Answer: D)
Explanation:
The author initially explains the
present norms and budget provisions of political funding proposed by the
Government. But right from the beginning the author seems to be against the
electoral bonds. He further suggests some other concrete steps to be taken by
the Election Commission of India. Throughout the passage the tone of the author
is judgmental about the decision of the government. 'Informative' would be
incorrect as the author is not merely providing information but also suggesting
some measures. The author is not making fun or mockery of the situation for
option (b) to be correct. 'Prescriptive' means 'oppressive' or 'tyrannical'
which would also not describe the author's tone, making (c) incorrect. An
'analytical' tone is based on facts and takes an objective viewpoint which is
not applicable to the given passage, hence is incorrect. Option (d) is the
correct answer.
Directions (6 – 10): In the given sentences, a part of the sentence is
missing. Choose the part/s that can fit the blank both grammatically and
contextually.
6. Egypt's armed forces also engaged in sporadic battles with Israeli
soldiers ________________ the two countries.
I. Between the
border of
II. Along the
border of
III. Straining
the relationship between
a) Only
II
b)
Only II and III
c)
Only I
d)
Only I and II
e)
Only I and III
Answer: B)
Explanation:
I is incorrect as it does not fit in
the blank grammatically. Besides, the correct preposition to be used with
'border' should be 'along', in this context. II and III, despite having
different meanings, can fit in the blank and make the sentence grammatically
correct and meaningful.
7. In order to maintain its credibility as a force in the Balkan region
Austria-Hungary needed to enforce its authority _____________ such an insolent
crime.
I. in the face
of
II. across the
borders of
III. in the
wake of
a)
only II
b)
only I and III
c)
only I
d)
only I and II
e)
only III
Answer: B)
Explanation:
In the wake of - Following (someone
or something), especially as a consequence. Both I and III can fit in the blank
and make the sentence meaningful and grammatically correct. II does not fit in
the context, as the part after the blank talks about a crime and not
countries/states.
8. Yin and yang, the _____________________principles that make up a
harmonious world, ruled the Chinese calendar.
I. opposing
but complementary
II. orderly
changes at
III. clear
picture
a)
Only II and III
b)
Only I and II
c)
Only I and III
d)
Only II
e)
Only I
Answer: E)
Explanation:
I can fit in the blank and make the
sentence meaningful and grammatically correct. II is grammatically incorrect as
'principles' will not take the preposition 'at' before it. III will be
incorrect as 'clear picture' would not make the sentence coherent in any way. E
is the right answer.
9. The study, published in the journal Science, is among the first to
model the climate effects of wind and solar installations while ____________how
vegetation responds to changes in heat and precipitation.
I. Taking into
account
II. Indicating
for
III. Providing
information at
a)
Only II
b)
Only I
c)
Only I and II
d)
Only II and III
e)
Only III
Answer: B)
Explanation:
Both II and III have incorrect
prepositions as 'how' will not take 'for' or 'at' before it. This makes them
unfit to be placed in the blank. Only I can fit in the blank and make the
sentence meaningful and grammatically correct. 'To take into account' means to
consider or regard something. B is the right answer.
10. India will not _______________along the Line of Actual Control with
China, while maintaining border peace in sync with the "Wuhan"
spirit, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said.
I. Heighten
the part
II. lower its
guard
III. crack the
rib
a)
only II
b)
only III
c)
only I and II
d)
only II and III
e)
only I
Answer: A)
Explanation:
The sentence talks about the
situation at the border between India and China. It is clear that neither I nor
III can make the sentence coherent. Heighten the part- does not make any sense.
'Crack the rib' implies a rib fracture. In the given context, only II can fit
the blank and make the sentence meaningful.
