English Practice Questions For IBPS SO Prelims 2017 (Answers)

Dear Aspirants,

English Practice Questions For IBPS SO Prelims 2017

English Section is a topic that is feared by most of the candidates appearing in the IBPS SO and IBPS Clerk Mains Exam. Though the sheer number of concepts and rules may seem intimidating at first, with discipline and the right approach, it is not difficult to master these concepts and their application to questions. Through such English Quizzes for IBPS Clerk, IBPS SO and other upcoming exams, we will provide you with all types of high-level questions to ace the questions based on new pattern English for IBPS SO and IBPS Clerk Mains.

Directions (1-10): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are given bold to help you to locate them while answering some of the questions.

Language is not a cultural artefact that we learn the way we learn to tell time or how the federal government works. Instead, it is a distinct piece of the biological makeup of our brains. Language is a complex, specialized skill, which develop in the child spontaneously, without conscious effort or formal instruction, is deployed without awareness of its underlying logic, is qualitatively the same in every individual, and is distinct from more general abilities to process information or behave intelligently. For these reasons some cognitive scientists have described language as a psychological faculty, a mental organ, a neural system, and a computational module. But I prefer the admittedly quaint term "instinct". It conveys the idea that people know how to talk in more or less the sense that spider know how to spin webs. Web-spinning was not invented by some unsung spider genius and does not depend on having had the right education or on having an aptitude for architecture or the construction trades. Rather, spider spin spider webs because they have spider brains, which give them the urge to spin and the competence to succeed. Although there are differences between webs and words, I will encourage you to see language in this way, for it helps to make sense of the phenomena we will explore.
Thinking of language as an instinct inverts the popular wisdom, especially as it has been passed down in the canon of the humanities and social sciences. Language is no more a cultural invention than is upright posture.
It is not manifestation of a general capacity to use symbols: a three-year-old, we shall see, is a grammatical genius, but is quite incompetent at the visual arts, religious iconography, traffic signs, and the other staples of the semiotics curriculum. Though language is a magnificent ability unique to Homo sapiens among living species, it does not call for sequestering the study of human from the domain of biology, for a magnificent ability unique to a particular living species is far from unique in the animal kingdom. Some kinds of bats home in on flying insects using Doppler sonar. Some kinds of migratory birds navigate thousands of miles by calibrating the position of the constellation against the time of day and year. In nature's talent show, we are simply a species of primate with our act, a knack for communicating information about 'who did what to whom' by modulating the sound we make when we exhale.
Once you begin to look at language not as the ineffable essence of human uniqueness but as a biological adaptation to communication information, it is no longer as tempting to see language as an insidious shaper of thoughts, and, we shall see, it is not. Moreover, seeing language as one of nature's engineering marvels—an organ with “that perfection of structure and co-adaptation which justly excites our admiration," in Darwin's words—gives us a new respect for your ordinary Joe and the much-maligned English language (or any language). The complexity of language, from the scientist's point of view, is part of our biological birthright; it is not something that parents teach their children or something that must be elaborated in school—as Oscar Wilde said, "Education admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught." A preschooler's tacit knowledge of grammar is more sophisticated than the thickest style manual or the most state-of-the-art computer language system, and the same applies to all healthy human beings, even the notorious syntax-fracturing professional athlete and the, you know, like, inarticulate teenage skateboarder. Finally, since language is the product of a well-engineered biological instinct, we shall see that it is not the nutty barrel of moneys that entertainer-columnists make it out to be.

Q1. According to the passage, which of the following does not stem from popular wisdom on language?
(a) Language is the cultural artefact.
(b) Language is the cultural invention.
(c) Language is learnt as we grow.
(d) Language is unique to Homo sapiens.
(e) Language is a psychological faculty.

S1. Ans.(e)
Sol. Notice the “not” in the question. First the answer option that language is a psychological faculty is attributed to cognitive scientists—and not to popular wisdom. Next, the writer states that he would prefer the word “instinct” rather than “psychological faculty” and then the second paragraph explicitly states: Thinking of language as an instinct inverts the popular wisdom, hence, option (e) becomes the answer.

Q2. Which of the following can be used to replace the "spiders know how to spin webs" analogy as used by the author?
(a) A kitten learning to jump over a wall.
(b) Bees collecting nectar.
(c) A donkey carrying a load.
(d) A horse running a Derby.
(e) A pet dog protecting its owner's property.

S2. Ans.(b)
Sol. All the remaining options are “trained” or acquired skills; rather than instinctive or natural as the comparison must show.

Q3. According to the passage, which of the following is unique to human being?
(a) Ability to use symbols while communicating with one another.
(b) Ability to communicate with each other through voice modulation.
(c) Ability to communicate information to other member of the species.
(d) Ability to used sound as means of communication.
(e) All of the above.

S3. Ans.(b)
Sol. The last sentence of the paragraph states this explicitly. In nature’s talent show, we are simply a species of primate with our act (unique), a knack for communicating information about who did what to whom by modulating the sound (voice modulation) we make when we exhale. Option (a) is incorrect because the writer attributes this ability to bats migratory birds etc. and states that it is not unique.

Q4. According to the passage, complexity of language cannot be taught by parents or at school to children because
(a) Children instinctively know language.
(b) Children learn the language on their own.
(c) Language is not amenable to teaching.
(d) Children know language better than their teachers or parents.
(e) Children are born with the knowledge of semiotics.

S4. Ans.(a)
Sol. This is most clearly stated in the passage. “The complexity of language, from the scientist’s point of view, is part of our biological birthright; it is not something that parents teach their children or something that must be elaborated in schools.”

Q5. Which of the following best summarizes the passage?
(a) Language is unique to Homo sapiens.
(b) Language is neither learnt nor taught.
(c) Language is not a cultural invention or artefact as it is made out.
(d) Language is instinctive ability of human being.
(e) Language is use of symbols unique to human beings.

S5. Ans.(d)
Sol. Option (a) is contrary to the passage. Option (b) and C are vague because it states what language is not. The writer’s purpose is not to state what language is not, but to prove that language is instinctive to humans. Option (d) states what is and the highlight of the passage. Option (e) is contrary to the passage.

Q6. Which of the following is most nearly similar in meaning of the word posture as used in the passage?
(a) perspective
(b) formidable
(c) position
(d) cowardice
(e) spurious

S6. Ans.(c)
Sol. Posture- the position in which someone holds their body when standing or sitting,behave in a way that is intended to impress or mislead.
synonyms- position, pose, attitude, stance,attitude, stance, stand, standpoint, view, point of view, viewpoint, opinion, position

Q7. Which of the following is most nearly similar in meaning of the word manifestation as used in the passage?
(a) concealment
(b) demonstration
(c) vagueness
(d) obscurity
(e) bridge

S7. Ans.(b)
Sol. Manifestation-an event, action, or object that clearly shows or embodies something abstract or theoretical, the action or fact of showing something.
synonyms- display, demonstration, showing, show, exhibition, presentation, indication, illustration, exemplification, exposition, disclosure, declaration, expression, profession,a symptom of an ailment, sign, indication, evidence, proof, token, symptom, testimony, substantiation, mark

Q8. Which of the following is most nearly Opposite in meaning of the word insidious as used in the passage?
(a) endemic
(b) entire
(c) kinship
(d) simplistic
(e) honest

S8. Ans.(b)
Sol. Insidious-proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with very harmful effects.
synonyms- stealthy, subtle, surreptitious, sneaking, cunning, crafty, Machiavellian, artful, guileful, sly, wily, tricky, slick, deceitful, deceptive, dishonest, underhand, backhanded, indirect

Q9. Which of the following is most nearly Opposite in meaning of the word tacit as used in the passage?
(a) insinuated
(b) inferred
(c) insinuated
(d) explicit
(e) specializes

S9. Ans.(d)
Sol. Tacit -understood or implied without being stated.
synonyms- implicit, understood, implied, inferred, hinted, suggested, insinuated

Q10. Which of the following is most nearly Opposite in meaning of the word inarticulate as used in the passage?
(a) unuttered
(b) expatiating
(c) disappeared
(d) resentful
(e) adolescents

S10. Ans.(b)
Sol. Inarticulate- unable to express one's ideas or feelings clearly or easily,not clearly expressed or pronounced, not expressed in words.
synonyms- unspoken, silent, unexpressed, wordless, unvoiced, unsaid, unuttered
 
Directions: (11- 15) Read each sentence to find out whether there is any error in it. The error, if any, will be in one part of the sentence. The number of that part is the answer. If there is no error the answer is (e). (Ignore errors of punctuation, if any.)

Q11. We were happy that a)/ the audience responded well b)/ and gave all the speakers c)/ a patiently listening. d)/ No error e).
 
S11. Ans.(d)
Sol. Replace 'patient' in the place of 'patiently.'

Q12. He received timely support a)/ from his elder brother b)/ who is working abroad c)/ for the last six years. d)/ No error e).

S12. (c)
Sol.  Who had been working abroad.

Q13. The notorious gang opened a)/ the door quietly and b)/ escaped in the dark with c)/ whatever they would collect. d)/ No error e).

S13. (d)
Sol. Whatever they had collected. ‘Past perfect tense’ is needed here.

Q14. One of the security men a)/ rushed forward and asked b)/ me whether I c)/ had anything objectionable. d)/ No error e).

S14. (e)
Sol. No error

Q15. We could not a)/ believe that one b)/ of us was c)/ responsible with the act. d)/ No error e).

S15. (d)
Sol. Replace 'for' in place of 'with.'