Vocabulary For IBPS Clerk Mains Examination

Vocabulary is an important part of English that helps you deal with all kinds of questions in objective as well as descriptive papers of various exams. You can learn new words daily from our Daily Word List. Learn the words and make your own sentences on the basis of the given word list. Here are a few words from an article published in Livemint.

The previous instalment of Cafe Economics focused on the fragile economics of bitcoin’s design makes it more a speculative financial asset rather than a stable monetary unit. The column ended as follows: “There are now growing signs that central banks are trying to figure out how to embrace the blockchain(1) future. What will that mean for the money supply process as well as for monetary policy?”

Higher prices create incentives for miners to bring more bitcoins into play, but the underlying algorithm restricts the total supply of the cryptocurrency to 21 million units. Such rigid money supply reduces the scope for discretionary(2) monetary policy that every nation state seeks to pursue. However, central banks could use the new blockchain technology to create their own variants of digital money, a move that could possibly alter monetary policy in profound(3) ways as well as undermine the traditional banking system, as pointed out by Bank of England economist Marilyne Tolle in July 2016 blog post.

There are two types of money in any modern economy—the base money created by central banks in their balance sheets and a broader measure of money that is powered by bank credit. The former is usually lower than the latter. Banks create money out of thin air(4). In other words, the money multiplier (the ratio of broad money to base money) is greater than one. How will matters change if central banks begin to offer their own cryptocurrencies?

Citizens cannot own central bank money in the current scheme of things. They can only own bank deposits. Our transactions with one another are done via banks, with the central bank only providing clearing house facilities to transfer money. The central bank eventually needs banks to conduct its monetary policy. Think of the endless Indian debates on monetary policy transmission, or why the signals from the central bank are not picked up by commercial banks.

It is quite possible that citizens will be able to directly own central bank money in a blockchain future, bypassing commercial banks. Central banks will not just be bankers to banks but also bankers to citizens. In other words, direct access to central bank money as well as the central bank ledger can shake the business models of banks to their very foundation. This does not necessarily mean that banks will cease to exist, but they could face existential challenges.

Blockchain currency issued by central banks could also have a deep impact on the conduct of monetary policy. All central banks try to keep inflation at a certain level by moving some policy levers. The traditional monetarist lever was the growth in the supply of broad money, through policies such as open market operations, foreign exchange intervention and changes in the statutory reserve ratios.

The underlying belief is that inflation is eventually caused by excess money supply. Monetarism can work only if the demand for money is predictable. (The demand for money also plays a central role in the alternative Cambridge Equation in monetary economics.) A central bank that can correctly forecast the demand for money can thus adjust money supply accordingly. Most countries moved away from monetarism in the 1990s because the demand for money became unstable. The reason: the wave of financial liberalization that swept through(5) the world.

The inability to target money supply forced central banks to use interest rates as their intermediate policy target. Anybody with even a passing interest in contemporary(6) monetary policy will know that the main tool used by central banks is the short-term interest rate, though money supply did make a comeback through quantitative easing because interest rates in many developed economies were close to zero.

Blockchain could help monetary policy makers turn the clock back to money supply targeting. Why? The fact that citizens can directly access base money from the central bank balance sheet means that—at least in theory—a monetary policy maker will have precise information on the demand for money. In fact, the digital central bank ledger should be able to give central bankers real-time information on the demand for money.

A central banker who does not have to second guess(7) the demand for money in an economy could then go back to using money supply as his main policy tool. Money supply can be adjusted to ensure that the demand for money is met, given a certain inflation target. Tweaking(8) interest rates may no longer be the main business of central banks. Money supply targeting could once again come into play.

These are thought experiments—and readers are invited to extend, question or pull down the preliminary ideas in these two columns on the cryptocurrency challenge. It is still early days, and there is still a lot of uncertainty about the underlying economics of cryptocurrencies as well as their impact on the conduct of monetary policy.

Central banks will eventually have to grapple(9) with the powerful challenge that blockchain has thrown at the traditional monetary systems. Nation states that see the control of money as one of the most important weapons of sovereignty in their armoury(10) will also have to figure out how to adapt to currencies such as bitcoins. It is going to get even more interesting from here.

1. Blockchain [blɒktʃeɪn]
Noun: a digital ledger in which transactions made in bitcoin or another cryptocurrency are recorded chronologically and publicly.

2. Discretionary [dih-skresh-uh-ner-ee]
Adjective: subject or left to one's own discretion; for any use or purpose one chooses; not earmarked for a particular purpose.
Synonyms: unrestricted, at the call, elective, facultative, judge and jury, leftover, nonmandatory, nonobligatory, open, optional.
Antonyms: nondiscretionary.

3. Profound [pruh-found]
Adjective: penetrating or entering deeply into subjects of thought or knowledge; having deep insight or understanding; originating in or penetrating to the depths of one's being.
Synonyms: deep, intelligent, philosophical, serious, subtle, thorough, weighty, abstruse, acroamatic, difficult, discerning, enlightened, erudite, esoteric, heavy, hermetic, informed, intellectual, knowing, knowledgeable, learned, mysterious, occult.
Antonyms: light, open, superficial, trivial.

4. Out of thin air: from nothing, as of something that has suddenly materialized.

5. Sweep through: to move through something or some place quickly and with grand flourishes; to perform some task quickly.

6. Contemporary [kuh n-tem-puh-rer-ee]
Adjective: existing, occurring, or living at the same time; belonging to the same time; of about the same age or date.
Synonyms: new, present-day, current, instant, latest, mod, now, present, recent, today, abreast, au courant, contempo, existent, extant, hot off press, in fashion, in vogue, just out, leading-edge, newfangled, red-hot, state-of-the-art, topical, ultramodern.
Antonyms: future, old, past, old-fashioned.

7. Second guess: to try to anticipate how something will happen or what someone will do.

8. Tweak [tweek]
Verb: to pinch and pull with a jerk and twist; to pull or pinch the nose of, especially gently; to make a minor adjustment to.
Synonyms: tease, twist, jerk, pinch, pluck, pull.

9. Grapple [grap-uh l]
Verb: to hold or make fast to something, as with a grapple; to use a grapple.
Synonyms: confront, contend, cope, deal with, attack, battle, catch, clash, clasp, close, clutch, combat, encounter, engage, face, fasten, fight, grasp, grip, hold, hook, hug, nab.
Antonyms: agree, avoid, be immune, cancel.

10. Armoury [ˈɑːmərɪ]
Noun: a secure place for the storage of weapons; armour generally.

Vocabulary For IBPS Clerk Mains Examination

Vocabulary For IBPS Clerk Mains Examination

Dear Readers,

Vocabulary is an important part of English that helps you deal with all kinds of questions in objective as well as descriptive papers of various exams. You can learn new words daily from our Daily Word List. Learn the words and make your own sentences on the basis of the given word list. Here are a few words from an article published in The Economic Times.

The country’s biggest lender reducing lending rates by 30 basis points to three things: one, the general rule of demand and supply works in the case of loans, as well; the RBI has all along been right in insisting that there is room for banks to lend lower even without policy rates being cut further; and, the government has to step up public investment to revive growth.

 State Bank of India, it has been reported, made more money in the first nine months of this financial year from fines on customers whose deposits dipped below the minimum balance requirement than its profits for the second quarter.

The banks are awash(1) with liquidity and the demand for credit is anemic. So, SBI pared down(2) its deposit rates and has now lowered the lending rate, presumably(3), to attract fresh borrowers. This is welcome.

Equally welcome is the bank’s savvy(4) move to offer the lower rate to existing borrowers, in contrast to the normal practice of reserving such benefits for new customers.

This should make SBI customers less eager to be tempted(5) by rival offers from other banks. In the new year, the world economy is expected to strengthen, across the board. This should see monetary tightening in the US and Europe and, possibly, even in Japan.

That would make it harder for India’s monetary policy to turn accommodative(6), for fear of making the dollar efflux(7), inevitable(8) when the risk-free return in industrial countries goes up, even stronger and putting downward pressure on the rupee. If with no reduction in the repo rate and a prospect of the rate hardening, if anything, the banks’ lending rates go down, it bears out(9) the proposition that banks have the scope to reduce lending rates without additional policy action by the central bank.

Sluggish(10) demand for credit does not speak of rude economic health. Supply of loans will not, by itself, create demand. That has to come from giving stalled investment a push, of the kind the government has promised via its Bharatmala and rail expansions. The government has to get infrastructure investment going, and revive the public-private-partnership mode to that end.

1. Awash [uh-wosh, uh-wawsh]
Adjective: just level with or scarcely above the surface of the water, so that waves break over the top, as the upper deck of a ship in a heavy sea; covered with water; washing about; tossed about by the waves; covered, filled, or crowded.
Synonyms: afloat, flooded, inundated, flush, flushed, overflowing.

2. Pare down
Verb: to cut someone down to something or a smaller size.

3. Presumably [pri-zoo-muh-blee]
Adverb: by assuming reasonably; probably.
Synonyms: apparently, doubtless, probably, seemingly, supposedly, surely, presumptively, assumably, credible, doubtlessly, hypothetically, in all likelihood, in all probability, indubitably, it would seem, most likely, on the face of it, theoretically, unquestionably.
Antonyms: improbably, questionably, uncertain, unlikely.

4. Savvy [sav-ee]
Adjective: experienced, knowledgable, and well-informed; shrewd (often used in combination): consumers who are savvy about prices.
Noun: practical understanding; shrewdness or intelligence; common sense.
Verb: to know; understand.

5. Tempt [tempt]
Verb: to entice or allure to do something often regarded as unwise, wrong, or immoral; to attract, appeal strongly to, or invite; to render strongly disposed to do something.
Synonyms: appeal to, attract, captivate, charm, dare, fascinate, induce, intrigue, invite, motivate, persuade, seduce, stimulate, tantalize, woo, allure, bait, coax, court, decoy, draw, entrap, honey, hook, incite, influence, instigate, inveigle, move, oil, promote.
Antonyms: bore, depress, discourage, disenchant.

6. Accommodative [uh-kom-uh-dey-tiv]
Adjective: tending to accommodate; adaptive.

7. Efflux [ef-luhks]
Noun: outward flow, as of water; something that flows out; effluence; a passing or lapse of time; a passing away; expiration; ending.
Synonyms: discharge, effluence, emanation.

8. Inevitable [in-ev-i-tuh-buh l]
Adjective: unable to be avoided, evaded, or escaped; certain; necessary; sure to occur, happen, or come; unalterable.
Noun: that which is unavoidable.
Synonyms: imminent, impending, inescapable, inexorable, irresistible, necessary, unavoidable, undeniable, binding, doomed, pat, all locked up, assured, compulsory, decided, decreed, destined, determined, fated, fateful, fixed, for certain, foreordained, in the bag, ineluctable.
Antonyms: avoidable, distant, escapable, later.

9. Bear out
Verb: to support or prove a claim or idea.

10. Sluggish [sluhg-ish]
Adjective: indisposed to action or exertion; lacking in energy; lazy; indolent; not acting or working with full vigor, as bodily organs; slow to act or respond.
Synonyms: heavy, inactive, lethargic, listless, slack, slow, stagnant, apathetic, blah, comatose, dopey, down, dragging, draggy, drippy, hebetudinous, indolent.
Antonyms: active, alert, busy, energetic.

English Practice Questions For IBPS Clerk Mains 2017

Dear Aspirants,

English Practice Questions For IBPS Clerk Mains 2017

English Section is a topic that is feared by most of the candidates appearing in the 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 and other upcoming exams, we will provide you with all types of high-level questions to ace the questions based on new pattern IBPS Clerk Mains.


DAY-5 Reading Comprehension

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.

When I was little, children were bought two kinds of ice-cream, sold from those white wagons with canopies made of silvery metal: either the two-cent or the four-cent ice-cream pie. The two-cent cone was very small, in fact, it could fit comfortably into a child's hand, and it was made by taking the ice-cream from its container with a special scoop and piling it on the cone. Granny always suggested I eat only a part of the cone, then throw away the pointed end, because it had been touched by the vendor's hand (though that was the best part, nice and crunchy, and it was regularly eaten in secret, after a pretence of discarding it).
The four-cent pie was made by a special little machine, also silvery, which pressed two disks of sweet biscuit against a cylindrical section of ice cream. First you had to thrust your tongue into the gap between the biscuits until it touched the central nucleus of ice cream; then, gradually, you ate the whole thing, the biscuit surface softening as they became soaked in creamy nectar. Granny had no advice to give here; in theory, the pie had been touched only by the machine; in practice, the vendor had held them in his hand while giving them to us, but it was impossible to isolate the contaminated area.
I was fascinated, however, by some of my peers, whose parents bought them not a four-cent pie but two two-cent cones. These privileged children advanced proudly with one cone in their right hand and one in their left, and expertly moving their head from side to side, they licked first one, then the other. This liturgy seemed to me so sumptuously enviable, that many times I asked to be allowed to celebrate it, in vain. My elders were inflexible: a four-cent ice, yes but two two-cent ones, absolutely no.
As anyone can see, neither mathematics nor economy nor dietetics justified this refusal. Nor did hygiene, assuming that in due course the tips of both cones were discarded. The pathetic, and obviously mendacious, the justification was that a boy concerned with turning his eyes from one cone to the other was more inclined to stumble over stones, steps or cracks in the pavement. I dimly sensed that there was another secret justification, cruelly pedagogical, but I was unable to grasp it.
Today, citizen and victim of a consumer society, a civilization of excess and waste (which the society of the thirties was not), I realize that those dear and now departed elders were right. Two two-cent cones instead of one at four cents did not signify squandering, economically speaking, but symbolically they surely did. It was for this precise reason that I yearned for them: because two ice creams suggested excess. And this was precisely why they were denied to me: because they looked indecent, an insult to poverty, a display of fictitious privilege, a boast of wealth. Only spoiled children ate two cones at once, those children who in fairy tales were rightly punished, as Pinocchio was when he rejected the skin and the stalk. And parents, who encouraged this weakness, appropriate to little parvenus, were bringing up their children in the foolish theatre of "I'd like to but can't." They were preparing them to turn up at tourist-class check-in with a fake Gucci bag bought from a street peddler on the beach at Rimini.
Nowadays the moralist risks seeming at odds with morality, in a world where the consumer civilization now wants even adults to be spoiled and promises them always something more, from the wristwatch in the box of detergent to the bonus bangle sheathed, with the magazine it accompanies, in a plastic envelope. Like the parents of those ambidextrous gluttons I so envied, the consumer civilization pretends to give more but actually gives, for four cents, what is worth four cents. You will throw away the old transistor radio to purchase the new one, that boasts an alarm clock as well, but some inexplicable defect in the mechanism will guarantee that the radio lasts only a year. The new cheap car will have leather seats, double side mirrors adjustable from inside, and a panelled dashboard, but it will not last nearly so long as the glorious old Fiat 500, which, even when it broke down, could be started again with a kick.
The morality of the old days made Spartans of us all, while today's morality wants all of us to be Sybarites.

Q1. Which of the following cannot be inferred from the passage?
(a) Today's society is more extravagant than the society of the 1930s.
(b) The act of eating two ice cream cones is akin to a ceremonial process.
(c) Elders rightly suggested that a boy turning eyes from one cone to the other was more likely to fall.
(d) Despite seeming to promise more, the consumer civilization gives away exactly what the thing worth.
(e) The consumer civilization attempts to spoil children and adults alike.

Q2. In the passage, the phrase "little parvenus" refers to
(a) Naughty midgets.
(b) Old hags.
(c) Arrogant people.
(d) Young upstarts.
(e) Foolish kids.

Q3. The author pined for two-cent cones instead of one four-cent pie because
(a) It made dietetic sense.
(b) It suggested intemperance.
(c) It was more fun.
(d) It had a visual appeal.
(e) He was a glutton.

Q4. What does the author mean by "nowadays the morality risks seeming at odds with morality"?
(a) The moralists of yesterday have become immoral today.
(b) The concept of morality has changed over the years.
(c) Consumerism is amoral.
(d) The risks associated with immorality have gone up.
(e) The purist's view of morality is fast becoming popular.

Q5. According to the author, the justification for refusal to let him eat two cones was plausibly
(a) Didactic
(b) Dietetic
(c) Dialectic
(d) Diatonic
(e) Diastolic

Q6. In the passage, the phrase "These privileged children " refers to
(a) those who had full cones of choco ice cream
(b) children ate two cones at once
(c) whose parents bought them a four-cent pie and two two-cent cones with the best part, nice and crunchy
(d) whose parents bought them not a four-cent pie but two two-cent cones and advanced proudly with one cone in their right hand and one in their left
(e) The four-cent pie was made by a special little machine, also silvery, which pressed two disks of sweet biscuit against a cylindrical section of ice cream

Q7. Which of the following is most nearly opposite in meaning of the word "Sybarite" as used in the passage?
(a)voluptuary
(b)epicure
(c)puritan
(d)hedonist
(e)seeker

Q8. Which of the following is most nearly similar in meaning of the word "liturgy" as used in the passage?
(a) ritual
(b) lethargic
(c) integrity
(d) enormous
(e) inclined

Q9. Which of the following is most nearly similar in meaning of the word "sumptuous" as used in the passage?
(a) consequence
(b) barren
(c) Lavish
(d) conclusion
(e) struck

Q10. Which of the following is most nearly opposite in meaning of the word "stumble" as used in the passage?
(a) complex
(b) continue
(c) lumber
(d) careen
(e) reel

Directions(11-15): Read the following passages carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words/phrases have been printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.

PASSAGE – I Despite the economic crunch worldwide that saw pulverization of some of the largest banking and finance giants, Indian banking houses have managed to show positive growth this quarter. Some of India’s leading national banks have posted a net profit rise of more than 40% over the last quarter amid global turmoil. This would come as a big shot in the arm for the investors and consumers of these banks even though apprehension is mounting on other banking and broking firms worldwide. One of the main reasons behind the success of these banks this quarter would be their direct banking by the Government India. People take solace in their investments in public sector watching the bailout packages being cashed out by governments all over the world to save big business houses.

PASSAGE –II Other private banks in India have also reported a substantial net profit over the last quarter. Given the international and domestic scenario, one cannot put this down as a mundane achievement. While others are on a cost cutting spree and firing employees, Indian Companies are actually working on boosting staffing in banking and broking sectors. This can be seen as a big boon in the days to come when the current recession eases and the economy gradually comes back on to the fast track. The finance minister has assured Indian public about the sound health of all Indian banks. This could also be evident from the fact that there have been no mergers and takeovers in Indian Banking sector in a contrast to world scenario where finance houses are looking for mergers to cut costs on operations. We definitely are not looking to thrive; rather we are looking for growth, It is just that the pace of growth is a little slow now as compared to a year or two before. These are hard times of test the hard. The weak in business and career will be weeded out and it is sometimes very beneficial for business on the long run.

Q11. What, according to the author, is the reason for the success for Indian national banks in this quarter?
(a) Indian national banks do not have any commitments in troubled foreign markets
(b) These banks can never face the financial crisis because of their sheer size
(c) These banks are ready to give loans at a very low rate of interest
(d) The public is ready to invest in these banks because of the knowledge that these banks get strong support from the Government.
(e) None of these

Q12. What does the phrase ‘shot in the arm’ as used in the passage mean?
(a) Shock
(b) Fear
(c) Encouragement
(d) Anxiety
(e) None of these

Q13. How, according to the author, is the current recession beneficial?
(a) Worldwide, companies have realized that India is a strong power to reckon with
(b) India is surging ahead of the other companies throughout the world
(c) After the recession is over international companies will turn to India for investments
(d) Recession is bringing down the prices of essential commodities
(e) None of these

Q14. What, according to the author, will be a big boon in the days to come?
(a) The economy coming back on the fast track
(b) The slowing down of the economy
(c) Increased hiring in Indian financial sector in times of economic slowdown
(d) The cost cutting carried out by all the companies
(e) None of these

Q15. Which of the following statements is definitely true in the context of the passage?
(A) India has not been affected by the economic slowdown.
(B) Indian Banks are showing growth in this quarter despite the recession.
(C) While banking industry in the West was severely affected by the recession in the past, it is now gradually recovering and showing a positive growth.
(a) Only (A)
(b) Only (B)
(c) Only (C)
(d) Only (A) and (B)
(e) Only (B) and (C)

Vocab For Banking Examinations From The Hindu Newspaper

Vocab For Banking Examinations From The Hindu Newspaper

Dear Readers,

Vocabulary is an important part of English that helps you deal with all kinds of questions in objective as well as descriptive papers of various exams. You can learn new words daily from our Daily Word List. Learn the words and make your own sentences on the basis of the given word list. Here are a few words from The Hindu.

In 1865, Gregor Mendel discovered the two laws of inheritance that are now named after him. Almost 90 years later in 1953, the work of James Watson, Francis Crick, Maurice Wilkins and Rosalind Franklin, deciphered the structure of the molecule — DNA — that stores our hereditary information and gets transmitted from parents to children over generations.

At this point, in principle, the prospect of building individualized medicine based on the precise information stored in each human’s DNA (their genome) had come into view. But the human genome has around 3 billion base pairs and in 1953 it wasn’t possible to imagine extracting genetic information on the molecular scale and of this collective size.

Technological advances in sequencing methods have made the possibility glimpsed(1) 60 years ago a reality today. Already by 2001 the human genome project and its private competitor, Celera Genomics, showed that an entire genome could be sequenced.

Since then the cost of doing so has plummeted(2) — currently it is something like $1000 per person and becoming cheaper — and the age of genomics-informed medicine is now within sight. Perhaps this will also make interventional treatments feasible(3), in the not too distant future, thanks to the revolutionary advances brought about by the discovery of new gene-editing techniques, such as CRISPR.

What implications do these developments have for India and are there deliberate(4) choices that would shape this coming future more advantageously for the country and its people? Are there strengths that India can bring to this task? To gain fully from the genomics revolution, India needs to collect information about the genetics of its population and train manpower capable of interpreting it. The information that is needed has to come from a large and sustained collection of data — fully sequenced individual genomes along with medical histories for the individuals who volunteer for this effort.

This kind of longitudinal study is what would allow actual physical manifestations(5) relevant to health, e.g. specific illnesses, to be related to features in the genome. To pick an ambitious but not impossible number, a data bank that collects this kind of information on one million Indians over the coming decade would be a feasible effort of the right magnitude. We note that the China Kadoorie Biobank has been studying half a million people since their recruitment in 2004-2008. As India is much more genetically diverse — with something like 5,000 ethno-linguistic and religious groups (castes and others), all of which probably have some degree of genetic distinctiveness(6) — it needs a larger survey to do justice to all Indians.

The genetic distinctiveness of different Indian groups is in part the result of endogamy(7). While we cannot know the full impact of endogamy in advance of a proper survey, some recent research has shown that endogamy is very likely to be medically significant. Castes are not just “of the mind”. The genetic implication of this is that there are likely to be many recessive(8) diseases stemming from single genes specific to individual groups that can be identified.

This knowledge could then also be quickly applied to the task of managing diseases in these groups as well as be used for genetic counselling that could reduce their incidence in future generations. As an example elsewhere, the founder group of Ashkenazi Jews have almost eliminated Tay-Sachs disease from their population by such means. Looking ahead a bit more, with large samples the technique of “genome-wide association studies” that compare genomes of cases and controls could be used to identify genetic risk factors related to common diseases (such as heart disease that stem from many genes) that affect the health of many more individuals. We would like to emphasize that much of this is simply a question of applying existing methods and could all be done fairly quickly.

This is a good point at which to note that such a survey of Indian genetic diversity will be an important asset, beyond disease genetics. The data collected as part of these efforts will also help to uncover the basic biological function of genes and their interactions, which are not yet fully understood. This knowledge will be useful to humanity worldwide and also offer India a chance to claim a piece of the global medical and scientific frontier(9).

As a large part of the enterprise would be the application of information technology or “bio-informatics”, the prospects of establishing viable commercial enterprises with synergies(10) to existing IT champions are also promising.

1. Glimpse [glimps]
Noun: a very brief, passing look, sight, or view; a momentary or slight appearance; a vague idea; inkling; a gleam, as of light.
Verb: to catch or take a glimpse of; to look briefly; glance (usually followed by at); to come into view; appear faintly.
Synonyms: check out, peek, descry, espy, eye, flash, sight, spot, spy, view, catch sight of, get a load of, get an eyeful, take a gander, take in.
Antonyms: stare.

2. Plummet [pluhm-it]
Noun: a piece of lead or some other weight attached to a line, used for determining perpendicularity, for sounding, etc.; the bob of a plumb line; something that weighs down or depresses.
Verb: to plunge.
Synonyms: collapse, crash, decline, decrease, descend, dip, dive, drop, drop down, fall, nose-dive, plunge, sink, skid, tumble, downturn, dump, precipitate, stoop, swoop.
Antonyms: ascend, go up, grow, increase.

3. Feasible [fee-zuh-buh l]
Adjective: capable of being done, effected, or accomplished; probable; likely; suitable.
Synonyms: achievable, advantageous, appropriate, attainable, beneficial, expedient, likely, practicable, practical, profitable, reasonable, suitable, viable, workable, worthwhile, breeze, cinch, duck soup.
Antonyms: disadvantageous, implausible, impossible, impractical.

4. Deliberate [adjective dih-lib-er-it; verb dih-lib-uh-reyt]
Adjective: carefully weighed or considered; studied; intentional; characterized by deliberation or cautious consideration; careful or slow in deciding; leisurely and steady in movement or action; slow and even; unhurried.
Verb: to weigh in the mind; consider.
Synonyms: calculated, careful, cautious, cold-blooded, conscious, meticulous, premeditated, prudent, purposeful, studious, thoughtful, willful, advised, considered, designed, express, fixed, intended, judged, planned, pondered, prearranged, predetermined, projected, purposed, reasoned, resolved, schemed.
Antonyms: careless, heedless, ignorant, imprudent.

5. Manifestation [man-uh-fuh-stey-shuh n, -fe-]
Noun: an act of manifesting; the state of being manifested; outward or perceptible indication; materialization; a public demonstration, as for political effect.
Synonyms: demonstration, explanation, expression, indication, instance, meaning, phenomenon, symptom, token, appearance, disclosure, display, exposure, mark, materialization, revelation, show, sign.
Antonyms: concealment, hiding, reality, secret.

6. Distinctive [dih-stingk-tiv]
Adjective: serving to distinguish; characteristic; distinguishing; having a special quality, style, attractiveness, etc.; notable.
Synonyms: uniqueness, discreteness, disparateness, particularity, separateness, specialness, specialty.

7. Endogamy [en-dog-uh-mee]
Noun: marriage within a specific tribe or similar social unit.

8. Recessive [ri-ses-iv]
Adjective: tending to go, move, or slant back; receding; genetics. Of or relating to a recessive.
Synonyms: receding, relapsing, dormant, inactive, latent, regressive, suspended.
Antonyms: dominant, overbalancing, prevailing.

9. Frontier [fruhn-teer, fron-; also, esp. British, fruhn-teer]
Noun: the part of a country that borders another country; boundary; border; the land or territory that forms the furthest extent of a country's settled or inhabited regions.
Synonyms: borderland, borderline, bound, confines, edge, limit, march, perimeter, verge.
Antonyms: center, inside, interior, middle.

10. Synergy [sin-er-jee]
Noun: the interaction of elements that when combined produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements, contributions, etc.; synergism.
Synonyms: teamwork, alliance, coaction, harmony, symbiosis, synergism, union, unity, combined effort, team effort, teaming, working together.

Antonyms: discord, divorce, separation.

English Practice Questions For IBPS Clerk Mains 2017

Dear Aspirants,

English Practice Questions For IBPS Clerk Mains 2017

English Section is a topic that is feared by most of the candidates appearing in the 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 and other upcoming exams, we will provide you with all types of high-level questions to ace the questions based on new pattern IBPS Clerk Mains.

DAY-4 Phrasal verbs based

Directions (1-5):  In the questions given below, find out which of the phrases (I), (II), (III) given below should replace the phrase given in bold in the following sentence to make the sentence grammatically correct. If the sentence is correct as it is and no correction is required mark (e) as the answer.

Q1. That cannot be true. You must be putting me in for.
(I) put on
(II) put off
(III) Put through

Select the inappropriate option
(a)  Only I
(b)  Only I and II
(c)  Only II
(d)  Only III
(e)  No change required

Q2. If you focus your education solely on one area, you’ll have nothing to fall back on if you change your mind.
(I) fall over
(II) fall in
(III)fall out

Select the inappropriate option
(a)  Only I
(b)  Only I and II
(c)  Only II
(d)  Only III
(e)  No change required

Q3. You can expect political analysts to pick clean the governor's speech.
(I)pick apart
(II)pick at
(III)pick through

Select the inappropriate option
(a)  Only I
(b)  Only I and II
(c)  Only II
(d)  Only III
(e)  No change required

Q4. He was trying to psych me of by reminding me of the last time he beat me.
(I)psych off
(II)psych up
(III)psych out

Select the inappropriate option
(a)  Only I
(b)  Only I and II
(c)  Only II
(d)  Only III
(e)  No change required

Q5. He walked at from a chance to play professional baseball to join the Peace Corps.
(I)walked it
(II)walked off with
(III)walked away

Select the inappropriate option
(a)  Only I
(b)  Only I and II
(c)  Only II
(d)  Only III
(e)  No change required

S1. Ans.(a)
Sol. Correct Choice is option A. "Put on" means wear, produce, fool, pretend
put off-postpone, disturb
put in for- make a request
Put through- Connect someone by phone

S2. Ans.(e)
Sol. Fall back on (something) means to use (something) for help or protection when you are in a bad situation
fall (all) over yourself- to be very eager or too eager
fall in - to break apart and fall down in an inward direction
fall out - of a tooth or hair: to stop being attached to the body, to have an argument,to leave your place in a military formation

S3. Ans.(a)
Sol. Pick (someone or something) apart means to say all of the things that are bad or wrong about (someone or something), to criticize (a person or thing) in a very detailed and usually unkind way
pick at (something)-to eat small amounts of (food) very slowly usually because you do not want to eat, to pull on (something) with your fingertips or your fingernails often because you are nervous
pick (something) clean- to remove all the material that covers something

S4. Ans.(d)
Sol. The correct choice is option D. Replace "Psych of" by with "psych out".
Psych up- Prepare someone mentally
psych (someone) - to make (someone) feel nervous or unable to perform well, to say or do something to make (someone) feel uncomfortable or less confident

S5. Ans.(d)
Sol. walk away- to decide not to do or be involved in something
walk it- to go to a place by walking
walk off with (something)-to steal (something)

Direction(6-15): In the question given below, there is an error in one or more sentences. Please select the most appropriate option, out of the five options given for each of the following sentences, which, in your view, is grammatically incorrect or structurally incorrect.

Q6. Tell
(I) The explorer's journals tell of a vast unexplored wilderness.
(II) They look so much alike that I can barely tell them apart.
(III) His unkempt appearance is bound to tell against him in court.

Select the inappropriate option
(a)  Only I
(b) Only (II) and (III)
(c) Only III
(d) Only II
(e) All are correct

S6. Ans.(e)
Sol. Tell (someone or something) apart- to see what the differences are between (people or things), to identify (people or things that look similar to each other)
Tell of- to describe (something): to make the details of (something) known
Tell against (someone) - to be a disadvantage to (someone)

Q7. Play
(I) You're only playing out their hands by making such ridiculous accusations.
(II) During the interview, try to play down your weaknesses and play up your strengths.
(III) The consequences of the error will play out for several years to come.

Select the inappropriate option
(a)  Only I
(b) Only (II) and (III)
(c) Only III
(d) Only II
(e) All are correct

S7. Ans.(a)
Sol. Replace "out" with "into".
Play into someone's hands or play into the hands of someone- to do something that you do not realize will hurt you and help someone else
play up (something) means to talk about or treat (something) in a way that gives it special importance, to emphasize or stress (something)
play out- to happen or occur in usually a gradual way
play off (someone or something) - to react to (someone or something) in a pleasing way,to combine with (someone or something) in a way that makes each part better

Q8. Pitch
(I) Several hundred fans pitched up at the hotel to welcome the team.
(II) People in the town have been pitching in to pay the family's medical bills.
(III) My three-year-old pitched one of her temper tantrums when we tried to leave the party early.

Select the inappropriate option
(a) Only I
(b) Only (II) and (III)
(c) Only III
(d) Only II
(e) All are correct

S8. Ans.(e)
Sol. pitch up -to appear or arrive at a place
pitch in-to do something or give something (such as money) to help a person, group, or cause
pitch a fit/tantrum- to become very upset and angry in a loud and uncontrolled way

Q9. Let
(I) The bus stopped to let a few more passengers.
(II) He said he'd let me in on a secret if I promised not to tell anyone else.
(III) There's a lot of work still to be done. We can't let up now.

Select the inappropriate option
(a)  Only I
(b) Only (II) and (III)
(c) Only III
(d) Only II
(e) All are correct

S9. Ans.(a)
Sol. Add "on" after "let" in I.
Let (someone) on or let on (someone) means to allow (someone) to get on a bus, an airplane, etc.
Let (someone) in on (something)-to allow (someone) to know (a secret)
Let up -to stop or become slower

Q10. Go
I.  They love to go out every Saturday night.
II. Do you usually go out your notes before class?
III.I need to have my lawyer go through this contract before I sign it.

Select the inappropriate option
(a) Only I
(b) Only (II) and (I)
(c) Only III
(d) Only II
(e) All are correct

S10. Ans.(d)
Sol.  Use "over" in place of "out". Do you usually go 'over' your notes before class?
go out -take part in social activities(usually at night)
go over - review
go over - be well received, succeed
go through - examine in detail, study carefully

Q11. Eat
I.  The heavy rains ate away at the sandstone cliffs.
II. We usually eat in instead of going out for dinner.
III.They eat out once a week.

Select the inappropriate option
(a) Only I
(b) Only (II) and (I)
(c) Only III
(d) Only II
(e) All are correct

S11. Ans.(a)
Sol. Replace "ate in" with "ate away". The heavy rains ate 'away' at the sandstone cliffs.
eat in - eat inside the home
eat out- eat outside the home
eat away- gradually destroy, erode
eat up - devour

Q12. Drop
I.  Yuri isn't on the team any more. He dropped over.
II. Let's drop in on Julie since we're driving by her house.
III.It's difficult to get a good job if you drop out of high school.

Select the inappropriate option
(a) Only I
(b) Only (II) and (I)
(c) Only III
(d) Only II
(e) All are correct

S12. Ans.(a)
Sol.  Yuri isn't on the team any more. He dropped 'out'.
drop out of - quit an organized activity (school)
drop over -visit someone casually
drop out- quit an organized activity
drop in on - visit someone unexpectedly

Q13. Come
I. Don't worry! She faints all the time. She always comes to after a few minutes.
II. The job offer didn't come up to her expectations.
III.Why don't you come over after work for dinner.

Select the inappropriate option
(a)  Only I
(b) Only (II) and (I)
(c) Only III
(d) Only II
(e) All are correct

S13. Ans.(e)
Sol. come over- visit someone at their house
come to -regain consciousness
come through - do what is needed or expected
come over- visit someone at their house
come off-  fall off, break off
come by - visit a person at their house

Q14. Call
I.  I called Sam up to see if he wanted to go to the movies.
II. Professor Tanzer called on Tim to answer the question.
III.This recipe calls up milk, not water.

Select the inappropriate option
(a)  Only I
(b) Only (II) and (I)
(c) Only III
(d) Only II
(e) All are correct

S14. Ans.(c)
Sol. In III use "calls for" in place of "calls of".
call for means require (as in a recipe) whereas call up means to telephone.
call on means invite someone to speak in a meeting or a classroom

Q15. Back
I. Jane never backs after. She always wins arguments.
II. Sam backed out of the agreement at the last second.
III.Could you back up a little so I can open this drawer.

Select the inappropriate option
(a)  Only I
(b) Only (II) and (I)
(c) Only III
(d) Only II
(e) All are correct

S15. Ans.(a)
Sol. Replace "Backs after" with "backs down".
back down means stop defending your opinion in a debate
back up -move backwards, reverse
back out- not keep (a promise, agreement, deal)
back  up - give support
back up -move backwards, reverse