English Quiz for Bank Exams 2016 – Set 5

Direction (Q. 1-10):
Read the following passage carefully and answer the given questions. Certain
words/ phrases are given in bold to help you locate them while answering some
of the questions.

We should never confuse education
with training or the ‘tools’ that educators use. Education is no more a
computer or an online class than it is chalkboard – those are simply tools.
Additionally, precious few new and relevant findings have been added to our
insights into the learning process. Much of what many proclaim to be insightful
turns out to be faddish and misguided. What we need for learning to occur is
well-prepared and motivated teachers, students who are willing and able to
learn and a social system that values education attainment. Many might take
exception to these assertions, raining a host of ancillary social, economic,
nutritional and sociological issues. However, decades of data from failed
public experiments aimed at mitigating
these problems argue to the contrary. What are we to do? Create a wave of
educational entrepreneurship? Despite all of the hype and media attention, no
one currently knows the best way forward. We must incentivise educationalists,
technologists and classroom teachers to experiment and innovate. Such
partnerships should freely explore alternatives as we seek to define the
blended face-to-face and online classrooms of the future. Some approaches will
fail, but that is part of the change process. There will be no
one-size-fits-all experience; success will vary by discipline and educational
objectives. Unless everyone involved in this process is inspired to take risks,
we will not enjoy the full potential these new approaches represent. Also, we
should not forget the extent to which those who most benefit from the current
system will attempt to hijack this change process for their own purposes. With
these issues in mind, consider the following vision of the change process to
the classroom of tomorrow – a vision that leverages technology to create a more
personalised learning experience.

With the onset of this vision,
the professor-student relationship will change. What is not likely to survive
is the large class in which everyone progresses at the same pace. That paradigm
will be replaced by a more customised and collaborative learning process. The
reality of a technology-enabled personalised learning environment is still
evolving. What seems clear is that at its heart is a more collaborate and
student-mapped and paced process. The function of the professor, aided by
educationalist, will also change. Student-professor collaboration will then
determine both what content can be assigned to practice methods and how the
student demonstrates mastery of that content. In such cases, timing issues will
most likely be left entirely in the student’s hands while technology
specialists recommend the best hardware and software solutions. Critical
thinking or application ideas will involve more specialised, face-toface and
interactive online approaches geared to the realtime needs and progress the
student is making. Thus the professor, with the student’s help, will vigilantly
mix and blend the learning ingredients to produce a new learning environment.
How this process plays out in reality will be the result of educational
entrepreneurship, but it will surely entail
both successes and some failures. The administration and accreditation of
education will also have to change.

As more education occurs outside
the brick-and-mortar framework and is more centred on the student-professor
interaction, the role of all non-teaching staff will need to be reassessed. As
students and faculty increase their use of technology to personalise their formal and informal learning, educational
technologist must be on hand to facilitate the effective use of that
technology. Also the current hierarchical and standardised outcome formulas for
administration and accreditation of colleges and universities are no longer
tenable. Realistically, they are an impediment
to the change needed. Finally, we must address one of the most serious
challenges facing online education – cheating. Simply put, cheating is rampant
and we are turning a blind eye to the problem. Cheating threatens the integrity
of the educational process and the value-added of the degree. Solutions must be
found and implemented – or all changes will
be for naught.

1. Which of the
following is most nearly the SAME in meaning as the word given in bold as used
in the passage?

Entail

1) limit

2) occasion

3) involve

4) subject

5) end

2. Which of the
following can be the most suitable title for the passage?

1) Educating Through Technology – What the Future can Be

2) Teachers – An Obsolete Future

3) The Hype Around Technology-Aided Education

4) Limitations of Technology

5) Evolution of Technology – The Way Forward for Tech Giants

3. Which of the
following is/are true according to the author?

(A) The way the colleges are granted certification will have
to change to accommodate the changes in imparting education through technology.

(B) With the onset of technology-enabled education, the
school/college premises or building will lose its importance slightly.

(C) With the onset of the desired level of technologyenabled
education, learning will become a joint effort of students as well as teachers.

1) Only (A)

2) All the three (A), (B) and (C)

3) Only (B) and (C)

4) Only (C)

5) Only (A) and (B)

4. Choose the word which
is most OPPOSITE in meaning of the word given in bold as used in the passage.

Mitigating

1) aggravating

2) irritating

3) annoying

4) frustrating

5) infuriating

5. Which of the following
is most nearly the SAME in meaning as the word given in bold as used in the
passage?

Personalise

1) customise

2) cause

3) sensitise

4) own

5) preside

6. According to the
author, which of the following changes will occur with the onset of the desired
level of technology-aided education?

(A) The pace of learning for each student will be different.

(B) The decision of how much time a student needs to learn
will be left to the student’s disposal.

(C) The role of the teacher will change and become one of
being the provider of tailored learning content to the student.

1) Only (C)

2) Only (B) and (C)

3) Only (A)

4) All the three (A), (B) and (C)

5) Only (A) and (C)

7. Which of the
following is most OPPOSITE in meaning of the word given in bold as used in the
passage?

Impediment

1) freedom

2) advantage

3) extravagance

4) luxury

5) autonomy

8. What does the
author mean when he uses the word ‘will be for naught’?

1) will be in trouble

2) will face complications

3) will not be allowed

4) will come together

5) will amount to nothing

9. According to the
author, which of the following is NOT TRUE about cheating?

1) It is one of the gravest problems faced in education.

2) It undermines the value of the credential obtained through
education.

3) Not much is being done to curtail it at present.

4) It is quite prevalent at present.

5) All the given options are true

10. According to the
author, which of the following should be done to effectively integrate
technology into education?

(A) Risk taking should be kept to a bare minimum to mitigate
adverse effects.

(B) Innovation amongst stakeholders of education and technology
should be encouraged.

(C) We should be alert about people who may not allow certain
changes for their own benefits.

1) Only (A) and (C)

2) Only (C)

3) Only (B) and (C)

4) Only (A)

5) All the three (A), (B) and (C)

Winners

ℛUÇℋ¶
Chitrarth Nirmal
Srishti Bisaria