Full English Language Practice Set for SBI PO Prelims 2017 – 1

Directions
[Q. 1-10]: Read the following passage carefully and
answer the questions given below it. Certain words/ phrases have been written
in bold to help you locate them while answering the questions.

Even with
adequate legal protection, many working women find themselves in situations
where they have to make a choice between job options and motherhood and many of
them end up choosing the latter at the cost of the former. The Maternity Benefit
Act was enacted way back in the
sixties to protect women’s employment by assuring full paid leave to bring up
children. The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2016, which was passed by the
Rajya Sabha, seeks to increase the maternity benefit from 12 weeks to 26 weeks.
It comes at a time when an increasing number of women are entering the
organised sector as employees and contributing
to national economic growth. Thus, it meets a long-felt need of women across
social classes.

It is also an
important social security legislation which has a bearing on women’s health and
rights, economic independence and child and family welfare. Without legal
protection, women will find it difficult to sustain their career. It is a well-known fact that women make many
personal compromises and job-related sacrifices when it comes to the timing of
marriage and motherhood. Secondly, bringing up children without the required
support systems is both challenging and stressful. Working women face tremendous pressures and even
harassment at workplaces when juggling conflicting demands of job and
childcare.

Besides the
maternity leave, women need support systems such as creches. The Amendment Bill
makes it mandatory for establishments having 50 or more employees to provide
for creches. Another progressive aspect is the provision relating to ‘work from
home’ for nursing mothers after the paid maternity leave ends. Approximately
1.8 million women engaged in the organised sector will be eligible for these benefits. The government must find a
way to extend these benefits to over eight crore women who are in the
unorganised sector. They should not be left out, at any cost.

1. Why according to the author The
Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2016, which was passed by the Rajya Sabha
meets a long-felt need of women across social classes?

A) Working conditions are stressful for
women.

B) Equal pay for women is not ensured.

C) Women make many personal compromises and
job-related sacrifices when it comes to the timing of marriage and motherhood.

D) An increasing number of women are
entering the organised sector as employees and contributing to national
economic growth

E) None of the above.

2. What has been mentioned in the passage?

A) The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill,
2016 is the 122nd amendment of the constitution.

B) Unorganised sector’s working women will
not get the benefits through the bill.

C) Bringing up children without the
required support systems is a cake walk.

D) With legal protection, women will find
it difficult to sustain their career.

E) All of the above.

3. What else the author suggests besides
maternity leave required for women?

A) Hike in salary.

B) Proper hygienic work environment.

C) Lucrative incentives.

D) Support system like crèches.

E) None of the above.

4. What should be the title of the passage?

A) Maternity Leave for all sectors.

B) Workplace ethics.

C) Women- The greatest contributors to
economy and family.

D) The Maternity Benefit Bill.

E) Juggling work and family.

5. When is the “work from home” applicable
to the women employee?

A) During maternity leave.

B) During medical emergency.

C) During holidays.

D) After the paid maternity leave ends.

E) All of the above.

Choose the word/phrase which is similar in
meaning to the word/phrase printed in bold in the passage.

6. Enacted.

A) Hinder.

B) Approve

C) Display.

D) Ruled.

E) Acquired.

7. Tremendous.

A) Great.

B) Fabulous.

C) Mammoth

D) Exceptional

E) Minute.

8. Sustain.

A) Flow

B) Control

C) Foster

D) Conform

E) Bear.

Choose the word/phrase which is opposite in
meaning to the word/phrase printed in bold in the passage.

9. Contributing.

A) Granting

B) Affording

C) Withdrawing

D) Helping

E) Endowing.

10. Benefits.

A) Hindrance.

B) Aid.

C) Misfortune

D) Blockage.

E) Favour.

Directions [Q. 11-20]: In
the following passage there are blanks, each of which has been numbered. These
numbers are printed below the passage and against each, five words, are
suggested, one of which fits the blank appropriately. Find out the word in each
case.

The Centre has,
by all indications, agreed to drop the ________(11) additional 1 per
cent levy on inter-State sales over and above the GST rate, as sought by the
Congress. The differences over the dispute-resolution ________(12) have
also narrowed. The remaining bone of contention ________(13) the
question of an explicit cap on the GST rate and whether it ought to be made a
part of the amendment bill itself. Whatever the rate, capped or uncapped, it is
obvious that the GST regime will ________(14)economic activity. It will
subsume multiple indirect taxes, including State-level sales tax, octroi and
other levies, that make doing business in India a ________(15) as well
as logistical nightmare. Seamless movement across States is critical for a
truly national common market, and for incentivising producers of ________(16)
and ________(17) to scale up investment and ________(18) jobs. A
more efficient system for collecting indirect taxes, a far larger contributor
to the exchequer than direct taxes, could also create room for higher public
investment in areas such as education and health. Certainly, the challenge of
warding off incipient inflationary ________(19) in the early stages of
the tax’s implementation will require enlightened policies. For the BJP and the
Congress, the next couple of weeks will be a real test of political sagacity in
pulling together and delivering on a reform they have both ________(20).
No party may, for now, get the GST regime entirely of its liking — but it is
better to initiate change on the basis of a reasonable consensus rather than
wait for that elusive perfect agreement.

11. 
(a) agreed    (b) proposed     (c) started  (d) potential     (e) due

12. (a)   
mechanism  (b)     show
(c)    clearly   (d)  
reasonable  (e)    methods

13. (a)   
includes   (b) has   (c) 
entices      (d) promises  (e)  
involves

14. (a)     
boost (b) improve    (c)  generate    
(d)    provoke (e)     create

15. (a)   
difficult  (b)   organised  
(c)    compliance        (d)  
authorised  (e)   authentic  

16. (a)  
services    (b)      commodities (c)     goods (d)      gain 
(e) products

17. (a) 
products      (b)    services 
(c)  goods     (d)     
operations        (e)     items.

18. (a)  
generate    (b)    create  
(c)   employ      (d) have (e)   make    

19. (a)  
rises    (b)   investments 
(c)      pressures   (d)  
influences  (e)  hype

20. (a) supported       (b)   
denied       (c)  advocated    
(d)  considered   (e)    appraised

Directions
[Q. 21-30]: Each questions has a sentence with
three parts labeled (a), (b) and (c). Read each sentence to find out whether
there is any error in any part and indicate your answer in the answer sheet
against the corresponding letter i.e., (a) or (b) or (c). If you find no error,
your answer should be indicated as (d).

21. Both he as well as his friend (a)/
worked in close harmony (b)/ on this same project. (c)/ No error (d)

22. The Monk loved riding and hunting (a)/
and refused to conform by rules and regulations (b)/ of the ancient monastic
order. (c)/ No error (d)

23. I informed the principal (a)/ that I
was running temperature (b)/ and therefore could not attend the meeting. (c)/
No error (d)

24. The lady was broken with grief (a)/
when she heard the sad news of the train disaster (b)/ in which her brother was
killed. (c)/ No error (d)

25. The farmer is irrigating (a)/ his
fields (b)/ since morning. (c)/ No error (d)

26. I could not (a)/ Answer to (b)/ The
question. (c)/ No error (d)

27. Two years passed (a)/ since (b)/ my
cousin died. (c)/ No error (d)

28. Some women admit that (a)/ their
principle goal in life (b)/ is to marry a wealthy man. (c)/ No error (d)

29. Take two spoonsful (a)/ of this
medicine (b)/ every three hours. (c)/ No error (d)

30. The film was so disjointed (a)/ that I
could not tell you (b)/ what the story was about. (c)/ No error(d)