OBC Clerk English Practice Paper 10

Oriental Bank of Commerce Clerk (Second Shift) Exam 2011 English Solved Paper Memory Based

                                                        
Directions—(Q. 1-15) Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are printed in bold to help you to locate them while answering some of the questions.

A fisherman, enfeebled with age, could no longer go out to sea so he began fishing in the river. Every morning he would go down to the river and sit there fishing the whole day long. In the evening he would sell whatever he had caught, buy food for himself and go home. It was a hard life for an old man. One hot afternoon while he was trying to keep awake and bemoaning his fate, a large bird with silvery feathers alighted on a rock near him. It was Kaha, the heavenly bird. “Have you no one to care for you, grandpa ?” asked the bird. “Not a soul.” “You should not be doing such work at your age, ” said the bird. “From now on I will bring you a big fish every evening. You can sell it and live in comfort.” True to her word, the bird began to drop a large fish at his doorstep every evening. All that the fisherman had to do was take it to the market and sell it. As big fish were in great demand, he was soon rolling in money. He bought a cottage near the sea, with a garden around it and engaged a servant to cook for him. His wife had died some years earlier. He had decided to marry again and began to look for a suitable woman.

One day he heard the royal courtier make an announcement. Our king has news of a great bird called Kaha,” said the courtier. “Whoever can give information about this bird and help catch it, will be rewarded with half the gold in the royal treasury and half the kingdom !” The fisherman was sorely tempted by the reward. Half the kingdom would make him a prince !

“Why does the king want the bird ?” he asked. “He has lost his sight,” explained the courtier. “A wise man has advised him to bathe his eyes with the blood of Kaha. Do you know where she can be found ?” “No…I mean …no, no…” Torn between greed and his sense of gratitude to the bird, the fisherman could not give a coherent reply. The courtier, sensing that he knew someting about the bird, informed the king. The king had him brought to the palace.

“If you have information about the bird, tell me,” urged the king. “I will reward you handsomely and if you help catch her, I will personally crown you king of half my domain.” “I will get the bird for you,” cried the fisherman, suddenly making up his mind. “But Kaha is strong. I will need help.” The king sent a dozen soldiers with him. That evening when the bird came with the fish, the fisherman called out to her to wait. “You drop the fish and go and I never get a chance to thank you for all that you’ve done for me,”he said. “Today I have laid out a feast for you inside. Please alight and come in.” Kaha was reluctant to accept the invitation but the fisherman pleaded so earnestly that she finally gave in, and alighted. The moment she was on the ground, the fisherman grabbed one of her legs and shouted to the soldiers hiding in his house to come out. They rushed to his aid but their combined effort could not keep Kaha down.

She rose into the air with the fisherman still clinging onto her leg. By the time he realised he was being carried away, the fisherman was too high in the air to let go. He hung on grimly, and neither he nor Kaha were ever seen again.

1. Why was the king desperately looking for Kaha the bird ?
(A) The king wanted a pet bird.
(B) A wise man advised the king to capture the bird for good luck.
(C) Kaha was the only heavenly bird with silvery feathers.
(D) The king was blind and required Kaha’s blood for his eyes.
(E) Kaha was known to be the greatest bird alive.
Ans : (D)

2. Why did the bird volunteer to bring fish for the old man ?
(A) The old man was inexperienced at fishing.
(B) The bird took pity on the old man and wanted to help him.
(C) The bird had caught more fish than required.
(D) The bird wanted to make the old man rich.
(E) The bird had heard the old man bemoaning his fate.
Ans : (B)

3. What led the courtier to sense that the fisherman might know something about Kaha ?
(A) The courtier had observed Kaha alight at the fisherman’s house every evening.
(B) The courtier had seen the fisherman talk to Kaha.
(C) The fisherman fumbled when asked about Kaha.
(D) Word went around that the fisherman was in contact with Kaha., (E) None of these
Ans : (C)

4. Which of the following cannot be said about the royal courtier ?
(1) He was a very observant man., (2) He was jealous of the old fisherman.
(3) He had informed the king about the fisherman.
(A) Only (1), (B) Only (2), (C) Only (3), (D) Only (1) and (3), (E) Only (2) and (3)
Ans : (B)

5. What could be an appropriate title for the story ?
(A) A Fish a Day, (B) The Lonely fisherman, (C) Kaha the Silvery feathered bird
(D) The Blind King, (E) The Ungrateful old fisherman
Ans : (E)

6. Which of the following is not true about Kaha ?
(A) Kaha was a very considerate bird., (B) The blood of Kaha was precious.
(C) Kaha was a strong bird., (D) Kaha flew away alongwith the old fisherman.
(E) Kaha saved the fisherman from the King’s wrath.
Ans : (E)

7. Why did the fisherman stammer when asked if he knew about the bird ?
(A) The fisherman thought he was going to be punished for living off the bird.
(B) He was thrilled he would be able to help the king.
(C) He already knew about the reward that was being offered.
(D) He was conflicted between the king’s reward and his gratitude towards the bird.
(E) The fisherman was faced with a very unexpected question by a royal courtier.
Ans : (D)

8. How did the fisherman get Kaha to come down ?
(1) The fisherman told Kaha that the King was impressed by her kindness and wanted to meet her.
(2) The fisherman invited Kaha to live in his house as he was a lonely man and wanted company.
(3) The fisherman invited Kaha to his house for a feast in order to thank her for everything.
(A) Only (1), (B) Only (2), (C) Only (3), (D) Only (2) and (3), (E) Only (1) and (3)
Ans : (C)

9. What does the phrase ‘rolling in money’ as highlighted in the passage refer to ?
(A) To have a large amount of money., (B) To have just enough of money.
(C) To live a life that is not affordable., (D) To live off someone else.
(E) To be self-sufficient.
Ans : (A)

10. Why was the fisherman doubtful about revealing information about Kaha to the courtier ?
(A) He did not want to lose Kaha., (B) Kaha was his source of income.
(C) He was worried about his supply of fish., (D) He had heard that kaha was going to be killed for her blood.
(E) Kaha had asked the fisherman not to tell anyone about her whereabouts.
Ans : (C)

Directions—(Q. 11–13) Choose the word which is most nearly the SAME in meaning as the word printed in bold as used in the passage.

11. Aid: (A) Health, (B) Help, (C) Support, (D) Freedom, (E) Mercy
Ans : (B)

12. Sorely : (A) Happily, (B) Painfully, (C) Gainfully, (D) Greatly, (E) Primarily
Ans : (D)

13. Torn: (A) Conflicted, (B) Alarmed, (C) Frightened, (D) Strained, (E) Frayed
Ans : (A)

Directions—(Q. 14-15) Choose the word which is most OPPOSITE in meaning of the words/printed in bold as used in the passage.

14. Alight: (A) Settle, (B) Take off, , (C) Come by, (D) Rest, (E) Free
Ans : (B)

15. Grabbed: (A) Caught, (B) Released, (C) Secured, (D) Loosened, (E) Held
Ans : (B)

Directions—(Q. 16–25) Read each sentence to find out whether there is any grammatical error in it. The error, if any, will be in one part of the sentence. The letter of that part is the answer. If there is no error, the answer is (E) i.e., ‘No Error’. (Ignore the errors of punctuation, if any).

16. Removing seeds from (A) / cotton plants was (B) / a slowest job until (C) / Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin. (D)
Ans : (C)

17. India is a land of (A) / great political leaders (B) / who ruled the country effectively (C) / and also by protecting its national interest . (D)
Ans : (D)

18. The climbers will try again (A) / to reach the summit of the mountain, (B) / their chances of doing so are (C) / more better than they were last week. (D)
Ans : (D)

19. Most birds sings (A) / only in daylight, (B) / one notable exception (C) / being the nightingale. (D)
Ans : (A)

20. In the eve of the election (A) / there was heavy (B) / political security (C) / in the state. (D)
Ans : (A)

21. The teacher thought (A) / the children would (B) / be happy for (C) / clearing away their toys. (D)
Ans : (C)

22. Neither Alice or Mary remembers (A) / what happened before (B) / the car crashed (C) / into the wall. (D)
Ans : (A)

23. This is the woman (A) / that always wears (B) / a black shawl (C) / to work. (D)
Ans : (B)

24. Many leading members (A) / of the opposition party (B) / has tried to justify (C) / their decisions. (D)
Ans : (C)

25. The view of (A) / the manufacturing and (B) / tourist industries is that (C) / the economy is improving. (D)
Ans : (C)

Directions—(Q. 26–30) Which of the phrases (A), (B), (C) and (D) given below each sentence should replace the phrase printed in bold in the sentence to make it grammatically correct ? If the sentence is correct as it is given and no correction is required, mark (E) as the answer.

26. So successful her business to be, that Marie was able to retire at the age of 50.
(A) So successful her business was, (B) So successful being her business
(C) Her business was so successful, (D) So was her successful business
Ans : (C)

27. The ship was in mercy of the waves.
(A) To be in mercy of, (B) At the mercy of, (C) Having mercy on, (D) Merciful to
Ans : (B)

28. He not to have resigned, we would have been forced to dismiss him.
(A) Had he not, (B) Had not he, (C) He had not, (D) He not had,
Ans : (A)

29. A wealthy coin collector was eager to pay the huge sum for the coin because it was one kind.
(A) Of one kinds, (B) One of kinds, (C) One of a kind, (D) One of those kinds
Ans : (C)

30. The thief carried the knife carefully to not cut himself.
(A) So as not to, (B) So not to, (C) Not to, (D) Not in order to
Ans : (A)

Directions—(Q. 31–35) In each question below, four words printed in bold type are given. These are lettered (A), (B), (C) and (D). One of these words printed in bold may either be wrongly spelt or inappropriate in the context of the sentence. Find out the word that is inappropriate or wrongly spelt, if any. The letter of that word is your answer. If all the words printed in bold are correctly spelt and appropriate in the context of the sentence then mark (E) i.e., ‘All Correct’ as your answer.

31. The economist (A) was hesistant (B) to comment (C) on the government policy. (D)
Ans : (B)

32. The king knew (A) that he had definately (B) been wrong about his choice (C) of courtiers. (D)
Ans : (B)

33. Statistics (A) are now compulsory (B) for all students taking a cource (C) in engineering. (D)
Ans : (C)

34. The caretaker (A) is responsible (B) for the maintainance (C) of the school buildings. (D)
Ans : (C)

35. The more scarce (A) any collecteble (B) item is, the higher (C) the price (D) tends to be.
Ans : (B)

Directions—(Q. 36–40) Rearrange the following six sentences / group of sentences (1), (2), (3), (4), (5) and (6) in the proper sequence to form a meaningful paragraph; then answer the questions given below them.
(1) Seeing the dogs and his master running after the fox, the rooster screamed “No ! Don’t come near me !”
(2) A fox sneaked into a farm and grabbed a prize rooster. The farmer saw him raised an alarm.
(3) “My master was very cruel to me” explained the rooster to the fox. “Tell him to stay away from
me.”
(4) The rooster flew up into a tree and stayed there till he was rescued by his master.
(5) The fox was delighted. In the process of shouting to the farmer he released his hold over the rooster.
(6) Soon the farmer and his dogs started chasing the fox. The fox, was holding the rooster in his mouth, and was running very fast.

36. Which of the following should be the SIXTH (LAST) sentence after the rearrangement ?
(A) 5, (B) 2, (C) 3, (D) 4, (E) 6
Ans : (D)

37. Which of the following should be the FIFTH sentence after the rearrangement ?
(A) 3, (B) 4, (C) 6, (D) 2, (E) 5
Ans : (E)

38. Which of the following should be the FIRST sentence after the rearrangement ?
(A) 1, (B) 4, (C) 6, (D) 3, (E) 2
Ans : (E)

39. Which of the following should be the FOURTH sentence after the rearrangement ?
(A) 4, (B) 3, (C) 2, (D) 1, (E) 6
Ans : (B)

40. Which of the following should be the SECOND sentence after the rearrangement ?
(A) 2, (B) 3, (C) 6, (D) 4, (E) 5
Ans : (C)

Directions—(Q. 41–50) 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 appropriate word in each case.

Haria, a poor barber lived alone in his small hut. He was …(41)… to his work and whatever he earned was enough to fulfil his needs. One evening, after returning from work, Haria was hungry. Just as he was …(42)… what he could cook for dinner he heard a hen clucking outside his hut. “That hen would make a great feast for me,” thought Haria and prepared to catch the hen. With a little effort he …(43)… in catching the hen and as he was about to kill the hen, it squeaked, “Please do not kill me, Oh kind man ! I will help you.” Haria stopped. …(44)… he was surprised that the hen spoke, he asked, “How can you help me ?” “If you …(45)… my life, I will lay a golden egg for you everyday,” said the hen.

Haria’s eyes …(46)… in delight. Haria was surprised to hear this promise. “A golden egg ! That too everyday ! But why should I believe you ? You might be lying,” said Haria. “If I do not lay a golden egg tomorrow, you can kill me,” said the hen. After this promise, Haria spared the hen and …(47)… for the next day.

The next morning. Haria found a golden egg …(48)… outside his hut and the hen sitting beside it. “It is true ! You really can lay a golden egg !” exclaimed Haria with great delight. He did not …(49)… this incident to any one, …(50)… that others would catch the hen.

41. (A) dedicated, (B) devote, (C) enthusiastic, (D) good, (E) engrossed
Ans : (A)

42. (A) feeling, (B) sounding, (C) dreaming, (D) plotting, (E) wondering
Ans : (E)

43. (A) quit, (B) surrendered, (C) succeeded, (D) won, (E) managed
Ans : (C)

44. (A) Finally, (B) Though, (C) Since, (D) As, (E) Because
Ans : (D)

45. (A) forgive, (B) leave, (C) give, (D) spare, (E) consume
Ans : (D)

46. (A) exclaimed, (B) dazed, (C) open, (D) awakened, (E) widened
Ans : (E)

47. (A) remembered, (B) starved, (C) waited, (D) rejoiced, (E) looked
Ans : (C)

48. (A) lying, (B) forlorn, (C) presented, (D) hiding, (E) secluded
Ans : (A)

49. (A) seek, (B) say, (C) narrates, (D) reveal, (E) hide
Ans : (D)

50. (A) fearing, (B) selfish,. (C) concerning, (D) citing, (E) alarmed
Ans : (A)

OBC Clerk English Practice Paper 26

Bank clerk English practice paper OBC 

(Exam Held on 9-1-2011) Based on Memory

Directions—(Q. 1–15) Read the following passage 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.

Once a large herd of elephants lived in a jungle. Their king was a huge, majestic tusker. He looked after them with love and care. A severe drought hit the area. As there was no rain for a few years, all the rivers and tanks had dried up. The wild elephants suffered for want of water. Their king knew that if they did not get water soon, many of them would die of thirst. He had to find water as quickly as possible.

He asked the elephants to go in different directions to look for water. One of them found a large lake full of water in another jungle far away. The king ordered all the elephants to make their way to the lake. Close to it was a colony of rabbits. The elephants had to pass through this colony. Thousands of rabbits were trampled to death and thousands more were injured. The rabbits were in a panic. Their king called a meeting.

“A herd of wild elephants is pass-ing through our colony,” he said, “They have already killed or injured thousands of us. We have to take urgent steps to prevent more deaths. I want all of you to think of a way to save our race.” One little rabbit stood up. “Your Majesty,” he said, “if you send me as your messenger to the king of the elephants, I may be able to find a solution.” “By all means, go as my messenger and see what you can do,” said the king. The little rabbit hurried out. He saw a group of elephants returning from the lake. Right in the middle was the king. To get near him was impossible. “I will be crushed to death,” thought the rabbit. So he climbed up a huge rock. “Oh, king of the elephants,” he shouted, “hear me, please.” The king heard his voice and turned towards him. “Well, who are you ?” he asked. “I am a messenger from the mighty Moon,” replied the rabbit. “What is your business ? Is there a message for me from the Moon ?” asked the king. To this the rabbit said, “Yes, your Majesty.” The king said, “Very well. Say what you have been sent to say.” “Sir,” said the little rabbit, “the Moon has this to say.”

“You, the king of the elephants, have brought your herd to my holy lake and soiled its waters. You have killed thousands of rabbits on your way to the lake. You know that rabbits are under my special protection. Everyone knows that the king of the rabbits lives with me. I ask you not to kill any more rabbits. Otherwise something terrible will happen to you and your herd.”

The king of the elephants was shocked. He looked at the little rabbit. “You are right,” he said. “We may have killed many rabbits on our way to the lake. I shall see that you do not suffer anymore. I shall request the Moon to forgive me for my sins. Please tell me what I should do.” “Come with me alone,” replied the rabbit. “Come, I shall take you to the moon.” The little rabbit took the huge elephant to the lake. There they saw the moon reflected in the still waters. “There, your Majesty, meet the Moon,” said the little rabbit.

“Let me worship the divine Moon,” said the elephant, and dipped his trunk into the water. At once the water was disturbed. The Moon seemed to move to and fro. The rabbit said, “Now the Moon is angrier than ever.” “Why ?’ asked the king. “What have I done ?” “You have touched the holy waters of the lake,” replied the rabbit. The elephant bowed his head. “Please ask the Moon to forgive me. Never again will we touch the holy waters of this lake. Never again will we harm the rabbits whom the Moon loves so much.” And the king and his herd went away. Soon there was rain and the elephants lived happily. It did not occur to them ever that a little rabbit had fooled them.

1. Why did the king of elephants have to look for another source of water ?
(A) As it was his duty to look for a new source of water every year
(B) As a famine had hit the area where the elephants lived and there was scarcity of water
(C) As the other elephants wanted to drink the same water as the rabbits
(D) As the water in the area where the elephants lived was dirty
(E) As the elephants did not like the taste of the water that was available in the area where they lived
Ans : (B)

2. Why were the rabbits in a panic ?
(A) The king of elephants had warned the king of rabbits that he would kill the entire rabbit race
(B) The area in which they lived was hit by a severe drought
(C) The elephants had killed and harmed many rabbits on their way to the lake
(D) There was no water left for the rabbits to drink after the elephants had their share
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

3. Which of the following cannot be said about the little rabbit messenger ?
(a) He was a coward. (b) He hated his king. (c) He was intelligent.
(A) Only (b), (B) Only (c), (C) Only (a), (D) Only (b) and (c), (E) Only (a) and (b)
Ans : (C)


4. What happened to the herd of elephants finally ?
(A) It attacked the rabbits and killed all of them
(B) It decided to migrate and settle next to the lake in the jungle
(C) The king of rabbits killed the herd of elephants
(D) The entire herd perished due to lack of water
(E) It never returned to the lake in the jungle
Ans : (E)

5. Why did the little rabbit messenger convey the Moon’s message from the top of a rock ?
(A) The message could be heard better from the rock than any other place in the jungle
(B) The king of rabbits had asked the little rabbit to do so
(C) The rock was used as a stage all the time by the rabbits
(D) He was afraid he would get trampled and killed if he went near the herd of elephants
(E) He could see all the elephants clearly from there
Ans : (D)

6. Which of the following is true about the king of elephants as can be inferred from the story ?
(A) He and his herd had trampled and killed rabbits unintentionally
(B) He was afraid of the king of rabbits, (C) He had deliberately killed many rabbits
(D) He wanted the lake in the jungle all for himself, (E) All are true
Ans : (A)

7. Which of the following can be the most appropriate title for the story ?
(A) The Mighty King, (B) The Moon’s Message, (C) The Brave Elephant King
(D) The Lake in the City, (E) The Elephant’s Revenge
Ans : (B)

8. What, according to the little rabbit, was the message from the moon?
(a) The king of rabbits lived with the moon, (b) The lake was sacred to the moon.
(c) The rabbits were protected by the moon.
(A) Only (a), (B) All (a), (b) and (c), (C) Only (a) and (c)
(D) Only (c), (E) Only (b) and (c)
Ans : (D)

9. What did the king of elephants do when he heard the message from the Moon ?
(A) He laughed at the rabbit and left the lake
(B) He ignored the message and continued to drink water from the lake
(C) He asked the rabbit to beg for forgiveness from the Moon
(D) He went to the lake to ask for the Moon’s forgiveness
(E) He informed his herd about the angry Moon
Ans : (D)

10. How did the elephant see the Moon ?
(A) From its reflection in the water, (B) In the little rabbit’s eyes
(C) In the sky, (D) Not mentioned in the passage
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

Directions—(Q. 11–13) Choose the word/group of words which is most similar in meaning to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.

11. SHOCKED: (A) Alarmed, (B) Annoyed, (C) Pleased, (D) Traumatized, (E) Electrocuted
Ans : (A)

12. WANT: (A) Love, (B) Importance, (C) Need, (D) Dreams, (E) Fancy
Ans : (C)

13. SOILED(A) Mud, (B) Buried, (C) Felt, (D) Dirtied, (E) Drink
Ans : (D)

Directions—(Q. 14–15) Choose the word/group of words which is most opposite in meaning to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.

14. SEVERE: (A) Regular, (B) Harsh, (C) Happy, (D) Cool, (E) Mild
Ans : (E)

15. SHOUTED: (A) Praised, (B) Congratulated, (C) Whispered, (D) Commended
(E) Scream
Ans : (C)

Directions—(Q. 16–20) Which of the phrases (A), (B), (C) and (D) given below each sentence should replace the phrase printed in bold in the sentence to make it grammatically correct ? If the sentence is correct as it is given and ‘No Correction is required’, mark (E) as the answer.

16. There is no substituted in hard work as dreams cannot be fulfilled without it.
(A) nothing substituting than, (B) not substituting, (C) no substitute for
(D) not substitute, (E) No correction required
Ans : (C)

17. Veena try in vain to finish her homework with so many guests in the house.
(A) tried in vain, (B) trying vainly, (C) try in vains
(D) trying on vain, (E) No correction required
Ans : (A)

18. Pritam had not sleep a wink in the night hence felt tired throughout the day.
(A) sleep winking, (B) slept winking, (C) sleeping winks
(D) slept a wink, (E) No correction required
Ans : (D)

19. She looked very graceful when she danced and thus won the first prize handed down.
(A) handful downs, (B) hands down, (C) hand downer
(D) handing down, (E) No correction required
Ans : (B)

20. Despite their not being on talking terms for quite some time now, Rajiv welcomed Suresh to open arm when he came home.
(A) through opening arm, (B) with open arms, (C) by opened arms
(D) opening arms, (E) No correction required
Ans : (B)

Directions—(Q. 21–25) In each question below, a sentence with four words printed in bold type is given. These are lettered as (A), (B), (C) and (D). One of these four words printed in bold may be either wrongly spelt or inappropriate in the context of the sentence. Find out the word which is wrongly spelt or inappropriate, if any. The letter of that word is your answer. If all the words printed in bold are correctly spelt and also appropriate in the context of the sentence, mark (E) i.e., ‘All correct’ as your answer.

21. The sage’s dauhgter (A) was very beautiful (B) and attracted (C) a lot of attention (D) wherever she went. All correct (E)
Ans : (A)

22. During this dream, (A) Pankaj involuntarily (B) picked up the stick next to his bed and thinking that he was beating (C) his son, razed (D) the stick and hit the pot. All correct (E)
Ans : (E)

23. The poor farmer (A) worked hard in the fields but all his efforts (B) did not bare (C) fruit. (D) All correct (E)
Ans : (C)

24. In order to pay respect (A) to the guaridan (B) deity of his field, the farmer procured (C) milk and started feeding (D) a snake with milk. All correct (E)
Ans : (B)

25. Ravi was fond of performing (A) religious (B) richuals (C) whenever (D) he got the time. All correct (E)
Ans : (C)

Directions—(Q. 26–30) Rearrange the following six sentences (1), (2), (3), (4), (5) and (6) in the proper sequence to form a meaningful paragraph; then answer the questions given below them.
(1) One day, one of the heads found a jar of nectar and decided to taste it.
(2) Enraged, the other neck soon found a jar of poison and consumed it.
(3) The first neck, however, refused to let the second neck have it.
(4) The poison reached the common stomach and both the necks perished.
(5) Once upon a time there lived a special kind of bird which had two necks and shared a common stomach.
(6) On seeing this, the other head also wanted to taste the nectar.

26. Which of the following should be the THIRD sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) 1, (B) 2, (C) 3, (D) 4, (E) 6
Ans : (C)

27. Which of the following should be the LAST (SIXTH) sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) 1, (B) 2, (C) 3, (D) 4, (E) 5
Ans : (D)

28. Which of the following should be the FOURTH sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) 1, (B) 2, (C) 3, (D) 5, (E) 6
Ans : (E)

29. Which of the following should be the SECOND sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) 1, (B) 2, (C) 3, (D) 4, (E) 6
Ans : (A)

30. Which of the following should be the FIRST sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) 1, (B) 2, (C) 3, , (D) 4, (E) 5
Ans : (E)

Directions—(Q. 31–40) Read each sentence to find out whether there is any grammatical error or idiomatic error in it. The error, if any, will be in one part of the sentence. The letter of that part is the answer. If there is no error, the answer is (E). (Ignore errors of punctuation, if any).

31. The priest did not (A) / want to do any (B) / hard work but dreamt (C) / of be rich one day. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (D)

32. The friends met again after (A) / many years, and could not stop laughing (B) / at the tricks that they had played (C) / to their teachers. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (D)

33. The four friends were very different (A) / as each other; yet, (B) / they were best friends and always came to (C) / each other’s aid when required. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (B)

34. The animals would hunt for (A) / food and bring it to the lion (B) / and the lion in turn would (C) / distribute the food to all. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (E)

35. A lion lives in a forest (A) / was loyally served by (B) / a jackal that used to accompany the lion (C) / wherever it went. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (A)

36. Unable to control his natural instinct, (A) / the jackal howled at the top (B) / by his voice in the middle (C) / of the night. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (C)

37. Seema’s parents were happy (A) / to let her marry the boy of her choice (B) / as he seemed to (C) / belong to a good family. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (E)

38. On one occasion (A) / the farmer was rewarded to (B) / a cow by a rich man (C) / for his service. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (B)

39. Rakesh anger asked (A) / his son to tell him (B) / what had happened to (C) / the food and drinks kept in the fridge. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (A)

40. Once upon a time (A) / there lived a tiger (B) / which stray into a city (C) / in search of food. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (C)

Directions—(Q. 41–50) 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 appropriate word in each case.

Once upon a time there lived a parrot under a tree. The parrot one day …(41)… to go to the fields and indulge itself in the food there. It did not return for many days as it found the fields a good source of food. In the …(42)… a rabbit came along one day and occupied the same dwelling which the parrot used to live in. The parrot however returned from the fields having grown …(43)… from the food. It wanted to claim the dwelling for itself. A fight ensued and the rabbit was saying that the dwelling belonged to whoever …(44)… it.

They both then decided to …(45)… a learned cat, who was supposed to be wise and old. So one
day they both …(46)… the cat with their problem. The cat, which was actually a hypocrite and earned its livelihood by …(47)… as a priest, decided to take …(48)… of the situation. On hearing the parrot and the rabbit from a distance, it said, “Sorry! can’t hear you from that far a distance because of old age. Don’t worry I mean no harm to you. Come closer and both of you …(49)… your stories.

The parrot and the rabbit were both fooled into going near and as …(50)… as the cat could lay its hands on both of them it killed them both and had a meal.

41. (A) want, (B) start, (C) scared, (D) choose, (E) decided
Ans : (E)

42. (A) time, (B) fields, (C) meantime, (D) rapidly, (E) somewhere
Ans : (C)

43. (A) plump, (B) thin, (C) weak, (D) beard, (E) strict
Ans : (A)

44. (A) lived, (B) ate, (C) wait, (D) stayed, (E) occupied
Ans : (E)

45. (A) kill, (B) contact, (C) touch, (D) inquire, (E) cover
Ans : (B)

46. (A) approached, (B) go, (C) became, (D) ask, (E) cried
Ans : (A)

47. (A) playing, (B) becoming, (C) faked, (D) posing, (E) feeding
Ans : (D)

48. (A) management, (B) advantage, (C) seriously, (D) pride, E) accounting
Ans : (B)

49. (A) narration, (B) tell, (C) receive, (D) relate, (E) said
Ans : (B)

50. (A) many, (B) much, (C) soon, (D) quicker, (E) faster
Ans : (C)

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OBC Clerk English Practice Paper 32

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English, (Exam Held on 9-1-2011, Based on memory)

Directions—(Q. 1-15) Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are printed in bold to help you to locate them while answering some of the questions.

A fisherman, enfeebled with age, could no longer go out to sea so he began fishing in the river. Every morning he would go down to the river and sit there fishing the whole day long. In the evening he would sell whatever he had caught, buy food for himself and go home. It was a hard life for an old man. One hot afternoon while he was trying to keep awake and bemoaning his fate, a large bird with silvery feathers alighted on a rock near him. It was Kaha, the heavenly bird. “Have you no one to care for you, grandpa ?” asked the bird. “Not a soul.” “You should not be doing such work at your age, ” said the bird. “From now on I will bring you a big fish every evening. You can sell it and live in comfort.” True to her word, the bird began to drop a large fish at his doorstep every evening. All that the fisherman had to do was take it to the market and sell it. As big fish were in great demand, he was soon rolling in money. He bought a cottage near the sea, with a garden around it and engaged a servant to cook for him. His wife had died some years earlier. He had decided to marry again and began to look for a suitable woman.

One day he heard the royal courtier make an announcement. Our king has news of a great bird called Kaha,” said the courtier. “Whoever can give information about this bird and help catch it, will be rewarded with half the gold in the royal treasury and half the kingdom !” The fisherman was sorely tempted by the reward. Half the kingdom would make him a prince !

“Why does the king want the bird ?” he asked. “He has lost his sight,” explained the courtier. “A wise man has advised him to bathe his eyes with the blood of Kaha. Do you know where she can be found ?” “No…I mean …no, no…” Torn between greed and his sense of gratitude to the bird, the fisherman could not give a coherent reply. The courtier, sensing that he knew someting about the bird, informed the king. The king had him brought to the palace.

“If you have information about the bird, tell me,” urged the king. “I will reward you handsomely and if you help catch her, I will personally crown you king of half my domain.” “I will get the bird for you,” cried the fisherman, suddenly making up his mind. “But Kaha is strong. I will need help.” The king sent a dozen soldiers with him. That evening when the bird came with the fish, the fisherman called out to her to wait. “You drop the fish and go and I never get a chance to thank you for all that you’ve done for me,”he said. “Today I have laid out a feast for you inside. Please alight and come in.” Kaha was reluctant to accept the invitation but the fisherman pleaded so earnestly that she finally gave in, and alighted. The moment she was on the ground, the fisherman grabbed one of her legs and shouted to the soldiers hiding in his house to come out. They rushed to his aid but their combined effort could not keep Kaha down.

She rose into the air with the fisherman still clinging onto her leg. By the time he realised he was being carried away, the fisherman was too high in the air to let go. He hung on grimly, and neither he nor Kaha were ever seen again.

1. Why was the king desperately looking for Kaha the bird ?
(A) The king wanted a pet bird.
(B) A wise man advised the king to capture the bird for good luck.
(C) Kaha was the only heavenly bird with silvery feathers.
(D) The king was blind and required Kaha’s blood for his eyes.
(E) Kaha was known to be the greatest bird alive.
Ans : (D)

2. Why did the bird volunteer to bring fish for the old man ?
(A) The old man was inexperienced at fishing.
(B) The bird took pity on the old man and wanted to help him.
(C) The bird had caught more fish than required.
(D) The bird wanted to make the old man rich.
(E) The bird had heard the old man bemoaning his fate.
Ans : (B)

3. What led the courtier to sense that the fisherman might know something about Kaha ?
(A) The courtier had observed Kaha alight at the fisherman’s house every evening.
(B) The courtier had seen the fisherman talk to Kaha.
(C) The fisherman fumbled when asked about Kaha.
(D) Word went around that the fisherman was in contact with Kaha.
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)


4. Which of the following cannot be said about the royal courtier ?
(1) He was a very observant man.
(2) He was jealous of the old fisherman.
(3) He had informed the king about the fisherman.
(A) Only (1), (B) Only (2), (C) Only (3), (D) Only (1) and (3), (E) Only (2) and (3)
Ans : (B)

5. What could be an appropriate title for the story ?
(A) A Fish a Day, (B) The Lonely fisherman, (C) Kaha the Silvery feathered bird
(D) The Blind King, (E) The Ungrateful old fisherman
Ans : (E)

6. Which of the following is not true about Kaha ?
(A) Kaha was a very considerate bird., (B) The blood of Kaha was precious.
(C) Kaha was a strong bird., (D) Kaha flew away alongwith the old fisherman.
(E) Kaha saved the fisherman from the King’s wrath.
Ans : (E)

7. Why did the fisherman stammer when asked if he knew about the bird ?
(A) The fisherman thought he was going to be punished for living off the bird.
(B) He was thrilled he would be able to help the king.
(C) He already knew about the reward that was being offered.
(D) He was conflicted between the king’s reward and his gratitude towards the bird.
(E) The fisherman was faced with a very unexpected question by a royal courtier.
Ans : (D)

8. How did the fisherman get Kaha to come down ?
(1) The fisherman told Kaha that the King was impressed by her kindness and wanted to meet her.
(2) The fisherman invited Kaha to live in his house as he was a lonely man and wanted company.
(3) The fisherman invited Kaha to his house for a feast in order to thank her for everything.
(A) Only (1), (B) Only (2), (C) Only (3), (D) Only (2) and (3), (E) Only (1) and (3)
Ans : (C)

9. What does the phrase ‘rolling in money’ as highlighted in the passage refer to ?
(A) To have a large amount of money., (B) To have just enough of money.
(C) To live a life that is not affordable., (D) To live off someone else.
(E) To be self-sufficient.
Ans : (A)

10. Why was the fisherman doubtful about revealing information about Kaha to the courtier ?
(A) He did not want to lose Kaha., (B) Kaha was his source of income.
(C) He was worried about his supply of fish.
(D) He had heard that kaha was going to be killed for her blood.
(E) Kaha had asked the fisherman not to tell anyone about her whereabouts.
Ans : (C)

Directions—(Q. 11–13) Choose the word which is most nearly the SAME in meaning as the word printed in bold as used in the passage.

11. Aid: (A) Health,(B) Help, (C) Support, (D) Freedom, (E) Mercy
Ans : (B)

12. Sorely: (A) Happily, (B) Painfully, (C) Gainfully, (D) Greatly, (E) Primarily
Ans : (D)

13. Torn: (A) Conflicted, (B) Alarmed, (C) Frightened, (D) Strained, (E) Frayed
Ans : (A)

Directions—(Q. 14-15) Choose the word which is most OPPOSITE in meaning of the words/printed in bold as used in the passage.

14. Alight: (A) Settle, (B) Take off, (C) Come by, (D) Rest, (E) Free
Ans : (B)

15. Grabbed: (A) Caught, (B) Released, (C) Secured, (D) Loosened, (E) Held
Ans : (B)

Directions—(Q. 16–25) Read each sentence to find out whether there is any grammatical error in it. The error, if any, will be in one part of the sentence. The letter of that part is the answer. If there is no error, the answer is (E) i.e., ‘No Error’. (Ignore the errors of punctuation, if any).

16. Removing seeds from (A) / cotton plants was (B) / a slowest job until (C) / Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin. (D)
Ans : (C)

17. India is a land of (A) / great political leaders (B) / who ruled the country effectively (C) / and also by protecting its national interest . (D)
Ans : (D)

18. The climbers will try again (A) / to reach the summit of the mountain, (B) / their chances of doing so are (C) / more better than they were last week. (D)
Ans : (D)

19. Most birds sings (A) / only in daylight, (B) / one notable exception (C) / being the nightingale. (D)
Ans : (A)

20. In the eve of the election (A) / there was heavy (B) / political security (C) / in the state. (D)
Ans : (A)

21. The teacher thought (A) / the children would (B) / be happy for (C) / clearing away their toys. (D)
Ans : (C)

22. Neither Alice or Mary remembers (A) / what happened before (B) / the car crashed (C) / into the wall. (D)
Ans : (A)

23. This is the woman (A) / that always wears (B) / a black shawl (C) / to work. (D)
Ans : (B)

24. Many leading members (A) / of the opposition party (B) / has tried to justify (C) / their decisions. (D)
Ans : (C)

25. The view of (A) / the manufacturing and (B) / tourist industries is that (C) / the economy is improving. (D)
Ans : (C)

Directions—(Q. 26–30) Which of the phrases (A), (B), (C) and (D) given below each sentence should replace the phrase printed in bold in the sentence to make it grammatically correct ? If the sentence is correct as it is given and no correction is required, mark (E) as the answer.

26. So successful her business to be, that Marie was able to retire at the age of 50.
(A) So successful her business was, (B) So successful being her business
(C) Her business was so successful, (D) So was her successful business
Ans : (C)

27. The ship was in mercy of the waves.
(A) To be in mercy of, (B) At the mercy of
(C) Having mercy on, (D) Merciful to
Ans : (B)

28. He not to have resigned, we would have been forced to dismiss him.
(A) Had he not, (B) Had not he, (C) He had not., (D) He not had
Ans : (A)

29. A wealthy coin collector was eager to pay the huge sum for the coin because it was one kind.
(A) Of one kinds, (B) One of kinds, (C) One of a kind, (D) One of those kinds
Ans : (C)

30. The thief carried the knife carefully to not cut himself.
(A) So as not to, (B) So not to, (C) Not to, (D) Not in order to
Ans : (A)

Directions—(Q. 31–35) In each question below, four words printed in bold type are given. These are lettered (A), (B), (C) and (D). One of these words printed in bold may either be wrongly spelt or inappropriate in the context of the sentence. Find out the word that is inappropriate or wrongly spelt, if any. The letter of that word is your answer. If all the words printed in bold are correctly spelt and appropriate in the context of the sentence then mark (E) i.e., ‘All Correct’ as your answer.

31. The economist (A) was hesistant (B) to comment (C) on the government policy. (D)
Ans : (B)

32. The king knew (A) that he had definately (B) been wrong about his choice (C) of courtiers. (D)
Ans : (B)

33. Statistics (A) are now compulsory (B) for all students taking a cource (C) in engineering. (D)
Ans : (C)

34. The caretaker (A) is responsible (B) for the maintainance (C) of the school buildings. (D)
Ans : (C)

35. The more scarce (A) any collecteble (B) item is, the higher (C) the price (D) tends to be.
Ans : (B)

Directions—(Q. 36–40) Rearrange the following six sentences / group of sentences (1), (2), (3), (4), (5) and (6) in the proper sequence to form a meaningful paragraph; then answer the questions given below them.
(1) Seeing the dogs and his master running after the fox, the rooster screamed “No ! Don’t come near me !”
(2) A fox sneaked into a farm and grabbed a prize rooster. The farmer saw him raised an alarm.
(3) “My master was very cruel to me” explained the rooster to the fox. “Tell him to stay away from
me.”
(4) The rooster flew up into a tree and stayed there till he was rescued by his master.
(5) The fox was delighted. In the process of shouting to the farmer he released his hold over the rooster.
(6) Soon the farmer and his dogs started chasing the fox. The fox, was holding the rooster in his mouth, and was running very fast.

36. Which of the following should be the SIXTH (LAST) sentence after the rearrangement ?
(A) 5, (B) 2, (C) 3, (D) 4, (E) 6
Ans : (D)

37. Which of the following should be the FIFTH sentence after the rearrangement ?
(A) 3, (B) 4, (C) 6, (D) 2, (E) 5
Ans : (E)

38. Which of the following should be the FIRST sentence after the rearrangement ?
(A) 1, (B) 4, (C) 6, (D) 3, (E) 2
Ans : (E)

39. Which of the following should be the FOURTH sentence after the rearrangement ?
(A) 4, (B) 3, (C) 2, (D) 1, (E) 6
Ans : (B)

40. Which of the following should be the SECOND sentence after the rearrangement ?
(A) 2, (B) 3, (C) 6, (D) 4, (E) 5
Ans : (C)

Directions—(Q. 41–50) 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 appropriate word in each case.

Haria, a poor barber lived alone in his small hut. He was …(41)… to his work and whatever he earned was enough to fulfil his needs. One evening, after returning from work, Haria was hungry. Just as he was …(42)… what he could cook for dinner he heard a hen clucking outside his hut. “That hen would make a great feast for me,” thought Haria and prepared to catch the hen. With a little effort he …(43)… in catching the hen and as he was about to kill the hen, it squeaked, “Please do not kill me, Oh kind man ! I will help you.” Haria stopped. …(44)… he was surprised that the hen spoke, he asked, “How can you help me ?” “If you …(45)… my life, I will lay a golden egg for you everyday,” said the hen.

Haria’s eyes …(46)… in delight. Haria was surprised to hear this promise. “A golden egg ! That too everyday ! But why should I believe you ? You might be lying,” said Haria. “If I do not lay a golden egg tomorrow, you can kill me,” said the hen. After this promise, Haria spared the hen and …(47)… for the next day.

The next morning. Haria found a golden egg …(48)… outside his hut and the hen sitting beside it. “It is true ! You really can lay a golden egg !” exclaimed Haria with great delight. He did not …(49)… this incident to any one, …(50)… that others would catch the hen.

41. (A) dedicated, (B) devote, (C) enthusiastic, (D) good, (E) engrossed,
Ans : (A)

42. (A) feeling, (B) sounding, (C) dreaming, (D) plotting, (E) wondering,
Ans : (E)

43. (A) quit, (B) surrendered, (C) succeeded, (D) won, (E) managed
Ans : (C)

44. (A) Finally, (B) Though, (C) Since, (D) As, (E) Because
Ans : (D)

45. (A) forgive, (B) leave, (C) give, (D) spare, (E) consume
Ans : (D)

46. (A) exclaimed, (B) dazed, (C) open, (D) awakened, (E) widened
Ans : (E)

47. (A) remembered, (B) starved, (C) waited, (D) rejoiced, (E) looked
Ans : (C)

48. (A) lying, (B) forlorn, (C) presented, (D) hiding, (E) secluded
Ans : (A)

49. (A) seek, (B) say, (C) narrates, (D) reveal, (E) hide
Ans : (D)

50. (A) fearing, (B) selfish, (C) concerning, (D) citing, (E) alarmed
Ans : (A) 

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