SBI Clerks General English – Page 2

The “CLOZE-TEST” often appears both in the Preliminary and Main Exams. It is meant to test your reading skills and to know how well you can find out missing links in a passage. When you fill in all the blanks using suitable words from the options,it becomes a complete and meaningful passage. It is for 5 marks. This test was originally designed by a psychiatrist.

Also Read: Cloze Test Practice Set 2

Directions (Q. 1-10): In the following passage there are blanks each of which has been numbered.
These numbers are printed below the passage andagainst each five wordsare suggested, one of the which fits in the blank appropriately. Find out the appropriate word in each case.

In these days of economic liberalisation, globalisation, etc, materialistic values have assumed…(1)… importance. Money, physical comforts, and luxuries are most sought after aspects. There has been…(2)…competition. Such competition…(3)…undue stress. The stress leads to…(4)…of health of the people.

Indian culture…(5)…its striking uniqueness, as against the Western culture, in the fact that there is a…(6)…place for spiritualism in the value system in all walks of life..The spirituality is a very…(7)…force which helps us in maintaining our physical and mental health. It gives us…(8)….to cope with the stress. Westerners have now…(9)…the importance of spirituality and, therefore, they have started….(10)…us in the matter of spirituality.

1. 1) greater 2) smaller 3) little 4) least 5) usual
2. 1) unusual 2) no 3) never 4) new 5) nice
3. 1) made 2) caused 3) generates 4) kills 5) removes
4. 1) illness 2) wellness 3) beauty 4) ugliness 5) wholeness
5. 1) led 2) lent 3) bent 4) marginalised 5) culminated
6. 1) informal 2) formal 3) official 4) unofficial 5) authorised
7. 1) uncommon 2) unnatural 3) strange 4) familiar 5) common
8. 1) clues 2) strength 3) leads 4) length 5) width
9. 1) i gnored 2) known 3) realised 4) eliminated 5) elected
10. 1) accusing 2) finding fault 3) emulating 4) mocking 5) mimicking

Answers: 1-1, 2-2, 3-3, 4-1, 5-4, 6-2, 7-5, 8-2, 9-3, 10-3.

TIPS:

1) First of all, read the passage carefully and closely and understand the theme of it.
2) Then read the options given for each question. It helps you understand your task better.
3) Now read each sentence and here more often the words before the blank and the words after the blank GIVE AWAY a clue about the suitable word to be used.
4) When no clue is available in the sentence, you can try quickly all the options given for each blank.
5) After filling in all the blanks,give a quick final reading of the entire passage and make last minute changes if any.

In many competitive examinations especially Bank Examinations these days as you know, English is one of the subjects in which your knowledge is tested. In fact your proficiency in English comes handy and plays a decisive role not only in the written exam but also in the interview and in your job and career later. Therefore it is imperative on your part to have a good working knowledge of English.

Generally in these exams questions are set to test a candidate’s four language skills namely Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. While in the written exam his /her reading and writing skills are put to test, in the interview his/ her listening and speaking skills are tested. Acquiring some sound knowledge in these skills needs a prolonged and well planned practice.

Preliminary Exam:

Again in the Preliminary exam, 30 questions in English language are to be answered in 15 – 20 minutes. Candidates need to have speed and accuracy here and a thorough practical knowledge of aspects like grammar and vocabulary immensely helps them. That “How to
acquire these four skills and practical knowledge in them” may be a big question before you. In fact this is the problem of most of the candidates who appear for bank and other competitive exams.

According to one survey only 10 percent of Indians today can understand what is said and written in English and just two percent of us are really proficient in this language! Among us again there are many great writers than great speakers in English.

Habit of reading:

There are two ways in which you can acquire skills to use English effectively. First of all, pick up the habit of reading English newspapers and magazines daily. This helps you understand grammar, usage and vocabulary, besides improving your levels of general
awareness. Listening to people who speak in English and watching English programmes on T V will also help you understand better the nuances in listening and speaking skills.

Secondly, learn English grammar and other aspects in an orderly and systematic way. One popular method is first of all to have a thorough knowledge of Parts of Speech. This is essential as it makes learning about other things like the use of Articles, Tenses, Voice and Transformation Sentences easier.

IBPS and SBI Clerks English – Cloze Test Practice Questions – Set 1

English for Bank Exams – Preparation Strategy and Tips