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Most Difficult Questions of English for IBPS PO mains Exam

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Directions (1-8): Read the following passage carefully and answer
these questions. Certain words have been printed in bold to help you locate
them while answering some of the questions.

Current
feminist theory, in validating women’s own stories of their experience, has
encouraged scholars of women’s history to view the use of women’s oral
narratives as the methodology, next to the use of women’s written
autobiography, that brings historians closest to the “reality” of women’s
lives. Such narratives, unlike most standard histories, represent experience
from the perspective of women, affirm the importance of women’s contributions,
and furnish present-day women with historical continuity that is essential to
their identity, individually and collectively.
Scholars of
women’s history should, however, be as cautious about accepting oral narratives
at face value as they already are about written memories. Oral narratives are
no more likely than are written narratives to provide a disinterested
commentary on events or people. Moreover, the stories people tell to explain
themselves are shaped by narrative devices and storytelling conventions, as
well as by other cultural and historical factors, in ways that the storytellers
may be unaware of. The political
rhetoric
of a particular era, for example, may influence women’s
interpretations of the significance of their experience. Thus, a woman who
views the Second World War as pivotal
in increasing the social acceptance of women’s paid work outside the home may
reach that conclusion partly and unwittingly because of wartime rhetoric
encouraging a positive view of women’s participation in such work.
Q1. The passage is primarily concerned with
(a) contrasting
the benefits of one methodology with the benefits of another
(b) describing
the historical origins and inherent drawbacks of a particular methodology
(c) discussing
the appeal of a particular methodology and some concerns about its use
(d) showing
that some historians’ adoption of a particular methodology has led to criticism
of recent historical scholarship
(e) analyzing
the influence of current feminist views on women’s interpretations of their
experience
Q2. According
to the passage, which of the following shapes the oral narratives of women
storytellers?
(a) The
conventions for standard histories in the culture in which a woman storyteller
lives
(b) The
conventions of storytelling in the culture in which a woman storyteller lives
(c) A woman
storyteller’s experience with distinctive traditions of storytelling developed
by the woman in her family of origin
(d) The
cultural expectations and experiences of those who listen to oral narratives
(e) A woman
storyteller’s familiarity with the stories that members of other groups in her
culture tell to explain themselves
Q3. The
author of the passage would be most likely to make which of the following
recommendations to scholars of women’s history?
(a) They
should take into account their own life experiences when interpreting the oral
accounts of women’s historical experiences.
(b) They
should assume that the observations made in women’s oral narratives are
believed by the intended audience of the story.
(c) They
should treat skeptically observations reported in oral narratives unless the
observations can be confirmed in standard histories.
(d) They
should consider the cultural and historical context in which an oral narrative
was created before arriving at an interpretation of such a narrative.
(e) They
should rely on information gathered from oral narratives only when equivalent
information is not available in standard histories.

Q4. Which of the following best describes the function of the last sentence of
the passage?
(a) It
describes an event that historians view as crucial in recent women’s history.
(b) It
provides an example of how political rhetoric may influence the interpretations
of experience reported in women’s oral narratives.
(c) It
provides an example of an oral narrative that inaccurately describes women’s
experience during a particular historical period.
(d) It
illustrates the point that some women are more aware than others of the social
forces that shape their oral narratives.
(e) It
identifies the historical conditions that led to the social acceptance of
women’s paid work outside the home.
Q5. According
to the passage, scholars of women’s history should refrain from doing which of
the following?
(a) Relying
on traditional historical sources when women’s oral narratives are unavailable
(b) Focusing
on the influence of political rhetoric on women’s perceptions to the exclusion
of other equally important factors
(c) Attempting
to discover the cultural and historical factors that influence the stories
women tell
(d) Assuming
that the conventions of women’s written autobiographies are similar to the
conventions of women’s oral narratives
(e) Accepting
women’s oral narratives less critically than they accept women’s written
histories
Q6. According
to the passage, each of the following is a difference between women’s oral
narratives and most standard histories EXCEPT:
(a) Women’s
oral histories validate the significance of women’s achievements.
(b) Women’s
oral histories depict experience from the point of view of women.
(c) Women’s
oral histories acknowledge the influence of well-known women.
(d) Women’s
oral histories present today’s women with a sense of their historical
relationship to women of the past.
(e) Women’s
oral histories are crucial to the collective identity of today’s women.

Directions (7-8): Choose the
word which is most nearly the same in meaning as the word printed in bold as
used in the passage.
Q7. Rhetoric
(a) Mandatory
(b) magniloquence
(c) Incapable
(d) Lazy
(e)
Officious
Q8. Pivotal
(a) vital
(b) Entreaties
(c) Ruses
(d)
Conspiracies
(e)
Assurances
Directions (9-15): Read the following passage carefully and answer
these questions. Certain words have been printed in bold to help you locate
them while answering some of the questions.

In recent years, teachers of introductory courses in Asian American studies
have been facing a dilemma nonexistent a few decades ago, when hardly any texts
in that field were available. Today, excellent anthologies and other introductory
texts exist, and books on individual Asian American nationality groups and on
general issues important for Asian American are published almost weekly. Even
professors who are experts in the field find it difficult to decide which of
these to assign to students; nonexperts who teach in related areas and are
looking for writings for and by Asian Americans to include in survey courses
are in an even worse position.
A
complicating factor has been the continuing lack of specialized one-volume reference works on Asian Americans, such as
biographical dictionaries or desktop encyclopedias. Such works would enable
students taking.  Asian American studies
courses (and professors in related fields) to look up basic information on
Asian American individuals, institutions, history, and culture without having
to wade through mountains of primary source material. In addition, given such
works, Asian American studies professors might feel more free to include more
challenging Asian American material in their introductory reading lists, since
good reference works allow students to acquire on their own the background
information necessary to interpret difficult
or unfamiliar material.
Q9. The author of the passage is primarily concerned with doing
which of the following?
(a) Recommending
a methodology
(b) Describing
a course of study
(c) Discussing
a problem
(d) Evaluating
a past course of action
(e) Responding
to a criticism
Q10. The
“dilemma” mentioned in the passage can best be characterized as being caused by
the necessity to make a choice when faced with a
(a) lack of
acceptable alternatives
(b) lack of
strict standards of evaluating alternatives
(c) preponderance
of bad alternatives as compared to good
(d) multitude
of different alternatives
(e) large
number of alternatives that are nearly identical in content
Q11. The
passage suggest that the factor mentioned in the passage complicates
professors’ attempts to construct introductory reading lists for courses in
Asian American studies in which of the following ways?
(a) By
making it difficult for professors to identify primary source material and to
obtain standard information on Asian American history and culture
(b) By
preventing professors from identifying excellent anthologies and introductory
texts in the field that are both recent and understandable to students
(c) By
preventing professors for adequately evaluating the quality of the numerous
texts currently being published in the field
(d) By
making it more necessary for professors to select readings for their courses
that are not too challenging for students unfamiliar with Asian American
history and culture
(e) By
making it more likely that the readings professors assign to students in their
courses will be drawn solely from primary sources

Q12. The passage implies that which of the following was true of introductory
courses in Asian American studies a few decades ago?
(a) The
range of different textbooks that could be assigned for such courses was
extremely limited.
(b) The
texts assigned as readings in such courses were often not very challenging for
students.
(c) Students
often complained about the texts assigned to them in such courses.
(d) Such
courses were offered only at schools whose libraries were rich in primary
sources.
(e) Such
courses were the only means then available by which people in the United States
could acquire knowledge of the field.
Q13. According
to the passage, the existence of good one-volume reference works about Asian
Americans could result in
(a) increased
agreement among professors of Asian American studies regarding the quality of
the sources available in their field
(b) an
increase in the number of students signing up for introductory courses in Asian
American studies
(c) increased
accuracy in writings that concern Asian American history and culture
(d) the use
of introductory texts about Asian American history and culture in courses
outside the field of Asian American studies
(e) the
inclusion of a wider range of Asian American material in introductory reading
lists in Asian American studies

Directions (14-15): Choose the word/phrase
which is most opposite in meaning of the word printed in bold as used in the
passage.
Q14. Specialized
(a) Dearth
(b) Missing
(c) Superfluous
(d) Sufficient
(e) generic



Q15. Interpret
(a) Ranked
(b) Unqualified
for
(c) Lacked
(d) Inept at
(e) obfuscate
Solutions
S1. Ans.(c) 
Sol. discussing the appeal of a
particular methodology and some concerns about its use

S2. Ans.(b) 
Sol. The conventions of storytelling
in the culture in which a woman storyteller lives

S3. Ans.(d) 
Sol. They should consider the cultural
and historical context in which an oral narrative was created before arriving
at an interpretation of such a narrative.

S4. Ans.(b) 
Sol. It provides an example of how
political rhetoric may influence the interpretations of experience reported in
women’s oral narratives.

S5. Ans.(e) 
Sol. Accepting women’s oral narratives
less critically than they accept women’s written histories

S6. Ans.(c) 
Sol. Women’s oral histories
acknowledge the influence of well-known women.

S7. Ans.(b) 
Sol. rhetoric- language designed to have a persuasive or impressive effect, but
which is often regarded as lacking in sincerity or meaningful content.
magniloquence-use of high-flown language.

S8. Ans.(a) 
Sol. pivotal- of crucial importance in relation to the development or success
of something else.

S9. Ans.(c) 
Sol. Discussing a problem

S10. Ans.(d) 
Sol.  multitude of
different alternatives

S11. Ans.(d) 
Sol.  By making it
more necessary for professors to select readings for their courses that are not
too challenging for students unfamiliar with Asian American history and culture

S12. Ans.(a) 
Sol.  The range of
different textbooks that could be assigned for such courses was extremely
limited.

S13. Ans.(e) 
Sol.  the
inclusion of a wider range of Asian American material in introductory reading
lists in Asian American studies

S14. Ans.(e) 
Sol.  specialized- used by or intended
for experts in a particular field of knowledge

S15. Ans.(e) 
Sol.  interpret-to make plain or
understandable
obfuscate-to make (something) more difficult to understand

     Most Difficult Questions of English for IBPS PO mains Exam |_3.1
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