English Quizzes For NABARD Grade A 2022- 30th July

Directions (1-8): The passage below is accompanied by a set of six questions. Choose the best answer to each question.

I have tried to suggest that there is an interaction between the creator of the cultural idiom and the patron, that the idiom itself is not independent of this relationship, but that in this process an institution is born which has a wide social relevance. By institution I do not mean only a public organization, but an integrated, organised behavior pattern through which social control is exercised. The bard or the poet is seemingly only concerned with the raja, but his composition as a prasasti, becomes a cultural form. The eulogy focuses on political power. This, in turn, reflects on the role of the bard in relation to the raja and also fixes certain functions of the bard in society where the bard becomes the legitimiser of the king but can also, for this reason, articulate a protest against the king.

The trader and the artisan are concerned with the sangha, but both the stupa and the nature of donations to it impinge on a large range of social concerns, involving the status of the donor as well as the function of the sangha in society. The stupa draws on the institution of bhikkhus or renouncers, who on joining the order, discontinued their normal social obligations, but created an alternative society, giving rise to a kind of moral authority which could impinge on social behavior and political action.

A king donates wealth for a temple built by an architect. From this is born a parallel institution to existing ones, with a multiplicity of social roles. The temple has a horizontal nexus with its patrons which is based on a relatively equal exchange of wealth for legitimation and the social recognition of piety. But it also has a vertical nexus- with those who keep it going, which endorses and legitimizes a hierarchy of unequal status and dependence, as well as an inequality of social access to the goods and services of the temple. The temple, therefore, has also to be seen as an institution, and has to be assessed as a social and political statement apart from its religious function.

In each case a new cultural idiom is created, a new cultural signal. But our recognition, comprehension and acceptance of this signal should go beyond the creator and the patron, and should include a recognition of its social reference point for a proper understanding of ancient Indian culture. An understanding of the signal involves more than just an appreciation of its religious or aesthetic form.

Q1. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage above?

(a) Renouncing of ‘this worldly’ pursuits by bhikkhus was a dishonest endeavor as the stupas were full of wealth.
(b) Renouncers ultimately lived a very comfortable life.
(c) All renouncers became powerful enough to challenge the monarchical power.
(d) Both (a) and (b)
(e) None of the above

Q2. Which of the following statement is supported by arguments in the above passage?

(a) The prasasti is not a creative expression of the bard.
(b) Since the bard survives on the financial patronage of the king, he can never, in reality, articulate a protest against the king.
(c) Cultural idioms cannot be politically neutral.
(d) Institutions built around patronage do not survive for too long.
(e) All of the above

Q3. Institution, as understood by the author in the above passage, refers to

(a) a public organization financed by the king
(b) a set of organized social norms that play a role in social organization
(c) a set of norms which the powerful force upon the less powerful
(d) a place where social exchange takes place
(e) None of the above

Q4. Which of the following about ancient Indian society is implied in the above passage?
(a) Dissent was not tolerated.
(b) The king commanded an absolute power over his subjects.
(c) There was very little appreciation for the aesthetics of cultural forms and idioms.
(d) The power of monarchy was mediated through several institutions that allowed articulation of alternatives.
(e) None of the above

Q5. Which of the following words is nearest in meaning to the word ‘legitimation’ as used in the passage?

(a) Connivance
(b) Legal
(c) Canonical
(d) justice
(e) None of the above

Q6. Which of the following words is nearest in meaning to the word ‘piety’ as used in the passage?

(a) appraised
(b) sanctity
(c) proximate
(d) ostensible
(e) intrude

Q7. Which of the following words is farthest in meaning to the word ‘patron’ as used in the passage?

(a) obscene
(b) grubby
(c) tainted
(d) antagonist
(e) perturb

Q8. Which of the following words is farthest in meaning to the word ‘impinge’ as used in the passage?

(a) tenuous
(b) annex
(c) afflictive
(d) destitute
(e) evade

Directions (9-10): In each of the question given below a/an idiom/phrase is given in bold which is then followed by five options which then tries to decipher its meaning as used in the sentence. Choose the option which gives the meaning of the phrase most appropriately in context of the given sentence.

Q9. There will have to be a sea change in people’s attitudes if public transport is ever to replace the private car.

(a) development
(b) transformation
(c) growth
(d) continuation
(e) parameters

Q10. Overall it is troubling, as an ill wind does no one much good.

(a) a coming disaster
(b) a contagious disease
(c) ill nature
(d) an unfortunate event
(e) an ill temperament

Direction (11-15): Which of the following phrases (I), (II), and (III) given below each sentence CANNOT replace the phrase printed in bold letters without altering the meaning of the sentence both grammatically and contextually? Choose the best option among the five given alternatives that reflect the incorrect use of phrase in the context of the grammatically correct sentence. If all three phrases are incorrect, choose (e) as the answer.

Q11. People want real and genuine relief and not cleverly propped up or exaggerated benefits which may not be so impressive when subjected to closer scrutiny.
(I)which may seem unimpressive
(II)that is not so impressive
(III)which can be unimpressive

(a)Only (I)
(b)Only (II)
(c)Only (III)
(d)Both (I) and (II)
(e)All (I), (II) and (III)

Q12. While the distress of rural areas has been rightly emphasised in recent months, this should not lead to neglect of economic difficulties of weaker sections in urban areas.
(I)Though the distress of rural areas has been
(II)Despite the fact that the distress of rural areas have
(III)Even if the distress in rural areas have been

(a)Only (I)
(b)Only (II)
(c)Both (I) and (II)
(d)Both (II) and (III)
(e)All (I), (II) and (III)

Q13. The police are encouraging people to come forward with any information about the kidnapped girl.
(I)to come up with informations
(II)to step forward with any information
(III)to furnish with any information

(a)Only (I)
(b)Both (I) and (II)
(c)Both (II) and (III)
(d)Both (I) and (III)
(e)All (I), (II) and (III)

Q14. Schemes like NREGA which provide work near home while creating livelihood and enhancing assets need significantly higher allocations.
(I)needs a significant higher allocations
(II)needs a highly significant allocations
(III)need to allocate significantly high

(a)Only (I)
(b)Only (III)
(c)Both (I) and (II)
(d)Both (II) and (III)
(e)All (I), (II) and (III)

Q15. While the government has been announcing relief under certain categories, many small entrepreneurs and artisans still feel threatened by the adverse impact on their livelihoods.
(I)Even though the government has been announcing
(II)While the government might announce
(III)Despite announcing

(a)Only (I)
(b)Both (I) and (II)
(c)Both (II) and (III)
(d)Both (I) and (III)
(e)All (I), (II) and (III)

Solutions

S1. Ans. (e)
Sol. None of the given statements can be inferred from the passage. The renouncers simply exercised moral authority which may have acted some influence on social or political structure.

S2. Ans. (c)
Sol. Refer the first sentence of the passage “I have tried to suggest that there is an interaction between the creator of the cultural idiom and the patron, that the idiom itself is not independent of this relationship, but that in this process an institution is born which has a wide social relevance.”

S3. Ans. (b)
Sol. Refer the second sentence of the passage “By institution I do not mean only a public organization, but an integrated, organised behavior pattern through which social control is exercised.”

S4. Ans. (d)
Sol. Refer the second paragraph “The stupa draws on the institution of bhikkhus or renouncers, who on joining the order, discontinued their normal social obligations, but created an alternative society, giving rise to a kind of moral authority which could impinge on social behavior and political action.’

S5. Ans. (e)
Sol. Here ‘Legitimization’ means authorization or validation.

S6. Ans. (b)
Sol. ‘Piety’ means the quality of being religious or reverent. Hence it has similar meaning as ‘sanctity’.

S7. Ans. (d)
Sol. ‘Patron’ means a person who supports the cause. Hence it has opposite meaning as ‘antagonist’.

S8. Ans. (e)
Sol. Impinge means have an effect, especially a negative one. Hence it has opposite meaning as ‘evade’.

S9. Ans. (b)
Sol. Option (b) is correct. ‘A sea change’ means a profound or notable transformation.

S10. Ans. (d)
Sol. Option (d) is the correct choice. ‘An ill wind’ means an unfortunate event.

S11. Ans. (b)
Sol. Both the expressions (I) and (III) can be used to replace the highlighted phrase in the sentence without altering the meaning of it. Both the expressions provide the similar meaning to the sentence. However, in the case of second expression, the use of the singular verb “is” makes it incorrect as the subject it is referring is plural [exaggerated benefits]. Moreover, the use of the verb “may” in the sentence expresses possibility and thus we cannot use the expression suggesting surety. Hence option (b) is the correct choice.

S12. Ans. (d)
Sol. Only the first expression is correct enough to replace the existing phrase without altering the meaning of the sentence. However, the other two expressions are incorrect as they do not follow the subject-verb agreement correctly. It is to be noted that the subject is singular [the distress of rural areas], so the following verb should also be in the similar form which isn’t the case in the expressions (II) and (III). Hence option (d) is the correct choice.

S13. Ans. (a)
Sol. Both the expressions (II) and (III) are correct and can be used to replace the existing phrase in the sentence without altering its meaning. It is to be noted that “come forward” is a phrasal verb which means to volunteer information about something, like a crime. Similarly, the phrasal verb “step forward” means to offer to provide or do something, or to help with something. Thus, the expressions (II) and (III) give the similar meaning to the sentence. However, in the case of expression (I), there is a minor mistake in using the word “information”. It is to be noted that “Information” is a non-count noun, so the convention is that information is both singular and plural. Moreover, the phrasal verb “come up” means to think of an idea, which doesn’t make a sense to the meaning of the sentence. Hence option (a) is the correct choice.

S14. Ans. (e)
Sol. All the three expressions are incorrect and they cannot be used to replace the existing phrase in the sentence. The singular verb “needs” used in the first and the second expressions is incorrect as the subject “Schemes” is in plural form which requires a plural verb. The third expression is incorrect owing to the meaning that it would generate after replacing the existing phrase. It would alter the intended meaning of the sentence [i.e., Schemes like NREGA require allocations, and they aren’t meant to allocate]. Hence option (e) is the correct choice.

S15. Ans. (c)
Sol. Only the first statement can be used to replace the existing phrase without altering the meaning of the sentence. It is to be noted that both “while” and “even though” are conjunctions which mean in spite of the fact that. However, the last two expressions are incorrect owing to their meanings which do not comply with the statement. In the case of second one, the verb “might” cannot replace “has been” as there is surety in the sentence. The last expression is incomplete as it lacks the use of the subject. Hence option (c) is the correct choice.