Bank of Baroda Clerk Exam Paper 2011

             English Language

                               (Exam Held On: 17-04-2011)

Directions (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.
There is a story told of a king who lived long ago in a country across the sea. He was a very wise king, and spared no efforts to teach his people good habits. Often he did things which seemed to them strange and useless; but everything he did, he did to teach his people to be industrious and careful. "Nothing good can come to a nation, whose people complain and expect others to fix their problems for them" he said. "Good things from life come to those who take matters into their hands." One night, while everyone was asleep, he placed a large stone in the middle of the road that led past the place. Then he hid behind a bush, and waited to see what would happen.
First came a farmer with his wagon heavily loaded with grain, which he was taking to the mill to be ground. "Well, whoever saw such carelessness?" he said crossly, as he turned his wagon and drove around the stone. "Why don't these lazy people have that stone taken off from the road? " And so he went on complaining about the uselessness of others, but not touching the stone himself.
Soon afterwards, a young soldier came singing along the road. The long trail of his cap waved in the breeze, and a bright sword hung at his side. He was thinking of the wonderful bravery he would show in the war. The soldier did not see the stone, but struck his foot against it and went tossing in the dust. He rose to his feet, shook the dust from his clothes, picked up his sword, and complained angrily about the lazy people who had no more sense than to leave such a huge stone in the middle of the road. Then he, too, walked away, not once thinking that he might move it himself. And so the day passed. Everyone who came by complained and whined because the stone lay on the road, but no one touched it.
At last, just before nightfall, the miller's daughter came past. She was a hard-working girl and was very tired because she had been busy since early morning at the mill. But she said to herself, "It is almost dark, somebody may trip over this stone in the night, and perhaps he could be badly hurt. I will move it out of the way." So she tugged at the heavy stone. It was hard to move, but she pulled and pushed, and lifted until at last she moved it from its place. To her surprise, she found a box underneath. She lifted the box .It was heavy, for it was filled with something. Upon it was written: This box belong to the one who moved the stone. She opened the lid, and found that it was filled with gold! The miller's daughter went home with a happy heart.
When the farmer, the soldier and all the others heard what had happened, they gathered around the spot on the road where the stone had been. They scratched at the dust with their feet, hoping to turn up a piece of gold.
"My friends," said the king, "We often come across obstacles and burdens our way. We may complain out loud about them or we may choose to walk around them. Alternatively, we can analyse them and find out what they mean. Disappointment is usually the price of laziness." Then the wise king mounted his horse and rode away.

1. Why was the miler's daughter happy?
(1) She finished all her work at the mill.
(2) She won the bet placed by the king.
(3) The king declared her the most industrious persons in his kingdom.
(4) She was rewarded with a box full of gold that lay beneath the stone.
(5) The king offered her a hundred gold coins.

Ans. (4)

2. Why did the king place a stone in the middle of the road?
(1) He enjoyed troubling others.
(2) He wanted to watch people trip and fall.
(3) He wanted to cover a manhole in the road.
(4) He wanted to obstruct people from visiting the place.
(5) He wanted to teach his people to take matters into their own hands.

Ans.  (5)

3. The people completed while passing the road that led past the palace because
(A) there was a huge stone lying on the road.
(B) there was a manhole in the road.
(c) nobody was allowed to shift the stone on the road.

(1) Only (A)
(2) Only (C)
(3) Only (A) and (c)
(4) Only (B)
(5) None of these

Ans.  (1)

4. Which of the following adjectives given below would best describe the king?
(1) Evil  
(2) Industrious
(3) Lazy 
(4) Careless
(5) Suspicious

Ans. (2)

5. Why did the people from the country, including the farmer and the solider gather around the spot where the stone lay?
(1) They were hoping to discover a gold mine.
(2) They were told that the king was waiting for them at the very spot.
(3) They were hoping to discover some more gold for themselves.
(4)  They wanted to make sure that the stone was really removed.
(5) They wanted to inspect the damage done to the road.

Ans.  (3)

6. Who among the following did not attempt to move the stone?
(A) The farmer
(B) The miller's daughter
(C) The young soldier

(1) Only (A)
(2) Only (B)
(3) Only (C)
(4) Only (A) and (C)
(5) Only (A) and (B)

Ans.  (4)


7. Why did the king hide behind the bush?
(1) He wanted to see how his people would react to the stone.
(2) He was spying on the young soldier.
(3) He was not getting sleep.
(4) He wanted to guard the palace.
(5) None of these

Ans.  (1)


8. Which of the following statements is true of the miller's daughter according to the passage?
(1) She was a very considerate girl
(2) She was greedy
(3) She misguided the farmer and the young soldier
(4) She was very busy and had no time for others
(5) None of the above is true

Ans.  (1)


9. Which of the following statements is true of the king according to the passage?
(A) He often did useless thing like placing stone on the road to irritate his people.
(B) He tried his best to teach his people to be industrious.
(C) He was responsible for placing the box of gold beneath the stone.

(1) Only (A)
(2) Only (C)
(3) Only (B) and (C)
(4) Only (B)
(5) Only (A) and (C)

Ans.  (3)

10. Why did the miller's daughter decide to move the stone?
(1) She wanted the gold that lay beneath the stone.
(2) She was afraid that someone would get hurt.
(3) She knew that the king was watching her from behind the bush.
(4) The girl loved challenges and wanted to show her strength to the king.
(5) She wanted to escape work at the mill.

Ans.  (2)


Directions (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. LOADED
(1)  Completed
(2) Filled
(3) Secured
(4) Adjusted
(5) Frequently

Ans. (2)


12. OFTEN
(1) Sometimes 
(2) Hardly
(3) Rarely
(4) Deliberately
(5) Frequently

Ans. (5)


13. MOUNTED
(1) Climbed
(2) Took
(3) Tapped
(4) Moved
(5) Called

Ans.  (1)


Directions (14-15): Choose the world which is most OPPOSITE in meaning of the world printed in bold as used in the passage.
14. CARELESSNESS
(1) Negligence
(2) Carefulness
(3) Worthiness
(4) Harshness
(5) Laziness

Ans.  (2)


15. HARD
(1) Difficult
(2) Light
(3) Easy           
(4) Complicated
(5) Soft

Ans.  (3)


Directions (16-20): 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 number of that part is the answer. If there is no error, the answer is (5) ie, ‘No error' (Ignore the errors of punctuation, if any).
16. During the reign of /(1) the emperor of Vijayanagar,/ (2) there lived a/(3) wise magistrate named Haripant./(4) No error (5)

Ans.  (5)

17. My parents came /(1) to town with/(2) the intention in visting /(3) the University. (4) No error (5)

Ans.  (3)

18. Suman took a hundred coins /(1) from the man and /(2) gave him a few medicine /(3) to make him feel better./(4) No error (5)

Ans.  (1)

19. The children were/(1) even more angrier /(2) with the shopkeeper/ (3) for having tricked  them the second time. /(4) No error (5)

Ans. (2)

20. Since it was evening by the time/ (1) the farmer reached the next village,/(2) he took shelter in the house / (3) of a old couple. /(4) No error (5)

Ans.  (4)


Directions (21-25): In each of the following sentences, an idiomatic expression or a proverb is highlighted. Select the alternative which best describes its use in the sentence.
21. The Police will leave no stone unturned to discover the murderer.
(1) turn every stone
(2) investigate thoroughly
(3) make no commitment
(4) invest a large sum
(5) make no excuse

Ans. (2)


22. The police tried to make her admit that she had made a mistake, but the girl stood her ground and said that she had seen the burglar.
(1) did not move
(2) was being stubborn
(3) stood firm on the ground
(4) promised to be true
(5) refused to change her statement
Ans. (5)


23. Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.
(1) indulge
(2) force
(3) disclose
(4) postpone
(5) place
Ans.  (4)


24. The concert was brought to a close with a display of fireworks.
(1) concluded
(2) interrupted
(3) announced
(4) brought to a halt
(5) cancelled
Ans. (1)


25. Step by step the veterinarian taught the little puppy to obey her.
(1) Hastily
(2) Reluctantly
(3)Slowly and methodically
(4) With great hesitation
(5) Dutifully
Ans.  (3)


Directions (26-30): Pick out the most effective word from the given words to fill in the blanks to make the sentence meaningfully complete in the context of the sentence.

26. In the field, a farmer was using two horses to pull his plough, a ___ I had not seen since my childhood.
(1) Sight 
(2) look
(3) Business
(4) appearance
(5) Work

Ans.  (1)


27. I must start ___ dawn to reach the station on time.
(1) during        
(2) doing
(3) in
(4) to
(5) before
Ans. (5)


28. During the last few years the company has been___hard to modernise its image.
(1) working     
(2) doing
(3) try                      
(4) work
(5) undertaking
Ans. (1)


29. No sooner had he returned ___  he was off again.
(1) and             
(b) but
(3) that
(4) yet
(5) than
Ans. (5)


30. As it was getting late, I was ___ troubled focusing on the birds in the disappearing light.
(1) feeling        
(2) having
(3) experience           
(4) being
(5) seeing
Ans. (2)


Directions (31-35): In each question below, four words printed in bold type are given. These are numbered (1), (2),(3) and (4). 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 number 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 (5) ie, ‘All Correct' as your answer.

31. The soldiers (1) were brought (2) in to restore law and ordre (3) after the riots. (4) All Correct (5)

Ans. (3)

32. Under (1) my teacher's guidance (2) I slowly mastored (3) the art of pottery. (4) All Correct (5)
Ans. (3)

33. The building (1) is regularly inspected (2) by the fire (3) safety officer (4) All Correct (5)
Ans.  (5)

34. The Company (1) received severel (2) complaints (3) from irate (4) customers. All Correct (5)
Ans. (2)

35. Anxeity (1) can interfere (2) with children's performance (3) at school. (4) All Correct (5)
Ans.  (5)


Direction (36-40): Rearrange the following six sentences/group of sentences (A), (B), (C), (D), (E) and (F) in the proper sequence to form a meaningful paragraph: then answer the questions given below them.

• (A) All looked alike and were dressed in kingly robes. Who was the real king? Wondered Birbal.
• (B) The king of Iran had heard that Birbal was one of the wisest men in the East and desirous of meeting him, sent him an invitation to visit his country.
• (C) Birbal explained saying, ‘The false king were all looking at you, while you yourself looked straight ahead. Even in regal robes, the common people will always look to their king for support.' Overjoyed, the king embraced him and showered him with gifts.
• (D) ‘But how did you identify me?' the king asked puzzled.
• (E) The very next moment he got his answer. Confidently, he approached the king and bowed in front of him.

36. Which of the following should be the FIFTH sentence after the rearrangement?
(1) D
(2) C
(3) B
(4) A
(5) F

Ans.  (2)


37. Which of the following should be the FOURTH sentence after the rearrangement?
(1) C           
(2) D
(3) F           
(4) B
(5) E
Ans. (2)

38. Which of the following should be the SECOND sentence after the rearrangement?
(1) B           
(2) C
(3) F           
(4) A
(5) E
Ans. (4)


39. Which of the following should be the THIRD sentence after the rearrangement?
(1) A           
(2) D
(3) F           
(4) C
(5) E

Ans. (3)


40. Which of the following should be the FIRST sentence after the rearrangement?
(1) D           
(2) C
(3) F           
(4) B
(5) E

Ans.  (4)


Directions (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.

In the olden days people bitten by mad dogs died a sure and horrible death (191) to rabies. In 1867, Louis Pasteur, one of the well renowned scientists and the man who gave the world the ‘germ theory of disease' developed a vaccination to (192) rabies. He did not know if it would work, so he decided to (193) himself with rabies and then try out the (194) on himself. But before he could do that, a tearful woman brought her 9- year -old son to him. The boy had been (195) and bitten by a mad dog two days earlier. Pasteur (196) physicians known to him. They told him nothing could be done for the boy. Then Pasteur, with the (197) of the boy's mother, decided to try out the vaccination he had developed. He began to give the boy, injections of a certain, liquid (198) from the fragments of the brain of a mad dog. Each day Pasteur looked fearfully for signs of the onset of the dreaded disease. But the boy (199) healthy. A month passed by, then another and finally, Pasteur knew that his vaccination had worked. The physicians who had predicted the boy's death were (200). Rabies had been vanquished for the first time in history! In 1888 the Pasteur Institute was established to treat cases of rabies and today it is one the world's most famous centres of biological research.
41.
(1) inspire
(2) owning
(3) due             
(4) cause
(5) such

Ans.  (3)



42.
(1) startle                  
(2) Block
(3) due                      
(4) prevent
(5) Treatment
Ans. (4)


43.
(1) indulge       
(2) infect
(3) try              
(4) put
(5) secure
Ans.  (2)


44.
(1) decision      
(2) plan
(3) outcome     
(4) possible
(5) treatment

Ans.  (5)


45.
(1) teased         
(2) tested
(3) chase
(4) inquired
(5) consulted
Ans.  (4)


46.
(1) connection
(2) admitted
(3) chase
(4) inquired
(5) consulted
Ans.  (5)


47.
(1) commitment
(2) consent
(3) behavior
(4) knowledge
(5) approve

Ans.  (2)


48.
(1) finalised
(2) funneled
(3) obtained
(4) took
(5) resulting
Ans. (3)


49.
(1) took
(2) appearance
(3) just
(4) stay
(5) remained

Ans. (5)


50.
(1) amazed       
(2) sued
(3) dejected
(4) rejected
(5) celebrated

Ans. (1)