PUNJAB NATIONAL BANK SPECIALIST OFFICERS EXAM 2011

Punjab National Bank (Specialist Officers) Exam., 2011
English Language : Solved Paper(Held on 28-8-2011)

GENERAL ENGLISH

(EXAM HELD ON: 18-08-2011)

Directions–(Q. 1-15) Read the following passage to answer the given questions based on it. Some words / phrases are printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.

The advent of technology has fundamentally changed our lives, but one thing is for sure: The velocity of technological change will accelerate in an exponential manner with significant ramifications for all of us. Just imagine: over half of the scientists and engineers who have ever lived are alive today. China adds about 6.5 million graduates every year, half of them engineers and scientists. It is not only the sheer number of "innovators" who will push the boundaries of science, technology and ultimately life-change, but also the greater degree of interconnectivity which accelerates the generation of knowledge and creates a much more entrepreneurial environment for innovation and change.

What is particularly striking is this dimension of change. Today's technological evolution no longer solely affects what we are doing, but also who we are. Of course, the Internet is in many ways still a tool, but it has also become part of our DNA. This is true for governments (just think of WikiLeaks), for businesses and for individuals. In some way, we are "outsourcing" parts of ourselves – and this raises the question: Who owns our 'inner most' self -our desires or our mobile phone records, capturing where we are going and with whom we are meeting. Is it technology companies, our local phone providers, or is it still us ?

It is not only the velocity and nature of change, but also the increasing multiplicity of actors which characterizes the world of today and tomorrow. Ten years ago, the Group of Eight (G-8) countries represented more than 60% of the world's economic power. Today, much more than half of the world's economic growth is produced by so-called emerging countries. This multiplicity of actors not only highlights the geographic expansion and the extension of multi-stakeholder impact, but it also underscores the fact that power is shifting from the top down and from the centre to the periphery -leaving almost seven billion people who want to have their say and the capability to do so.

The geoeconomic and geopolitical power shifts taking place will fundamentally change our lifestyles – equally, so too will the cultural seismic shifts that are occurring. Going forward, prevailing Western values will have to increasingly accommodate Asian values, and vice-versa. By 2025, four of the five largest economies in the world will be non-Western and close to half of the Fortune 500 companies will originate in emerging countries. This will have a direct impact on all of us in terms of new brands, new lifestyles and new industrial ownership structures.

All of these accelerated trends – velocity, multiplicity, interconnectivity – are creating a completely new world in which the mastering of complexities will be the key challenge. Of course, the more complex the system is, the greater the risk of systemic breakdowns.

1. Which of the following is predicted about world' s largest economies by 2025 ?
(A) Three out of the five largest economies will be Asian
(B) Four out of the five largest economies will be western
(C) Three out of the five largest economies will be non-western
(D) The top five largest economies will be non-western
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)

2. Which of the following is indicated about technology ?
(A) Technology changes will be more rapid now
(B) Technology will not bring about major societal changes now
(C) Number of innovations has gone down now
(D) Technologically advanced countries will represent 60% of world's economic power
(E) Telecommunication will see more advancement as compared to other areas
Ans : (A)

3. Which of the following would, in future, be true about cultural changes ?
(A) Western culture will affect Asian culture
(B) Asian culture will affect western culture
(C) Both western and Asian culture and values will adjust and mingle with each other
(D) No culture will be able to influence the other culture
(E) Inspite of other rapid changes, cultural changes will be slow
Ans : (C)


4. Which of the following is predicted about the Fortune 500 Companies ?
(A) Many of these companies will shift their base to the emerging countries
(B) Fortune 500 will be replaced by Fortune 2025
(C) Many new companies initiated in emerging countries will find place in Fortune 500
(D) None of the presently included countries will remain in Fortune 500 group by 2025
(E) The share of western countries will be less than 20% in Fortune 500
Ans : (C)

5. Which of the following may be the best title for the passage ?
(A) Technology
(B) New world complexities
(C) Convergence of Asian Values
(D) Innennost Vs outerself
(E) Changing lifestyle by 2025
Ans : (B)

6. Which of the following is true about world economy?
(A) The share of G-8 countries in the economic growth is just 10%
(B) More countries from western world now contribute to the world's economy
(C) There are five countries which contribute about 60% of world's economic growth
(D) More than 50% of world's economic growth now comes from developing countries
(E) The growth rate of GDP of most of the western countries is much more than what it was 10 years ago
Ans : (D)

7. Which of the following best describes the meaning of "push the boundaries" as used in the passage ?
(A) accept the challenge
(B) creating more competition
(C) prove to the world
(D) achieve the unimaginable
(E) take technology from one area to the other
Ans : (A)

8. Which of the following has now become a part of our DNA ?
(A) Global cooperation
(B) Internet
(C) Western values
(D) Complex life style
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

9. Which of the following would be the key challenge in the new world ?
(A) Controlling geopolitical power shifts
(B) Mastering the emerging complexities
(C) Pushing the boundaries of science
(D) Overcoming the power of internet
(E) The power shift from the centre to the periphery
Ans : (E)

Directions–(Q. 10-13) Choose the word(s) which is most nearly the same in meaning of the word printed in bold, as used in the passage.

10. accommodate(A) alter
(B) domesticate
(C) barrack
(D) include
(E) abide
Ans : (D)

11. ramifications
(A) ractifications
(B) backlashes
(C) consequences
(D) issues
(E) reverberations
Ans : (C)

12. accelerated
(A) new found
(B) unexpected
(C) rabid
(D) systemic
(E) fast paced
Ans : (E)

13. advent
(A) over-use
(B) importance
(C) approach
(D) arrival
(E) assurance
Ans : (D)

Directions–(Q. 14-15) Choose I the word(s) which is most opposite in meaning of the word printed in bold, as used in the passage.

14. striking
(A) friendly
(B) undistinguished
(C) interlocking
(D) noticeable
(E) non-colliding
Ans : (B)

15. key
(A) subsidiary
(B) closed
(C) primal
(D) locked
(E) over-ruled
Ans : (A)

Directions–(Q. 16-25) 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.

Delhi and Mumbai are the fifth and third cheapest cities of the world, out of 134 ...(16)..., says a news report. This comes as a ...(17)..., naturally, to those who live in these places and have been led to. ..(18) ... that they lead a pretty expensive life. Particularly what with the global commodity price boom pushing up material prices and all kinds of labour costs. With their considerable experience in 'arranging' surveys to deliver the desired results, many a Dilliwala or Mumbaikar might be tempted to ...(19)... the survey which came up with these results was ...(20)... by some sponsor or the other. Such cynicism goes out of the ...(21) ...when the same news report reveals that the survey was conducted by a respectable organisation. ...(22) ...a scrutiny of the top five cities and the two Indian cities, neighbours at the bottom yields a clue.

Tokyo leads the pack, followed by Oslo, Kobe, Paris and Zurich. One cannot readily vouch for Paris, but the other four are some of the most placid peaceful cities of the world. When we come to the bottom of the ranking, giving ...(23)... to Delhi and Mumbai are Tehran. Tunis and Karachi, the last mentioned being crowned the cheapest city of them all. Karachi gives the game away immediately, lifting all ...(24)... over what exactly is cheap in these places jostling for space at the bottom of the list. Life liberty and human dignity are what goes ...(25)... in these towns and what makes Delhi and Mumbai worthy contenders in the race to global cheapness. When crime goes unchecked, even after being widely reported and condemned, and criminals run rampant, life gets degraded, deformed, even extinguished. Life, in other words, gets cheap. Call it the lighter side of death.

16. (A) bigger
(B) participated
(C) sought
(D) designed
(E) surveyed
Ans : (E)

17. (A) reckoner
(B) shock
(C) mistake
(D) grief
(E) relief
Ans : (B)

18. (A) style
(B) believe
(C) display
(D) pretend
(E) deny
Ans : (B)

19. (A) deny
(B) protest
(C) oppose
(D) conclude
(E) conduct
Ans : (D)

20. (A) matched
(B) improved
(C) sponsored
(D) rejected
(E) manipulated
Ans : (E)

21. (A) doubt
(B) wisdom
(C) city
(D) door
(E) senses
Ans : (D)

22. (A) But
(B) Whether
(C) Would
(D) If
(E) As
Ans : (A)

23. (A) competing
(B) hints
(C) company
(D) significance
(E) threat
Ans : (C)

24. (A) inhibition
(B) definitions
(C) dependency
(D) mystery
(E) censor
Ans : (D)

25. (A) cheap
(B) unreported
(C) miss
(D) complex
(E) jostling
Ans : (A)

Directions–(Q. 26-35) Read each sentence to find out whether there is any grammatical error in it or a wrong word has been used. The error, if any, will be in one part of the sentence which has been lettered (A), (B), (C) or (D). 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).

26. To begun with (A) / three agencies were (B) / retained to study (C) / and submit recommendations. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (A)

27. To clamp down on illegal mining (A) / that loses money for the Exchequer, (B) / local people need to empowered (C) / to vet and oversee operations. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (C)

28. In real terms, it (A) / means passing up on (B) / opportunities that presents (C) / themselves to us. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (E)

29. The failure to control (A) / losses or increase revenues (B) / in a market growing (C) / in double digit is significantly. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (D)

30. There have been (A) / marked changes, (B) / but social rather (C) / then economic. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (D)

31. Notwithstand his (A) / frequent indisposition, (B) / he has diligently attended (C) / every single court hearing. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (A)

32. The administration continued to (A) / improve bilateral relations, (B) / while deepening and (C) / formalizing the economic dialogue. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (E)

33. The cause of rising crimes (A) / against women has its roots (B) / in the skewed sex ratio which (C) / males outnumber females. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (C)

34. Now that more and more (A) / internet sites are tailored (B) / their services to the requirements of individual users, (C) / queries may yield different outcomes for different people. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (B)

35. These are among (A) / the many contentious points (B) / that the author make (C) / in his controversial book. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (C)