Test of English Language For SBI Main Exam
Q.1-10.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 have been suggested, one of which fits the blanks appropriately. Find out the appropriate word in each case.
The text message that I received announcing Khushwant Singh’s passing away was (1) and direct, as (2) events in one’s life are. I phoned David to ask if it were true and he confirmed it. There didn’t seem too much else to say and both of us retreated into our private memories of a man who was a tremendously important and (3) present in our lives for decades.
It seems to me that I have always known Khushwant Singh. He was a (4) visitor to my bookstore. Then when I married David he became family. Indeed, he hosted our wedding reception at his Sujan Singh Park home — it is the one occasion I know of where he allowed guests to carry on partying beyond his famous 8.00 p.m. curfew; he even deigned to stay on, although being Khushwant he retreated to his bedroom long before the party broke up.
Khushwant was ageless, all through the time he was an intrinsic part of my life. This enabled me to deal with him simultaneously on several levels — as a friend, parent, and provider of wise counsel. Repeatedly, I was struck by the fact that he was one of the very few people I knew who himself, no matter who he was with was absolutely or what the situation. He spoke his mind to prince and pauper alike, and he was (5) generous to anyone who turned to him for help and advice. When we lived in Canada, on our annual visits home, he would tell us to return as soon as possible. On one such occasion, he (6) me and said he’d heard that I didn’t want to come back to India; this was untrue but I could never convince him otherwise and he would express his disappointment every time we met until I got back for good. I remember when Aleph produced its first catalogue of books, we presented Khushwant with a copy. His delight and pride in the fledgling company’s first offering was clearly visible. He said to me that The Book of Aleph was so beautiful and special that he would need to wash his hands before he could leaf through it. Over the past year our conversations were mostly about (7). And his longing for it. He told me that he was done; that he really had nothing left to look forward to in life. He was (8) about his time in London as a young man; he said he dreamed a lot about those days. At every meeting there would be a snatch or two of Urdu poetry that he would recite (recitation done, he would say that it was pitiful that I didn’t know any Urdu; I didn’t dare confess to him that, let alone Urdu, even my Punjabi was practically non-existent). His mental (9) and curiosity never left him, although latterly those of us who gathered from time to time at his legendary durbars would spend the evening bellowing at him — he was stubborn about not using his hearing aid. He read every day. He wrote his weekly column almost to the very end. And he would never let me leave his house before I finished every last drop of my (10). No wasting. Khushwant Singh was always there for me, a fixed, infinitely uplifting part of my universe. Curiously enough, even though he is gone, I know that he will continue to be in my corner, and that is comforting in ways that defy understanding.
Q.1. (1) Murky (2) Unambiguous (3) Ciphered (4) Fizzled (5) Vocal.
Q.2. (1) Momentous (2) Incredible (3) Ordinary (4) Derogatory (5) Discernible
Q.3. (1) Magnificently (2) Benevolently (3) Seldom (4) Never (5) Occasionally
Q.4. (1) Rare (2) Occasional (3) Frequent (4) Infamous (5) Antagonistic
Q.5. (1) Surprisingly (2) Invariably (3) Randomly (4) Incredibly (5) Sparingly
Q.6. (1) Encouraged (2) Rebuked (3) Suggested (4) Applauded (5) Goaded.
Q.7. (1) Life (2) Heaven (3) God (4) Death (5) Misery
Q.8. (1) Longing (2) Nostalgic (3) Laconic (4) Boastful (5) Remorseful
Q.9. (1) Sagacity (2) Cunningness (3) Recalling (4) Alacrity (5) Sluggishness
Q.10. (1) Water (2) Whiskey (3) Milk (4) Liquor (5) Nectar.
Q.11-15. In each of the following sentences there are two blank spaces. Below each five pairs of words have been denoted by numbers (1), (2), (3), (4) and (5). Find out which pair of words can be filled up in the blanks in the sentences in the same sequence to make the sentence meaningfully complete.
Q.11. In the eyes of Indian …………, gods residing in temples are legal…………..
(1) Police, action (2) Leadership, course (3) Railway, Guidance (4) Students, work
(5) law, entities
Q.12. The managing committee officials gave the …………. That they would look ……….. the matter.
(1) Direction, down upon (2) Indication, to (3) Assurance, into (4) liberation, for
(5) Hesitation, at
Q.13. Villagers …………… a dozen vehicles and ………….. traffic for hours.
(1) shoot, diverted (2) Digressed, allowed (3) Maintained, veiled (4) damaged, blocked
(5) Viewed, addressed
Q.14. Great books, great parents and great knowledge ………….. a great ………..
(1) make, nation (2) wither, device (3) forms, scholar (4) Hone, adventure
(5) Constitutes, thoughts
Q.15. Labours were lucky as the rains forced them to move away from the ………… of bridge before it …………
(1) Dimension, warned (2) Portion, collapsed (3) Locality, slipped (4) Shadow, shook
(5) Atmosphere, lifted
ANSWER KEY
Q.1.(2) Q.2.(1) Q.3.(2) Q.4.(3) Q.5.(4) Q.6.(2) Q.7.(4) Q.8.(2) Q.9.(4) Q.10.(2) Q.11.(5) Q.12.(3) Q.13.(4) Q.14.(1) Q.15.(2)a
