New Pattern for English: Quiz

Dear Readers,

Direction: In the passage given below words are given in bold, each followed by a number given in the brackets. Every word in bold has five alternatives. Find the word which best suits the place. If the given word suits the blank, mark 'no correction/change required' as the answer:

In the 1980s, ‘pseudo-secularism’ and ‘minority-ism’ were the two principal issues of Indian politics. These expressions, used by the BJP, denote grievances (1) of Muslims by the ruling Congress, and in subsequent decades, by regional forces.
A section of the Hindu majority also always felt secure (2) about it. This grief was shared by many Congress leaders as well. The Muslim leadership, too, in the name of marginalization from the structures of power and economy, pursued their politics almost exclusively for emotive identity-related issues of personal law, Urdu, Muslim universities, etc. Cultural identities were not defined in terms of regional, ethnic and linguistic diversities of the religious communities. At least on this particular issue, ‘secular’ politics, their Muslim leadership and the majoritarian communal politics were all on the same board. Playing the majoritarian communal card became easier for a Hindu team (3). The Muslim leadership asked for their conservatism to be preserved and safeguarded (4).Whatever they asked for was granted, all in the name of ‘secularism’. Muslim politics did not go beyond this, even though their uninterupted (5) under-representation in every sphere of education, economy and power continued.

1) Find out the appropriate word 1. 
a) irritation
b) enragement
c) placation
d) baleful
e) No correction required

ENGLISH- RBI ASSISTANT MAINS/ CLERK MAINS

Directions (1-10): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are given bold to help you to locate them while answering some of the questions.

Until now, discovery was often considered the main goal of medical science. But nowadays discovery is almost too easy. Anyone with a little funding and a few biological specimens in a refrigerator can make thousands of postulated "discoveries."

Indeed, the number of research questions that we can pose is increasing exponentially. Medical kits the size of a thumbnail can measure a million different biological factors on an individual with an infinitesimal amount of blood. A million research questions can be asked on the spot. But even with proper statistical testing, many tens of thousands of these biological factors may seem to be important due to mere chance. Only a handful of them really will be. The vast majority of these initial research claims would yield only spurious findings.

So the main issue nowadays is to validate "discoveries" by replicating them under different settings. Several different teams of researchers need to see them "work" again and again using common rules. Moreover, all the teams should agree not to select and report only the data that seem most impressive. With selective reporting we would end up with a long list of all the false discoveries made across all research teams, with only a few true findings buried among this pile of non-replicated waste.

In fact, empirical data suggest the significance of this danger. In a paper in the Journal of the American Medical Association published in July 2005, I showed that refutation is very common, even for the most prestigious research findings. I examined the 45 clinical research findings that had received the greatest recognition in the scientific world, as documented by the number of times other scientists had cited them over the last 15 years.

Even with the most robust types of research—for example, randomized clinical trials—one of four of these results had already been found to be wrong or potentially exaggerated within a few years after publication. For epidemiology (e.g., studies on vitamins, diet, or hormones in terms of their association with health outcomes in the general population), four-fifths of the most prestigious findings were rapidly contradicted. For molecular research, in the absence of extensive replication, the refutation rate may occasionally exceed 99%.

But we should not panic. It is to be expected that the majority of research findings are rapidly contradicted and refuted; indeed, it is part of how progress of science occurs. However, we need to adapt to this situation. Instead of taking scientific evidence as dogma, we should consider it as tentative information that should be ascribed a level of credibility.

There is nothing wrong with disseminating scientific information that has a credibility of 10%, or even 1%. Sometimes, this will be the best evidence we have. But we should get used to understanding that some research findings have very low credibility, while others may be more likely to stand the test of time. Scientists themselves may be able to ascribe these levels of credibility to their own work in fairness, if they describe in detail what they set out to do, and how they did it.

Science is a noble pursuit, but genuine progress in scientific research is not easy to achieve. It requires a lot of time, continuous effort, uncompromising integrity, appropriate funding and material support, and unwavering commitment. Proposed scientific advances require careful validation and replication by independent scientists. Scientific knowledge is never final, but it evolves continuously. This is part of the great fascination of science, and it fosters liberty of thought.

While these principles are probably well known to serious scientists, they are often forgotten when scientific information is disseminated. Our society is awash with inflated information, which is inherent to efforts in many human activities—entertainment, law courts, stock markets, politics, and sports, to name but a few—to gain greater public attention in the framework of mass civilization.

But it would be a damaging to expect science to "show off' in this way. Exaggeration contradicts the key hallmarks of scientific' reasoning: critical thinking and careful appraisal of the evidence. 

Q1. Which of the following is most nearly similar in meaning of the word postulated as used in the passage?

(a) postpone

(b) deny

(c) hypothesize

(d) belie

(e) disavow

Q2. Which of the following is most nearly similar in meaning of the word spurious as used in the passage?

(a) supports 

(b) authentic

(c) start

(d) genuine

(e) fake

New pattern English: Quiz

Dear Readers,

Directions (1-10): In the following questions, choose the grammatically correct sentence from among the five options given for each question. 

Q1. A. It looks like it is going to rain this afternoon.

B. It looks as if it is going to rain this afternoon.

C. It looks as if it is going to rain today afternoon.

D. It looks like it is going to rain today afternoon.

(a) A

(b) B

(c) C

(d) D 

(e) None of these 

Q2. A. A belief that he is humble and being really humble is what makes him so likeable.

B. A belief that he is humble and being really humble are what makes him so likable.

C. Believing that he is humble and really being humble is what makes him so likeable.

D. Believing that he is humble and really being humble are what makes him so likable.

(a) A

(b) B

(c) C

(d) D 

(e) None of these 

Q3. A. This book left by who knows whom? has been lying here for days.

B. This book - left by who knows whom - has been lying here for days.

C. This book left by - who knows who? - has been lying here for days.

D. This book left by - who knows who - has been lying here for days.

(a) A

(b) B

(c) C

(d) D 

(e) None of these 

Q4. A. I can understand my sister better than my mother.

B. I can understand my sister more than my mother.

C. I can better understand my sister than my mother.

D. I can understand my sister better than I can understand my mother.

(a) A

(b) B

(c) C

(d) D 

(e) None of these 

RC IBPS CLERK/PO/SBI PO/RBI/SSC

Directions (1-10): Read the following passage carefully and answer the following questions given below it.

Today, with a Noble prize to its credit, Grameen is one of the largest microfinance organisations in the world. It started out lending small sums to poor entrepreneurs in Bangladesh to help them grow from a subsistence living to a livelihood. The great discovery its founders made was that even with few assets, these entrepreneurs repaid on time. Grameen and microfinance have since become financial staples of the developing world. Grameen’s approach, unlike other microfinanciers, uses the group-lending model. Costs are kept down by having borrowers vet one another, typing together their financial fates and eliminating expensive loan officers entirely. The ultimate promise of Grameen is to use business lending as a way for people to lift themselves out of poverty.

 Recently Grameen has taken on a different challenge – by setting up operations in the US. Money may be tight in the waning recession, but it is still a nation of 1,00,000 bank branches. Globally, the working microfinance equation consists of borrowing funds cheaply and keeping loan defaults and overhead expenses sufficiently low. Microlenders, including Grameen, do this by charging colossal interest rates – as high as 60% or 70% - Which is necessary to compensate for the risk and attract bank funding. But loans at rates much above the standard 15% would most likely be attacked as usurious in America.

So, the question is whether there is a role for a Third World lender in the world’s largest economy. Grameen America believes that in a few years it will be successful and turn a profit, thanks to 9 million US households untouched by mainstream banks and 21 million using the likes of payday loans and pawn ships for financing. But enticing the unbanked won’t be easy. After all, profit has long eluded US microfinanciers and if it is not lucrative, it is not microlending, but charity. When Grameen first went to the US, in the late 1980s, it tripped up. Under Grameen’s tutelage, banks started microloans to entrepreneurs with a shocking 30% loss. But Grameen America says that this time results will be different because Grameen employees themselves will be making the loans, not training an American bank to do it. More often than not, the borrowers, Grameen finds, in the US already have jobs (as factory  workers for example) or side businesses – selling toys, cleaning houses etc. The loans from Grameen, by and large, provides the steadier source of funding, but they don't create businesses out of anything. But money isn’t everything. More importantly for many entrepreneurs, group members are tremendous sources of support to one another. So even if studies are yet to determine if Grameen is a clear-cut pathway out of poverty, it still achieves something useful.

Q1. What has adversely affected the success of microfinance institutions in the US?

(a) The focus of these institutions is on making a profit at any cost instead of being charitable to the needy.

(b) American banks engaged in microlending were the most severely hit during the recession.

(c) A widespread perception among bankers that these institutions are better suited to developing countries.

(d) Their failure to attract those outside the formal banking system as customers

(e) Americans are too proud to accept aid from Third World countries.

Q2. Why has Grameen made a second attempt to launch itself in the US?

(a) The willingness of US banks to provide the necessary staff and funds to facilitate the spread of microfinance

(b) The rates of interest on loans in the US are exorbitant, making it easier to recover capital.

(c) The realization that a large percentage of the American population not reached by mainstream banks can be trapped

(d) Recognition of the fact that disbursing credit in developing countries during the recession is too risky.

(e) None of these

RC THE HINDU for IBPS PO MAINS 2017

Practice Reading Comprehension from "The Hindu" Editorial (Nov 2nd Week) Set-1: The Hindu Editorial (07.11.2016): 

Looking for a humane solution The agreement between India and Sri Lanka on establishing a Joint Working Group on fisheries is a small step forward in resolving the dispute between fishermen of both countries. In fact, such a mechanism had been in place until a few years ago to address problems that arose whenever fishermen from Tamil Nadu were arrested by Sri Lanka. The points agreed on are important: a hotline between the Coast Guards of both countries, a meeting of the JWG once in three months, and a meeting of the fisheries ministers every six months. Welcome too is the commitment that there would be no violence or loss of life of fishermen. These measures are useful in getting Indian fishermen or their boats released from custody, but they are unlikely to have any immediate impact on the livelihood crisis facing the fishermen of northern Sri Lanka. Such a crisis may grip Tamil Nadu fishermen too one day, after the fishery resources in the Palk Bay are exhausted. The real issue is how long trawlers from Tamil Nadu will continue to fish in Sri Lankan territorial waters, and how soon bottom trawling is ended. The official statement after the talks between the foreign ministers refers to ―expediting the transition towards ending the practice of bottom trawling at the earliest‖. An agreement on this is crucial, but in the absence of a time frame there remains a question mark over a solution emerging. Sri Lankan Tamil fishermen are firm on an immediate end to all incursions and are against seized Indian boats being released without legal process, even though they agree that the arrested fishermen should be released. In talks between representatives of fishermen held a few days earlier, Tamil Nadu fishermen had asked for a threeyear phase-out period for their trawlers, and a deal under which they would fish for 85 days a year until then. This was rejected outright by the Sri Lankan side, which holds that the Indian vessels cause serious economic and ecological damage. One way of preventing boundary transgression is to find a livelihood alternative for Tamil Nadu fishermen. Equipping them for deep sea fishing is an option. For now, Tamil Nadu should show greater understanding of the plight of the Sri Lankan Tamil fishermen, who are economically weaker and yet to fully recover from a devastating war, and agree to a more reasonable phase-out period. Sri Lanka, then, can look at a licensing system under which fishermen from both sides can fish on specified days using sustainable methods and permissible equipment. It is important that all sides recognise that there is a humanitarian dimension to the issue.