Indian Bank Rural Marketing Officers Exam., 2010
(Held on 3-1-2010)
English Language Directions—(Q. 1–15) Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words have been printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.
“We have always known that heedless self-interest was bad morals. We now know that it is bad economics,” said American President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1937 in the midst of the Great Depression. And the world has learnt that enlightened self-interest is good economics all over again after the Great Recession of 2009. Americans are entering a period of social change as they are recalibrating their sense of what it means to be a citizen, not just through voting or volunteering but also through commerce. There is a new dimension to civic duty that is growing among Americans – the idea that they can serve not only by spending time in communities and classrooms but by spending more responsibily. In short, Americans are beginning to put their money where their ideals are.
In a recent poll most said they had consciously supported local or small neighbourhood businesses and 40 per cent said that they had purchased a product because they liked the social or political values of the company that produced it. People were alarmed about ‘blood diamonds’ mined in war zones and used to finance conflict in Africa. They were also willing to pay $2000 more for a car that gets 35 miles per gallon than for one that gives less, though the former is more expensive but environment friendly. Of course consumers have done their own doing-well by doing-good calculation – a more expensive car that gives better mileage will save them money in the long run and makes them feel good about protecting the environment. Moreover since 1995, the number of Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) mutual funds, which generally avoid buying shares of companies that profit from tobacco, oil or child labour has grown from 55 to 260. SRI funds now manage approxi mately 11 percent of all the money invested in the US financial markets–an estimated $ 2.7 trillion. This is evidence of a changing mindset in a nation whose most iconic economist Milton Friedman wrote in 1970 that a corporation’s only moral responsib ility was to increase shareholder profits.
At first the corporate stance was defensive : companies were punished by consumers for unethical behaviour such as discriminatory labour practices. The nexus of activist groups, consumers and government regulation could not merely tarnish a company but put it out of business. But corporate America quickly discerned that social responsibility attracts investment capital as well as customer loyalty, creating a virtuous circle. Some companies quickly embraced the new ethos that con sumers boycotted products they con sidered unethical and others purchase products in part because their manufacturers were responsibile. With global warming on the minds of many consumers lots of companies are racing to ‘outgreen’ each other. The most progressive companies are talking about a triple bottom line-profit, planet and people–that focuses on how to run a business while trying to improve environmental and worker conditions.
This is a time when the only thing that has sunk lower than the American public’s opinion of Congress is its opinion of business. One burning question is how many of these Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives are just shrewd marketing to give companies a halo effect ? After all only 8 per cent of the large American corporations go through the trouble of verifying their CSR reports, which many consumers don’t bother to read. And while social responsibility is one way for companies to get back their reputations, Consumers too need to make ethical choices.
1. Which of the following represent/s the change/s that has/have occurred in the American outlook ?
(1) The perception that the government needs to invest resources in business rather than in education.
(2) Loss of faith in American corporations as they do not disburse their profits equitably among shareholders.
(3) Americans have cut down on their expenditure drastically to invest only in socially responsible mutual funds.
(A) None
(B) Only (3)
(C) Only (1) & (2)
(D) Only (1) & (3)
(E) All (1), (2) & (3)
Ans : (B)
2. Which of the following is/are TRUE in the context of the passage ?
(1) The voter turnout during the 2009 American elections was high.
(2) African diamonds are highly valued by the American public.
(3) American firms have to spend vast amounts on advertising because activists cast aspersions on their images.
(A) None
(B) Only (1)
(C) Only (2) and (3)
(D) Only (3)
(E) Only (1) and (3)
Ans : (B)
3. To what does the author attribute the consumers’ willingness to purchase environment friendly vehicles ?
(A) Auto companies sell these types of vehicles at lower rates in order to boost sales in times of recession.
(B) The realisation that consumers’ greed caused the economic recession of 2009.
(C) To show their support for small entrepreneurs who are the manufacturers of such vehicles.
(D) They have to comply with government guidelines regarding reduction of carbon emissions.
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)
4. Which of the following is the central idea of the passage ?
(A) It is beneficial to invest in American companies as they are socially responsible and profitable.
(B) Large corporations should be penalised by the American government for their greed.
(C) Ethical consumerism is profitable for organisations as well as society as a whole.
(D) Companies should be required by law to account for their impact on the environment in their balance-sheet.
(E) Developing countries should learn how to combat child labour from America.
Ans : (C)
5. Which of the following best describes the widespread view among Americans about big corporations ?
(A) They have been lax in fulfilling their moral responsibility of increasing profits and benefit ting shareholders.
(B) They are being too severely penalised by activities and the government for their role in the economic crisis.
(C) Their innovations have brought commercial success and benefited America tremendously.
(D) They need to be held accountable for their ruthless business practices.
(E) Their balance-sheets are often fraudulent and deceive shareholders.
Ans : (C)
6. What is the author trying to convey through the phrase ‘companies are racing to outgreen each other’ ?
(A) The competition among companies to boost their bottom line is very stiff.
(B) The conflict facing businesses of whether to benefit their shareholders or the environment.
(C) Corporations are vying with each other to solicit investment.
(D) Companies are striving to find the necessary funds to finance their environment friendly initiatives.
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)
7. Which of the following factors has led to corporations adopting more socially responsible practices ?
(A) The desire to be labelled as progressive by the government.
(B) Guilt over causing the economic downturn.
(C) High attrition rates as employees do not support the companies’ practices.
(D) Recognition of the changing demands of customers.
(E) Strict penalties imposed by governments against companies with unfair practices.
Ans : (D)
8. What can be inferred from the statistics mentioned about SRI mutual funds in the passage ?
(1) The percentage of child labourers has fallen since 1995.
(2) At present tobacco companies are making huge losses.
(3) The government needs to regulate SRI mutual funds as they handle vast amounts of funds.
(A) None
(B) Only (1)
(C) Only (1) and (2)
(D) Only (3)
(E) Only (2) and (3)
Ans : (E)
9. What is the author’s view about companies’ documentation of CSR initiatives ?
(A) Since it is not certified by the government it cannot be considered authentic.
(B) It is the ideal way to earn customer loyalty and set a good example for small businesses
(C) It is a waste of time as neither consumers nor companies bother to determine their validity
(D) It should be mandatorily incorporated in the satement of accounts of any firm.
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)
10. Which of the following cannot be said about small business ?
(1) During the recession their profits have been higher than those made by big corporates.
(2) They adopt fair labour practices and environment friendly methods of production.
(3) They have managed to acquire an investment of over 11 per cent of American capital.
(A) Only (1) and (3)
(B) Only (3)
(C) All (1), (2) and (3)
(D) Only (2)
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)
Directions—(Q. 11–13) Choose the word which is MOST SIMILAR in MEANING to the word printed in bold as used in the passage.
11. Ideals
(A) Models
(B) Visions
(C) Perfection
(D) Paradigms
(E) Values
Ans : (D)
12. Embraced
(A) Clinched
(B) Adopted
(C) Seized
(D) Hugged
(E) Encompassed
Ans : (B)
13. Attracts
(A) Appeals
(B) Encourages
(C) Captives
(D) Fascinates
(E) Pleases
Ans : (B)
Directions—(Q. 14-15) Choose the word which is MOST OPPOSITE in MEANING to the word printed in bold as used in the passage.
14. Enlightened
(A) Illiterate
(B) Inept
(C) Ignorant
(D) Illogical
(E) Immature
Ans : (C)
15. Heedless
(A) Prudent
(B) Obedient
(C) Observable
(D) Noticeable
(E) Wary
Ans : (A)
Directions—(Q. 16–20) Which of the phrases (A), (B), (C) and (D) given below should replace the phrase given in bold in the following sentence to make the sentence meaningful and grammatically correct. If the sentence is correct as it is and No correction is required, mark (E) as the answer.
16. This decision by the government making it easier for companies to attract talent from abroad.
(A) make easier
(B) has made easy
(C) will make it easy
(D) make it easier
(E) No correction required
Ans : (C)
17. We are currently facing an economic downturn and even a slight increase in demand will benefit to ourselves.
(A) has benefited ourselves
(B) will benefit from us
(C) we will benefit
(D) will be beneficial to us
(E) No correction required
Ans : (D)
18. Not like that the matter is going to be resolved in one meeting as the issue is quite complicated.
(A) mostly unlikely
(B) very unlike that
(C) unlikely how
(D) it is unlikely that
(E) No correction required
Ans : (D)
19. The next two months are going to be very hectic as there is more six projects have been scheduled.
(A) with six more
(B) as more than six
(C) still there are six other
(D) because there are still six
(E) No correction required
Ans : (B)
20. The workshop was jointly held by the two colleges to create awareness about various careers—
(A) has jointly held in
(B) will be joint holding
(C) was a joint holding for
(D) is been jointly held with
(E) No correction required
Ans : (E)
Directions—(Q. 21–25) Rearrange the following six sentences 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 in the proper sequence to form a meaningful paragraph; then answer the questions given below them—
1. With all the bid information being available and tracked online, corruption has been consid erably reduced.
2. Today, most i.e., over ninety-five percent households in the city enjoy a broadband connection.
3. All city contracts are now bid for online.
4. Over twenty years ago the city government, central government and the private sector made a concerted effort to shift the economy to include IT.
5. As our cities continue to expand and become more complex, such a system will make governance more manageable.
6. This level of connectedness has changed not only the city’s economy but also how it is governed and how business is conducted.
21. Which of the following should be the FIRST sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) 1
(B) 2
(C) 3
(D) 4
(E) 5
Ans : (D)
22. Which of the following should be the SECOND sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) 1
(B) 2
(C) 3
(D) 4
(E) 6
Ans : (B)
23. Which of the following should be the THIRD sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) 2
(B) 3
(C) 4
(D) 5
(E) 6
Ans : (E)
24. Which of the following should be the FIFTH sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) 1
(B) 2
(C) 3
(D) 4
(E) 5
Ans : (A)
25. Which of the following should be the LAST (SIXTH) sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) 2
(B) 3
(C) 4
(D) 5
(E) 6
Ans : (E)
Directions—(Q. 26–35) Read each sentence to find out whether there is any grammatical error or idiomatic error in it. The error, if any, will be in one part of the sentence. The letter of that part is the answer. If there is no error, the answer is (E). (Ignore errors of punctuation, if any.)
26. Some genuine issues exist (A) / with the newly adopted (B) / system and needs to (C) / be examined seriously. (D) No Error (E)
Ans : (C)
27. Whether or not to confront (A) / them about their role (B) / in the matter is a decision (C) / which is yet to take. (D) No Error (E)
Ans : (D)
28. The government is still in the (A) / process of finalised new policy (B) / guidelines for the allocation of land (C) / to private sector organisations. (D) No Error (E)
Ans : (B)
29. According to government estimates (A) / at least four million tonnes of sugar (B) / will have to be imported (C) / this year because of a poor monsoon. (D) No Error (E)
Ans : (D)
30. In our experience people usually (A) / value things that they have to (B) / pay off more than those that (C) / they receive free of cost. (D) No Error (E)
Ans : (C)
31. At present China is the (A) / world’s leader manufacturer (B) / of environment friendly products (C) / such as electric cars and bicycles. (D) No Error (E)
Ans : (B)
32. Over eighty per cent from us (A) / feel that if we had taken (B) / some corrective measures earlier (C) / the crisis could have been averted. (D) No Error (E)
Ans : (A)
33. The manager of that city branch (A) / cannot handle it with the help of (B) / only two personnel as (C) /business has increased substantially. (D) No Error (E)
Ans : (C)
34. With the literacy rates in this (A) / region as low as ten per cent (B) / we need to encourage the (C) / local people to build schools. (D) No Error (E)
Ans : (B)
35. While providing such facilities (A) / online makes it convenient (B) / and easily accessible for customers, (C) / we face several challenges. (D) No Error (E)
Ans : (C)
Directions—(Q. 36–40) In each question below a sentence with four words printed in bold type is given. These are lettered as (A), (B), (C) and (D). One of these four words printed in bold may be either wrongly spelt or inappropriate in the context of the sentence. Find out the word which is wrongly spelt or inappropriate, if any. The letter of that word is your answer. If all the words printed in bold are correctly spelt and also appropriate in the context of the sentence, mark (E) i.e., ‘All correct’ as your answer.
36. The bank’s fluctuating (A) performance over the prior (B) year has been a major (C) cause (D) for concern. All correct (E)
Ans : (B)
37. An economy relies (A) on its access (B) to dependable (C) and affordable (D) sources of energy. All correct (E)
Ans : (E)
38. Researchers have used data prevalent (A) to manufacturing companies to illustrate (B) the harmful (C) impacts (D) of techonology on the environement. All correct (E)
Ans : (D)
39. Such a situation (A) is neither feasable (B) nor desirable (C) in a democratic country like ours. (D) All correct (E)
Ans : (B)
40. The gradual (A) withdrawal (B) of such safety (C) mechanisims (D) will affect small and medium industries the most. All correct (E)
Ans : (D)
Directions—(Q. 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.
The world’s climate has always changed and species have evolved accordingly to survive it. The surprising fact about the …(41)… between evolution and global warming …(42)… that it is not linear. …(43)… temperatures alone are not …(44)… of evolution. Evolution is also the …(45)… of seasonal changes. As the
environment …(46)… those species which don’t adapt …(47)… to exist. But the sheer …(48)… of manmade
climate change today is …(49)…. ‘Bad things are happening’ and by one …(50)… global warming could threaten upto one-third of the world’s species, if left unchecked. In fact a lot of the species which will be able to survive are the ones we con sider pests like insects and weeds.
41. (A) difference
(B) similarity
(C) argument
(D) relationship
(E) alliance
Ans : (D)
42. (A) being
(B) seems
(C) mainly
(D) besides
(E) is
Ans : (E)
43. (A) however
(B) mounted
(C) rising
(D) elevating
(E) inclining
Ans : (A)
44. (A) means
(B) triggers
(C) responses
(D) threats
(E) stimulus
Ans : (A)
45. (A) result
(B) precursor
(C) resistance
(D) cause
(E) provocation
Ans : (A)
46. (A) conserves
(B) stifles
(C) predicts
(D) changes
(E) emerges
Ans : (B)
47. (A) continue
(B) halt
(C) cease
(D) terminate
(E) discontinue
Ans : (C)
48. (A) luck
(B) value
(C) collapse
(D) pace
(E) attention
Ans : (D)
49. (A) threatened
(B) pursued
(C) unprecedented
(D) record
(E) debated
Ans : (C)
50. (A) forecast
(B) chance
(C) pattern
(D) occasion
(E) imagination
Ans : (A)
