Gurgaon Gramin Bank Clerk Exam., 2011
(Held on 5-6-2011)
General English : Solved Paper
Directions–(Q.
1–15) Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions
given below it. Certain words/phrases have been printed in
bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.
Once
there was an elderly widow, Chen Ma, who lived with her only son inside
a forest in the Shanxi Province. Her son was one of the tiger hunters
licensed by the local magistrate. His share of the profits from the sale
of tiger skins, meat and bones was sufficient to keep the small mud hut
well provisioned for himself and his old mother. All was well until a
particularly bitter winter. During a snowstorm, Chen Ma's son was
separated from his fellow hunters and became food for a hungry tigress.
After
her initial shock and grief subsided, Chen Ma took stock of her own
utterly desperate situation. She went and implored the magistrate to
provide her with compensation for the loss of her son, who was her only
source of support. The magistrate decreed that henceforth, she would
have a small share of profits from the kill of each tiger by the
hunters. Needless to say, his decision was not taken well by the
hunters, who had plenty of mouths of their own to feed. So, when the
hunters succeeded in killing the tigress that ate Chen Ma's son, they
decided not to give her a share of the profits. Instead, they brought
her the tigress' newborn cub. He was a small quivery ball of golden fur
with wobbly legs and toothless gums. Instantly, Chen Ma's heart went out
to this helpless creature.
After the hunters left, the tiger cub
wobbled to where Chen Ma sat and lay at her feet. She bent down to rub
his ears and he licked her shoes. The elderly widow looked at the tiger
baby and sighed. "They told me to butcher you, to salt and smoke your
flesh for my meat supply. Your skin would make warm boots for my feet;
your bones are good for making balm to ease the pain in my joints. But
oh, how can I bear to kill you ?" And so, Chen Ma
untied
the rope from the little tiger's neck and fed him a paste of cooked
roots with her fingers. Her son had a good supply of grains and roots in
the attached shed. When the store of the firewood was running low, Chen
Ma slept curling against the baby tiger, whose soft fur was cozy and
warm.
Once ever so often, women from nearby villages would bring
sewing for Chen Ma to do. She was very handy with a needle. They paid
her for her labour with small sacks of grain. At first they did not find
the little tiger's presence
alarming; he was no bigger
than a piglet. However, when spring came, he had grown into the size of
a calf, showing a full set of teeth and claws. The women told their
hunter husbands and the men came to kill the young tiger.
Chen Ma armed herself with her son's hunting spear arid threatened to
gut
anyone who dared to harm her beloved pet. "I've lost both husband and
son. This tiger is the only companion I have now. I shall go to the
magistrate and request to adopt him as my son."
The hunters thought the old woman had become mad and
jeered
at her. But since she was so determined, they dared not kill her tiger
without the magistrate's permission. So they followed Chen Ma and her
tiger all the way to the official's judgement hall.
"Venerable
Mother," said the magistrate. "Your request is most unusual. Are you not
afraid that someday the tiger might revert to his wild nature and
devour you ?"
"Honourable sir ," replied the old widow with tears
in her eyes. "What is there to fear ? I have lived too long. The only
worry I have now is being left utterly alone. Please let me adopt this
young tiger, for he has become like a son in my affections."
The
kind magistrate did not have the heart to refuse such an ancient woman's
pleading. So he had his assistant draw up a document for the tiger's
adoption. In order to
protect the tiger from the
hunters' arrows and spears, the magistrate ordered a large copper
pendent made to hang around the beast's neck. The words 'Fu Chee' were
engraved on the pendent meaning Tiger Son. To show her deep gratitude,
Chen Ma knelt down in front of the magistrate. Then she led Fu Chee back
to their home in the forest.
By next winter, Fu Chee had grown
into his maximum size. Chen Ma's hut was in danger of collapsing
whenever the tiger became playful. Reluctantly, she allowed Fu Chee to
make his home inside a cave nearby.
However, the affectionate
tiger came back to visit his adopted mother often. Also, he still liked
to lick her shoes and to have his ears rubbed. Chen Ma's needs were
being cared for just as if her natural son was still alive! After Chen
Ma died at the ripe old age past one hundred, the hunters noticed Fu
Chee guarded her tomb nightly. They left him undisturbed as he had never
attacked any humans or domestic animals. This went on for a number of
years and then one day the tiger was seen no more.
Out of deep
respect and admiration for the filial tiger son, the hunters erected a
small stone monument at Chen Ma's tomb with Fu Chee's story engraved on
it. Henceforth, Fu Chee became a household legend in that part of Shanxi
Province.
1. Why did Chen Ma not kill the tiger cub ?
(A) She found the cub helpless
(B) The cub was a gift from the hunters and she cherished it
(C) The magistrate had asked her not to kill the cub
(D) The cub immediately reminded her of her son
(E) She was too afraid of the cub to go near him
Ans : (A)
2. Why was a stone monument of Fu Chee erected at Chen Ma's tomb ?
(A) It was because Chen Ma had loved only Fu Chee her entire life and no one else
(B) It was out of fear of Fu Chee who was adopted by Ch~n Ma
(C) It was so that Fu Chee would not attack any humans or animals after Chen Ma's death
(D) It was out of reverence for Fu Chee who came to Chen Ma's tomb regularly after her death
(E) Not mentioned in the passage
Ans : (D)
3. How did Chen Ma's son die ?
(A) He had died while fighting for his province
(B) He was eaten by a tigress
(C) He was sentenced to death by the magistrate
(D) He was killed by the hunters
(E) He died of old age
Ans : (B)
4. Why did the hunters come to kill the tiger at Chen Ma's house ?
(A) The tiger had attacked the hunter's wives when they had visited Chen Ma' s house
(B) The tiger had displayed signs of aggression when the hunters had visited Chen Ma's
house
(C) The tiger had grown big and the hunters' wives were afraid of him
(D) There Were no other tigers left in the province to kill
(E) They wanted to seek revenge from Chen Ma because she had been getting free food from them
Ans : (C)
5. Which of the following characteristics can be attributed to Chen Ma from the story ?
(a) She was loving
(b) She was crazy.
(c) She was brave.
(A) Only (a)
(B) Only (a) and (c)
(C) All. (a), (b) and (c)
(D) Only (c)
(E) Only (b) and (c)
Ans : (B)
6. Why did the hunters give Chen Ma a tiger cub ?
(A) So that the magistrate would never make such unreasonable demands from the hunters in the future
(B) So that she could have a companion now that her son was dead
(C) So that she could kill him and use his flesh and bones
(D) So that she could take back her request to the magistrate
(E) So that she could get revenge for her son's death
Ans : (E)
7. Why did Chen Ma go to the magistrate the second time ?
(A) She wanted to adopt the tiger and make him her son
(B) She wanted the magistrate to name him
(C) She wanted the magistrate to punish all the hunters of the province
(D) She wanted the magistrate to build a cave for the tiger
(E) She wanted the magistrate to compensate her for the death of her son
Ans : (A)
8. Which of the following can be said about Fu Chee ?
(a) He was loyal.
(b) He was affectionate.
(c) He hunted down humans.
(A) Only (b)
(B) Only (c)
(C) Only (a)
(D) Only (a) and{b)
(E) Only (a) and (c)
Ans : (D)
9. Which of the following can be the most appropriate title for the passage/story ?
(A) Chen Ma and The Hunters
(B) The Kind Magistrate
(C) The Hunters of Shanxi
(D) The Self-Sacrificing Mother
(E) Fu Chee-The Loyal Tiger
Ans : (E)
10. Why did Chen Ma not allow the hunters to kill the tiger ?
(A) She believed that the tiger guarded her well
(B) She wanted to use the tiger's flesh for her own consumption
(C) She wanted to become popular as the only woman to have adopted a tiger
(D) She wanted the tiger to guard her tomb after her death
(E) She loved the tiger
Ans : (E)
Directions– (Q. 11–13) Choose the word/group of words which is most similar in meaning to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
11. JEERED
(A) Boasted
(B) Feared
(C) Mocked
(D) Encouraged
(E) Called
Ans : (C)
12. ALARMING
(A) Awakening
(B) Soothing
(C) Alerting
(D) Placating
(E) Frightening
Ans : (E)
13. GUT
(A) Kill
(B) Brave
(C) Reward
(D) Praise
(E) List
Ans : (A)
Directions– (Q. 14–15) Choose the word/group of words which is most opposite in meaning to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
14. PROTECT
(A) Discard
(B) Endanger
(C) Uncover
(D) Shield
(E) Save
Ans : (E)
15. UNTIED
(A) Closed
(B) Reacted
(C) Fastened
(D) Shut
(E) Removed
Ans : (E)
Directions–
(Q. 16–20) Which of the words (A), (B), (C), (D) and (E) given below
each sentence should fill the blank in the sentence to make it
grammatically and meaningfully correct ?
16. Naresh owed me a significant of …………..money.
(A) sums
(B) cash
(C) token
(D) load
(E) amount
Ans : (E)
17. Kirti would not have passed the exams…………..her brother not helped her .
(A) since
(B) whether
(C) had
(D) since
(E) if
Ans : (B)
18. This story…………..us how the noble heroes of the past adhered to the principle of truth and honesty .
(A) understands
(B) narrates
(C) says
(D) tells
(E) depicts
Ans : (D)
19. The weeping mother tried to make her son do as she wished, I but he was………….. (A) ignored
(B) refused
(C) adamant
(D) agreeable
(E) removed
Ans : (C)
20. A foolish man will insult his superiors with harsh words whereas a wise man will maintain…………..
(A) noise
(B) silence
(C) composed
(D) quite
(E) relation
Ans : (B)
Directions– (Q. 21–25) 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.
21. Everyone (A) in office agrees (B) that your (C) very intelligent. (D) All correct. (E)
Ans : (C)
22. Crying (A) is journally (B) considered (C) to be a negative (D) emotion. All correct. (E)
Ans : (B)
23. Soon enogh (A) Amogh returned (B) home safe (C) and unscathed. (D) All correct (E)
Ans : (A)
24. The meating (A) went on smoothly (B) without any glitch (C) and every. body congratulated (D) the speaker. All correct (E)
Ans : (A)
25. Gaurang wowed (A) to never (B) smoke a cigarette ever again (C) in his entire (D) life. All correct (E)
Ans : (A)
Directions–
(Q. 26–30) Rearrange the following six 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) That very night those
Sages had a great ceremony for the purpose of doing good to the wife of
the King, but the King did not know that.
(b) The King saw the jar of
water on the altar and without stopping to think he went quickly
towards it and drank up all the water.
(c) The King came forward at once and truthfully owned that he, being very thirsty, had drunk the water.
(d)
It happened once that King Ashoka, who had been observing a great fast
and was suffering from hunger and thirst, entered the hermitage of some
great Sages quite late in the night.
(e) Soon after the Sages awoke
and found that there was no water in the jar, and they began to ask who
would have done such a thing as take the water they had prepared for the
King's wife from off the altar.
(f) The Sages had a large jar of
water which they had blessed and made holy to cure the King's wife, and
they put the jar on the altar and then went to sleep, for they were very
tired.
26. Which of the following should be the FIRST sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) (a)
(B) (b)
(C) (c)
(D) (d)
(E) (e)
Ans : (D)
27. Which of the following should be the SECOND sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) (a)
(B) (b)
(C) (c)
(D) (d)
(E) (f)
Ans : (A)
28. Which of the following should be the THIRD sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) (a)
(B) (b)
(C) (c)
(D) (d)
(E) (f)
Ans : (E)
29. Which of the following should be the FOURTH sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) (a)
(B) (b)
(C) (c)
(D) (e)
(E) (f)
Ans : (B)
30. Which of the following should be the LAST (SIXTH) sentence after rearrangement ?
(A) (f)
(B) (e)
(C) (d)
(D) (c)
(E) (b)
Ans : (D)
Directions–
(Q. 31–40) 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.)
31. We were not exactly (A) / in the beach, but were (B) / close enough to taste (C) / the salt in the air. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (B)
32. Tina sat on her bed (A) / and read a book till (B) / it was time for her to (C) / go to sleep. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (E)
33. It was lately morning (A) / when the soldiers (B) / came knocking (C) / on the door. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (A)
34.
Puneet looked up (A) / for see customers crowding into (B) / his shop
to get a free sample (C) / of his new delicacy. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (B)
35. Jimmy was made to (A) / sit in an office which (B) / was empty except (C) / than two chairs and one table. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (D)
36. The dog leapt (A) / forward, breaking (B) / free from (C) / its owner's grasp. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (E)
37. She threw herself (A) / into her mother's arms (B) / and weep (C) / with sorrow. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (C)
38. Krupa had heard (A) / Mahesh yelling (B) / and thought it best (C) / to left him alone. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (D)
39. Robert looked at (A) / his friend who, according to (B) / his mother, was (C) / a very mischievous boy. (D) No error (E)
Ans : (E)
40.
Although Gopi could not see (A) / who was shootirig at him, (B) / he
started crawling away (C) / drag his bag behind him. (D) No error (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.
One day, overnight, the world turned violet. Just ...(41)...
everything turned violet from the sky and ocean and mountains to the
trees and animals and people and from the tallest skyscrapers to the
tiniest ant. People sat around looking at one another wondering if they
were dreaming. But things stayed violet, all except for a single Blue
Jay who hadn't changed colour and stayed the brightest blue. Being the
only thing in the world that wasn't violet, he was ...(42)...
and put in a cage. People were shocked as whole families Were violet as
were teachers, movie stars, doctors, nurses, gas station attendants,
everybody. The smartest scientists in the world gathered to ...(43)...
it out. They did studies and tests and analyzed and evaluated and
debated and wrote article after article, but couldn't explain it. The
colour of the Blue Jay became a big issue because he had such a little
bit of blue and the world had such a whole lot of violet. People argued
about the importance of that. Some said the Blue Jay must be a very
special bird or may be not a bird at all because he alone had kept his
true colour. Others said this was silly, that the Blue Jay ate bird seed
and drank water and fluffed his feathers and that other ...(44)...
his special colour he was still just a bird. It was exactly one year to
the day after the world had turned violet th'at people awoke to find
the world had turned yellow. All except the Blue Jay. Now the Blue Jay
was ...(45)... important than ever because he alone had
stayed the colour blue and people argued about what that meant. They
lined up for miles just to take a look at him.
For the next two
years, exactly on the day the world had turned violet and then yellow,
It turned new colours : first orange and then pink. Still the Blue Jay
stayed blue, ...(46). ..every greater disagreement
-until in the fifth year the whole world turned blue. The first thing
people asked was what about the Blue Jay. ...(47)... he stayed blue ? Yes, he was still the same colour. No ...(48).
..were there two colours in the world, but just one -the colour blue.
And because the Blue Jay was a colour like everybody and everything else
somebody let him out of his cage and he flew off looking happy to be
free. The very next morning the world ...(49) ...its rainbow of colours as if nothing had ever ...(50)
At first this was a novelty but soon people forgot the world had once
been all violet, then turned yellow, then orange, then pink and then
blue.
41. (A) with
(B) all
(C) about
(D) almost
(E) from
Ans : (D)
42. (A) killed
(B) capture
(C) pushed
(D) caught
(E) lift
Ans : (D)
43. (A) figure
(B) spread
(C) find
(D) explain
(E) measure
Ans : (B)
44. (A) besides
(B) then
(C) but
(D) feature
(E) than
Ans : (E)
45. (A) more
(B) many
(C) least
(D) supreme
(E) very
Ans : (A)
46. (A) making
(B) seeing
(C) growing
(D) becoming
(E) causing
Ans : (E)
47. (A) Does
(B) Did
(C) Was
(D) Had
(E) Is
Ans : (D)
48. (A) time
(B) longer
(C) on
(D) doubt
(E) much
Ans : (B)
49. (A) get
(B) granted
(C) regained
(D) receive
(E) shed
Ans : (C)
50. (A) created
(B) happened
(C) become
(D) changes
(E) occur
Ans : (B)
