Reading Comprehension & Cloze Test

What you'll learn

A practical, exam-focused guide to conquering RC and Cloze in IBPS and SBI Prelims - a 4-step RC attack plan, a question-type cheat sheet, and the connector trick that cracks Cloze fast, all tuned for tight timing and 0.25 negative marking.

This chapter has

Reading Comprehension & Cloze Test — solved practice questions

8 Banking English Language questions with step-by-step solutions. Attempt each, then reveal the answer.

1. Q1medium

   Fill in the blank: The government's new policy is expected to ______ economic growth in the rural sector.

   • Astifle
   • Bstimulate
   • Csuppress
   • Dhinder
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (B) stimulate

   'Stimulate' means to encourage or boost growth, which fits a positive policy outcome; the other options (stifle, suppress, hinder) all mean to hold back or restrain.

2. Q2easy

   Fill in the blank: Despite the heavy rains, the organisers decided to ______ with the outdoor ceremony.

   • Aprecede
   • Brecede
   • Cconcede
   • Dproceed
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (D) proceed

   'Proceed' means to go ahead; 'precede' means to come before, 'recede' to move back, and 'concede' to admit defeat.

3. Q3medium

   The report was praised for its meticulous analysis of the data. The word 'meticulous' most nearly means:

   • Athorough
   • Bcareless
   • Chasty
   • Dvague
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (A) thorough

   'Meticulous' means showing great attention to detail, i.e., thorough; the other options describe the opposite quality.

4. Q4hard

   Her explanation of the scheme was remarkably lucid. Choose the word most OPPOSITE in meaning to 'lucid':

   • Aclear
   • Bobscure
   • Cbright
   • Dsimple
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (B) obscure

   'Lucid' means clear and easy to understand, so its antonym is 'obscure', meaning unclear or hard to follow; 'clear', 'bright' and 'simple' are near-synonyms, not antonyms.

5. Q5medium

   Fill in the two blanks: The scheme aims to ______ financial inclusion by providing ______ banking services to the unbanked.

   • Aprevent / costly
   • Bpromote / affordable
   • Creduce / basic
   • Ddelay / premium
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (B) promote / affordable

   The scheme's positive goal requires 'promote', and services meant for the unbanked poor should be 'affordable'; 'prevent', 'reduce' and 'delay' contradict a scheme that 'aims to' improve inclusion.

6. Q6easy

   Fill in the blank with the correct phrasal verb: The manager was praised for his ability to ______ complex problems into simple, manageable steps.

   • Abreak up
   • Bbreak out
   • Cbreak into
   • Dbreak down
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (D) break down

   'Break down' means to divide something into smaller parts; the other phrasal verbs have unrelated meanings.

7. Q7easy

   Passage: Microfinance institutions extend small loans to low-income individuals who lack access to conventional banking. By offering credit without demanding collateral, they help entrepreneurs start small businesses and escape poverty. Question: According to the passage, microfinance institutions primarily serve:

   • Alow-income individuals lacking access to conventional banking
   • Blarge corporations
   • Cgovernment agencies
   • Dforeign investors
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (A) low-income individuals lacking access to conventional banking

   The passage states these institutions lend to low-income individuals who lack access to conventional banking.

8. Q8medium

   Passage: Microfinance institutions extend small loans to low-income individuals who lack access to conventional banking. By offering credit without demanding collateral, they help entrepreneurs start small businesses and escape poverty. Question: Which feature distinguishes microfinance loans as described in the passage?

   • AThey require heavy collateral
   • BThey target the wealthy
   • CThey are offered without collateral
   • DThey are interest-free
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (C) They are offered without collateral

   The passage specifically notes that credit is offered 'without demanding collateral', which is the distinguishing feature.

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