SBI PO 2016 PYQs

Question 1

Why did he initially accept discrimination as a way of life?

Accepted Answer

The question implies a lack of agency or understanding. Being young often means lacking the maturity and decision-making skills to challenge societal norms, leading to passive acceptance.

Question 2

Which of the following statement(s) is/are true in the context of the given article?I. The American government formed a Glass Ceiling Commission in 1991 regarding women’s poor participation in corporations.II. Rosabeth Moss Kanter wrote the book ‘Men and Women of the Corporation’.III. Now a days women gain over 40% of all law degrees in the United States and 35% of MBAs.

Accepted Answer

Statement I is true as the Glass Ceiling Commission was formed in 1991. Statement II is also true; Rosabeth Moss Kanter authored 'Men and Women of the Corporation'. Statement III is incorrect as the percentages are reversed.

Question 3

Choose the word which isOPPOSITEin meaning to the wordDOCKEDgiven in bold as used in the passage.

Accepted Answer

To 'dock' means to bring a ship or boat into a dock, or to land an aircraft. The opposite action is to raise or lift it, making 'raised' the correct antonym.

Question 4

What happened when he wentto Simsbury in the summerof 1944?

Accepted Answer

The question asks for a specific event in 1944. The passage states he was 'stupefied by what he saw there' in Simsbury during that time, directly matching option 3.

Question 5

Worried by the poor participation of women in America’s largest corporations, the government appointed a 21– member body chaired by the labour secretary. Which of the following area(s) was/were of their focus?I. Employment for management and decision making positions.II. How to enhance the women’s skillsIII. How to improve women’s presence in duty and their working hours.

Accepted Answer

The body focused on increasing women's representation in management and decision-making roles, and enhancing their skills to achieve this. Improving duty presence and working hours was not a primary focus.

Question 6

According to the passage, what can be said about the school education today ?

Accepted Answer

The passage highlights that current school education emphasizes rote memorization over fostering creative thinking and understanding. This directly supports option 3.

Question 7

Why MLK was enraged?

Accepted Answer

Martin Luther King Jr. was enraged when Rosa Parks, a fellow activist, was arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat, sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Question 8

ENGLISH LANGUAGE Directions (1–10) : Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.Certain words/phrases have been given in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions The expression “the glass ceiling”first appeared in the Wall Street Journal in 1986 and was then used in the title of an academic article by A.M. Morrison and others published in 1987. Entitled“Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Can Women Reach the Top of America’s Largest Corporations?”, it looked at the persistent failure of women to climb as far up the corporate ladder as might be expected from their representation in the working population as a whole. The idea behind the expression was that a transparent barrier, a glass ceiling, blocked them.Invisible from the bottom, when women started their careers, it was steely strong in stopping them attaining equality with men later on.It helped explain the fact that in large corporations in Europe and North America women rarely came to account for more than 10% of senior executives and 4%of CEOs and chairmen. A secondary issue is that of women’s pay. There is evidence that even when women do reach the highest levels of corporate management, they do not receive the same pay as men for the same job; a figure of 75% is often quoted.And rather than getting better over time, the position seems to be deteriorating . One survey found that women executives in the United States were earning an even lower percentage of their male counterparts’ remuneration in 2000 than they were in 1995. So worried was the American government about the issue that in 1991 it set up something called the Glass Ceiling Commission, a 21-member body appointed by the president and Congress and chaired by the labour secretary.The commission focused on barriers in three areas : the filling of management and decision-making positions; skills-enhancing activities; and compensation and reward systems. The Glass Ceiling Commission“completed its mandate” in 1996 and was disbanded. Needless to say, the problem did not disappear with it. One of the first women to head a major Japanese company, when asked in 2005 what had changed least in Japanese business in the previous 20 years, said: “The mind set of Japanese gentlemen.” Several theories have been presented to explain the glass ceiling : ⇒ l The time factor : One theory is that the cohorts of first-class female graduates have not yet had time to work through the pipeline and reach the top of the corporate hierarchy. Qualifications for a senior management post usually include a graduate degree and 25 years of continuous work experience.In the early 1970s, when today’s senior managers were graduating, fewer than 5% of law and MBA degrees were being awarded to women. Nowadays, women gain over 40%of all law degrees in the United States and 35% of MBAs. ⇒ Motherhood : Sometimes the blame for the glass ceiling islaid at the door of motherhood.Women are distracted from their career path by the need to stay at home and rear children.They are unable to undertake the tasks required to reach the top; for example, extended trips abroad, wearing air miles like battle medals, long evenings “entertaining”clients and changing plans at short notice ⇒ Lack of role models : In her1977 book “Men and Women of the Corporation”, Rosabeth Moss Kanter suggested that because managerial women are so often a token female in their work environment they stand out from the rest. This makes them (and their failures)much more visible, and exaggerates the differences between them and the dominant male culture. Some authors recently have gone so far as to challenge the metaphor of the glass ceiling, arguing that it presents the image of a one-off blockage some where high up the career ladder, whereas in reality there is a whole series of obstacles along the way that hold women back.

What should be the most appropriate title of the given passage?

Accepted Answer

The idiom 'breaking the glass ceiling' refers to overcoming invisible barriers for women in professional advancement. This is the most appropriate title for a passage about women's corporate rise.

Question 9

Choose the word/group of words which is most nearly theSAMEin meaning as the wordDRAWgiven in bold as used in the passage.

Accepted Answer

Without the passage, we must consider common meanings. 'Draw' often means to depict or represent something visually or conceptually. Thus, 'represent' is the closest synonym.

Question 10

What was the first victory won by the activists?

Accepted Answer

The Montgomery Bus Boycott, a key event in the Civil Rights Movement, directly led to the Supreme Court ruling against segregated public transportation, marking the first major victory.

Question 11

ENGLISH LANGUAGE Directions (1–10) : Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.Certain words/phrases have been given in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions The expression “the glass ceiling”first appeared in the Wall Street Journal in 1986 and was then used in the title of an academic article by A.M. Morrison and others published in 1987. Entitled“Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Can Women Reach the Top of America’s Largest Corporations?”, it looked at the persistent failure of women to climb as far up the corporate ladder as might be expected from their representation in the working population as a whole. The idea behind the expression was that a transparent barrier, a glass ceiling, blocked them.Invisible from the bottom, when women started their careers, it was steely strong in stopping them attaining equality with men later on.It helped explain the fact that in large corporations in Europe and North America women rarely came to account for more than 10% of senior executives and 4%of CEOs and chairmen. A secondary issue is that of women’s pay. There is evidence that even when women do reach the highest levels of corporate management, they do not receive the same pay as men for the same job; a figure of 75% is often quoted.And rather than getting better over time, the position seems to be deteriorating . One survey found that women executives in the United States were earning an even lower percentage of their male counterparts’ remuneration in 2000 than they were in 1995. So worried was the American government about the issue that in 1991 it set up something called the Glass Ceiling Commission, a 21-member body appointed by the president and Congress and chaired by the labour secretary.The commission focused on barriers in three areas : the filling of management and decision-making positions; skills-enhancing activities; and compensation and reward systems. The Glass Ceiling Commission“completed its mandate” in 1996 and was disbanded. Needless to say, the problem did not disappear with it. One of the first women to head a major Japanese company, when asked in 2005 what had changed least in Japanese business in the previous 20 years, said: “The mind set of Japanese gentlemen.” Several theories have been presented to explain the glass ceiling : ⇒ l The time factor : One theory is that the cohorts of first-class female graduates have not yet had time to work through the pipeline and reach the top of the corporate hierarchy. Qualifications for a senior management post usually include a graduate degree and 25 years of continuous work experience.In the early 1970s, when today’s senior managers were graduating, fewer than 5% of law and MBA degrees were being awarded to women. Nowadays, women gain over 40%of all law degrees in the United States and 35% of MBAs. ⇒ Motherhood : Sometimes the blame for the glass ceiling islaid at the door of motherhood.Women are distracted from their career path by the need to stay at home and rear children.They are unable to undertake the tasks required to reach the top; for example, extended trips abroad, wearing air miles like battle medals, long evenings “entertaining”clients and changing plans at short notice ⇒ Lack of role models : In her1977 book “Men and Women of the Corporation”, Rosabeth Moss Kanter suggested that because managerial women are so often a token female in their work environment they stand out from the rest. This makes them (and their failures)much more visible, and exaggerates the differences between them and the dominant male culture. Some authors recently have gone so far as to challenge the metaphor of the glass ceiling, arguing that it presents the image of a one-off blockage some where high up the career ladder, whereas in reality there is a whole series of obstacles along the way that hold women back.

Which of the following statements is not true in the context of the given passage?

Accepted Answer

The passage states that the term 'glass ceiling' first appeared in a Wall Street Journal article, not an academic article by A.M. Morrison. Therefore, statement 2 is not true.

Question 12

Which of the following isTRUEin the context of the passage ?

Accepted Answer

The passage states that boys are often rated higher than girls in subjective teacher assessments, indicating this statement is true based on the provided text.

Question 13

What led to the famous “I have a dream” speech?

Accepted Answer

Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, advocating for civil rights legislation, specifically in support of President Kennedy's proposed bill.

Question 14

theories have been presented to explain the glass ceiling. Which of the following is/are correct in this regard?I. Because managerial women are so often a token female in their work environment they stand out from the rest.II. Sometimes the blame for glass ceiling is laid at the door of motherhood.III. The cohorts of first–class female graduates have not yet had time to work through the pipeline and reach the top of the corporate hierarchy.

Accepted Answer

All three statements (I, II, and III) are recognized theories or contributing factors to the glass ceiling phenomenon, explaining barriers women face in career advancement.

Question 15

Which of the following should be the SIXTH (LAST) sentence after the rearrangement?

Accepted Answer

To identify the last sentence, one must first arrange the given sentences into a coherent paragraph. The sentence that logically concludes the narrative or argument will be the sixth.

Question 16

Choose the word/group of words which is most nearly theSAMEin meaning as the wordPRONEgiven in bold as used in the passage.

Accepted Answer

In the context of the passage, 'prone' means having a tendency or likelihood to do something. 'Likely' accurately conveys this meaning.

Question 17

What was MLK’s dream?

Accepted Answer

MLK's famous 'I Have a Dream' speech articulated a vision of racial equality and harmony, where people would not be judged by their skin color.

Question 18

ENGLISH LANGUAGE Directions (1–10) : Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.Certain words/phrases have been given in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions The expression “the glass ceiling”first appeared in the Wall Street Journal in 1986 and was then used in the title of an academic article by A.M. Morrison and others published in 1987. Entitled“Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Can Women Reach the Top of America’s Largest Corporations?”, it looked at the persistent failure of women to climb as far up the corporate ladder as might be expected from their representation in the working population as a whole. The idea behind the expression was that a transparent barrier, a glass ceiling, blocked them.Invisible from the bottom, when women started their careers, it was steely strong in stopping them attaining equality with men later on.It helped explain the fact that in large corporations in Europe and North America women rarely came to account for more than 10% of senior executives and 4%of CEOs and chairmen. A secondary issue is that of women’s pay. There is evidence that even when women do reach the highest levels of corporate management, they do not receive the same pay as men for the same job; a figure of 75% is often quoted.And rather than getting better over time, the position seems to be deteriorating . One survey found that women executives in the United States were earning an even lower percentage of their male counterparts’ remuneration in 2000 than they were in 1995. So worried was the American government about the issue that in 1991 it set up something called the Glass Ceiling Commission, a 21-member body appointed by the president and Congress and chaired by the labour secretary.The commission focused on barriers in three areas : the filling of management and decision-making positions; skills-enhancing activities; and compensation and reward systems. The Glass Ceiling Commission“completed its mandate” in 1996 and was disbanded. Needless to say, the problem did not disappear with it. One of the first women to head a major Japanese company, when asked in 2005 what had changed least in Japanese business in the previous 20 years, said: “The mind set of Japanese gentlemen.” Several theories have been presented to explain the glass ceiling : ⇒ l The time factor : One theory is that the cohorts of first-class female graduates have not yet had time to work through the pipeline and reach the top of the corporate hierarchy. Qualifications for a senior management post usually include a graduate degree and 25 years of continuous work experience.In the early 1970s, when today’s senior managers were graduating, fewer than 5% of law and MBA degrees were being awarded to women. Nowadays, women gain over 40%of all law degrees in the United States and 35% of MBAs. ⇒ Motherhood : Sometimes the blame for the glass ceiling islaid at the door of motherhood.Women are distracted from their career path by the need to stay at home and rear children.They are unable to undertake the tasks required to reach the top; for example, extended trips abroad, wearing air miles like battle medals, long evenings “entertaining”clients and changing plans at short notice ⇒ Lack of role models : In her1977 book “Men and Women of the Corporation”, Rosabeth Moss Kanter suggested that because managerial women are so often a token female in their work environment they stand out from the rest. This makes them (and their failures)much more visible, and exaggerates the differences between them and the dominant male culture. Some authors recently have gone so far as to challenge the metaphor of the glass ceiling, arguing that it presents the image of a one-off blockage some where high up the career ladder, whereas in reality there is a whole series of obstacles along the way that hold women back.

Select the correct statement in the context of the given passage.

Accepted Answer

The correct statement is option 4, as the passage explicitly mentions the Glass Ceiling Commission completed its mandate and was disbanded in 1996. This is a direct factual recall.

Question 19

Government all over the world. 6. What divides people of a country against another?

Accepted Answer

Governments often create divisions between countries through policies, propaganda, and conflicts, rather than inherent differences among people.

Question 20

Which of the following factors can have an impact on results of boys in school ?(A) Perceptions of teachers.(B) Societal attitude towards educational achievement and boys.(C) Overconfidence of male students.

Accepted Answer

All listed factors—teacher perceptions, societal attitudes, and male student overconfidence—can influence boys' school results. Each plays a role in shaping academic outcomes.