SBI PO 2021 PYQs

Question 1

Directions (Qs 24-26): -:
In this question, two columns I and II and three sentences are given, which are divided into  two parts. Column I (A, B and C) consists of first half of each sentence and Column II (D, E and F) consists of second half of each sentence. Match column I with column II, so that the sentences formed are both meaningful and grammatically correct. Choose the option as your answer.

I.A. It is easier to ship goods by plane thanB. The farmers export theirC. Air traffic controllers direct planes soII.D. that they move about safe in the sky.E. by boat since not every city is connect to a waterway.F. surplus crops to many nations.

Accepted Answer

Option B (The farmers export their surplus crops) logically connects with F (to many nations) to form a complete and meaningful sentence. This pair creates a coherent thought.

Question 2

Directions (Qs 24-25): -:
In the following question, a sentence has been given with a word printed in bold. From the option choose the one which can be used to replace the highlighted word. If none of the words can be used to replace the highlighted word, mark option (E), i.e. ‘None of the above’, as the answer.

The authorities areactivelylooking to revamp crumbling public housing infrastructure in cities across the United States.

Accepted Answer

'Actively' means doing something with energy and enthusiasm. 'Keenly' is the closest synonym, meaning with great interest or enthusiasm, fitting the context of authorities looking to revamp.

Question 3

Directions: Ques No: 25-30
Direction: Read the given passage and choose the correct answers for the questions given below.
A region in Australia’s southeast was cloaked in sheets of web after floodwaters forced thousands of spiders to find higher ground. Residents in Victoria’s Gippsland region witnessed the ________
1
________ after intense rain and heavy flooding rocked the area last week, damaging dozens of homes and leaving two people dead.The waterlogged soil sent thousands, possibly millions of spiders ________
2
________ for refuge on plants, signs and anything else above ground.
“We are constantly surrounded by spiders, but we don’t usually see them. They are hiding in the leaf litter and in the soil,” Lizzy Lowe, a postdoctoral researcher at Macquarie University, wrote in an explainer about the phenomenon. “When these flood events happen, they need to ________
3
________ quickly up out of holes they live in underground. They come out en masse and use their silk to help them do that.” Baby spiders use the same technique of letting out strands of their silk, known as ballooning, to catch the wind and disperse after emerging from egg sacs. Simultaneous ballooning by thousands of spiders results in the blanket silk effect, called gossamer.
Ken Walker, a senior curator of entomology at the Melbourne Museum, told the media group ‘The Guardian’ that the gossamer effect ________
4
________ semi-regularly in Victoria during the wet season in the winter. “There has been a massive flooding event pretty quickly, so they are using the ballooning not to escape for hundreds of kilometres but to almost throw up a lasso on top of the vegetation. It ________
5
________ on to the tops of the vegetation because it is lighter than air, and then they quickly climb up.”
A council member, Carolyn Crossley, shared a video of the effect and asked for support for the Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund, which is providing assistance to areas hit hard by the floods. Locals were advised to leave the spiders alone. The webbing will ________
6
________ on its own, and the arachnids will likely soon disperse and head back to their underground homes, Walker said.

Choose the correct word  to fill the 1stblank.

Accepted Answer

The word 'spectacle' fits best as it refers to something presented to view, especially something of a striking or impressive kind, which aligns with the context of a 'grand' event.

Question 4

Directions: Ques No: 25-30
Read the passage given and answer the questions that follow. Your answers should be based only on the passage.
Curiosity is the desire to learn, to understand new things, and to know how they work. Curiosity can manifest in many ways, as the desire to read the gossip columns or watch reality shows on TV, or as the desire to know about people and their lives. It can also manifest as the desire to
accumulate
knowledge about science, geography, or other topics, or as the urge to know how to fix things. Curiosity is the expression of the urge to learn and
acquire
facts and knowledge. It widens the mind and opens it to different opinions, different lifestyles, and different topics. Curious people ask questions, read and explore. They are active in seeking information or experience and are willing to meet challenges and to
broaden their horizons
. They are not shy to ask questions and delve deeply into the topic that interests them.
Curiosity can be directed to _______ and ________ details, or to matters that are more important. It can also lead to learning, acquiring knowledge, and becoming an expert in one’s field. Curiosity is a vital ingredient for becoming a good journalist, writer, inventor, or scientist. Curiosity is important for excelling in any job and doing it better, because you ask questions, learn from others, and look for ways to do your job better. The mind of curious people is active. They want to know and to understand. This puts them in a better position to learn a job and do it better and more creatively, unlike a person who lacks curiosity. When curious people fail, they analyze their failure, because they are keen on knowing the reasons, so they can do better the next time. This increases their chances for success. Being curious is important for excelling in any job and doing it better, because you ask questions, learn from others, and look for ways to do your job better.

Which of the following expresses the opposite meaning to the word'accumulate'?

Accepted Answer

The word 'accumulate' means to gather or collect. 'Dissipate' means to scatter or disperse, which is its direct opposite. Therefore, option 3 is correct.

Question 5

Directions: In the following question, 2 columns are given containing three phrases each. In the first column the phrases are A, B and C and the second column has phrases D, E and F. A phrase from the first column may or may not connect with a phrase from the second column to make a grammatically and contextually correct sentence. There are 5 options, 5 of which display the sequence(s) in which the phrases can be joined to form a grammatically and contextually correct sentence. If none of the options given forms a correct sentence after combination, select ‘None of the above’ as your answer.Column 1Column 2A. Alice was infuriated with her husband's behaviorD. a lush green forest and babbling brooks.B. The camp was surrounded on all sides byE. when he misbehaved at the gala with all her co-workers.C. There is a reason Samantha is laughingF. so hard at Mark's hilarious jokes.

Accepted Answer

Match phrases to form grammatically and contextually correct sentences. A-E: Alice was infuriated...when he misbehaved. B-D: The camp was surrounded...by a lush green forest. C-F: Samantha is laughing...so hard at Mark's jokes.

Question 6

Directions (Qs 24-26): -:
In this question, two columns I and II and three sentences are given, which are divided into  two parts. Column I (A, B and C) consists of first half of each sentence and Column II (D, E and F) consists of second half of each sentence. Match column I with column II, so that the sentences formed are both meaningful and grammatically correct. Choose the option as your answer.

I.A. It was too dark to explore the grounds,B. Our migratory neighboursC. The nomad never stayedII.D. so the crew was forced to return.E. in a city for more than two months.F. live in the Caribbean half the year.

Accepted Answer

Pair A with D as 'too dark' logically leads to 'forced to return'. Pair C with E as 'never stayed' logically connects to 'in a city for more than two months'.

Question 7

Directions (Qs 24-25): -:
In the following question, a sentence has been given with a word printed in bold. From the option choose the one which can be used to replace the highlighted word. If none of the words can be used to replace the highlighted word, mark option (E), i.e. ‘None of the above’, as the answer.

The report only lists down the impact of carbon emissions, bush fires on Koala bear leaving behind thefallouton other species and animals.

Accepted Answer

The sentence discusses the 'fallout' on other species, which means the results or effects. 'Consequences' is the most appropriate synonym for 'fallout' in this context, referring to the outcomes.

Question 8

Directions: Ques No: 25-30
Direction: Read the given passage and choose the correct answers for the questions given below.
A region in Australia’s southeast was cloaked in sheets of web after floodwaters forced thousands of spiders to find higher ground. Residents in Victoria’s Gippsland region witnessed the ________
1
________ after intense rain and heavy flooding rocked the area last week, damaging dozens of homes and leaving two people dead.The waterlogged soil sent thousands, possibly millions of spiders ________
2
________ for refuge on plants, signs and anything else above ground.
“We are constantly surrounded by spiders, but we don’t usually see them. They are hiding in the leaf litter and in the soil,” Lizzy Lowe, a postdoctoral researcher at Macquarie University, wrote in an explainer about the phenomenon. “When these flood events happen, they need to ________
3
________ quickly up out of holes they live in underground. They come out en masse and use their silk to help them do that.” Baby spiders use the same technique of letting out strands of their silk, known as ballooning, to catch the wind and disperse after emerging from egg sacs. Simultaneous ballooning by thousands of spiders results in the blanket silk effect, called gossamer.
Ken Walker, a senior curator of entomology at the Melbourne Museum, told the media group ‘The Guardian’ that the gossamer effect ________
4
________ semi-regularly in Victoria during the wet season in the winter. “There has been a massive flooding event pretty quickly, so they are using the ballooning not to escape for hundreds of kilometres but to almost throw up a lasso on top of the vegetation. It ________
5
________ on to the tops of the vegetation because it is lighter than air, and then they quickly climb up.”
A council member, Carolyn Crossley, shared a video of the effect and asked for support for the Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund, which is providing assistance to areas hit hard by the floods. Locals were advised to leave the spiders alone. The webbing will ________
6
________ on its own, and the arachnids will likely soon disperse and head back to their underground homes, Walker said.

Choose the correct word to fill the 2ndblank.

Accepted Answer

The word 'scrambling' fits best as it implies a hurried, disorganized movement, which aligns with the context of a chaotic situation.

Question 9

Directions: Ques No: 26-30
Read the following sentences. The second and fifth sentences are fixed and are numbered 2 and 5 respectively. The remaining are labelled P, Q, R,S and T. Rearrange these five sentences to form a meaningful paragraph and choose the proper sequence from the given options.
P. Research demonstrates that the fossil is over one million years old, eclipsing the previous record of hippo in the UK by at least 300,000 years and filling an important gap in the British fossil record.
2. In a new study published in the Journal of Quaternary Science and co-authored with researchers from Royal Holloway, University of London, the tooth is identified as belonging to an extinct species of hippo called
Hippopotamus antiquus
, which ranged across Europe in warm periods during the Ice Age.
Q. Excavations at Westbury Cave in Somerset, led by University of Leicester PhD student Neil Adams, uncovered a million-year-old hippo tooth which shows the animal roamed Britain much earlier than previously thought.
R. Professor Danielle Schreve, co-author of the study, said that Hippos are not only fabulous animals to find but they also reveal evidence about past climates.
5. Scientists know remarkably little about the fauna, flora and environments in Britain between about 1.8 and 0.8 million years ago, a key period when early humans were beginning to occupy Europe.
S. It was much larger than the modern African hippo, weighing around 3 tonnes, and was even more reliant on aquatic habitats than its living relative.
T. But new research at Westbury Cave is helping to fill in this gap and it shows that during this interval there were periods warm and wet enough to allow hippos to migrate all the way from the Mediterranean to southern England.

Which of the following will be thefirstsentence after rearrangement?

Accepted Answer

To identify the first sentence, look for an independent statement that introduces the main subject or context. Sentence Q typically sets the stage, making it the logical starting point for rearrangement.

Question 10

Directions: Ques No: 25-30
Read the passage given and answer the questions that follow. Your answers should be based only on the passage.
Curiosity is the desire to learn, to understand new things, and to know how they work. Curiosity can manifest in many ways, as the desire to read the gossip columns or watch reality shows on TV, or as the desire to know about people and their lives. It can also manifest as the desire to
accumulate
knowledge about science, geography, or other topics, or as the urge to know how to fix things. Curiosity is the expression of the urge to learn and
acquire
facts and knowledge. It widens the mind and opens it to different opinions, different lifestyles, and different topics. Curious people ask questions, read and explore. They are active in seeking information or experience and are willing to meet challenges and to
broaden their horizons
. They are not shy to ask questions and delve deeply into the topic that interests them.
Curiosity can be directed to _______ and ________ details, or to matters that are more important. It can also lead to learning, acquiring knowledge, and becoming an expert in one’s field. Curiosity is a vital ingredient for becoming a good journalist, writer, inventor, or scientist. Curiosity is important for excelling in any job and doing it better, because you ask questions, learn from others, and look for ways to do your job better. The mind of curious people is active. They want to know and to understand. This puts them in a better position to learn a job and do it better and more creatively, unlike a person who lacks curiosity. When curious people fail, they analyze their failure, because they are keen on knowing the reasons, so they can do better the next time. This increases their chances for success. Being curious is important for excelling in any job and doing it better, because you ask questions, learn from others, and look for ways to do your job better.

Which of the following has a similar meaning to “acquire” in the context of the passage?

Accepted Answer

To 'acquire' means to gain or obtain something. In the context of learning, it refers to gaining knowledge or skill, which is synonymous with 'learning'.

Question 11

Directions (Qs 24-26): -:
In this question, two columns I and II and three sentences are given, which are divided into  two parts. Column I (A, B and C) consists of first half of each sentence and Column II (D, E and F) consists of second half of each sentence. Match column I with column II, so that the sentences formed are both meaningful and grammatically correct. Choose the option as your answer.

I.A. The refugee convoy moved over three thousandB. Using her skills, the teacher was ableC. The little girl liked to save herII.D. to train students to read and write.E. he would be home late.F. refugees safely across the border.

Accepted Answer

Pair A-F forms a coherent sentence: 'The refugee convoy moved over three thousand refugees safely across the border.' Pair B-D also forms a coherent sentence: 'Using her skills, the teacher was able to train students to read and write.'

Question 12

Directions (Qs 26-28): -:
In the given statement some words have been highlighted. These words may not be at the correct place making the sentence grammatically and contextually incorrect. Choose the option which represents the correct sequence of words, which will make the sentence grammatically and contextually correct. If the sentence is correct as it is, choose E i.e. ‘No rearrangement required’ as your answer.

Experts say an incident oflikely (A)scale could happenagain (B)and has been made morerelax (C)by the administrative decision tosimilar (D)traditional safety rules.

Accepted Answer

The correct sequence is DBAC. The words should be 'similar' (D) to 'relax' (C), 'again' (B) to 'likely' (A). This forms a coherent and grammatically correct sentence.

Question 13

Directions: Ques No: 25-30
Direction: Read the given passage and choose the correct answers for the questions given below.
A region in Australia’s southeast was cloaked in sheets of web after floodwaters forced thousands of spiders to find higher ground. Residents in Victoria’s Gippsland region witnessed the ________
1
________ after intense rain and heavy flooding rocked the area last week, damaging dozens of homes and leaving two people dead.The waterlogged soil sent thousands, possibly millions of spiders ________
2
________ for refuge on plants, signs and anything else above ground.
“We are constantly surrounded by spiders, but we don’t usually see them. They are hiding in the leaf litter and in the soil,” Lizzy Lowe, a postdoctoral researcher at Macquarie University, wrote in an explainer about the phenomenon. “When these flood events happen, they need to ________
3
________ quickly up out of holes they live in underground. They come out en masse and use their silk to help them do that.” Baby spiders use the same technique of letting out strands of their silk, known as ballooning, to catch the wind and disperse after emerging from egg sacs. Simultaneous ballooning by thousands of spiders results in the blanket silk effect, called gossamer.
Ken Walker, a senior curator of entomology at the Melbourne Museum, told the media group ‘The Guardian’ that the gossamer effect ________
4
________ semi-regularly in Victoria during the wet season in the winter. “There has been a massive flooding event pretty quickly, so they are using the ballooning not to escape for hundreds of kilometres but to almost throw up a lasso on top of the vegetation. It ________
5
________ on to the tops of the vegetation because it is lighter than air, and then they quickly climb up.”
A council member, Carolyn Crossley, shared a video of the effect and asked for support for the Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund, which is providing assistance to areas hit hard by the floods. Locals were advised to leave the spiders alone. The webbing will ________
6
________ on its own, and the arachnids will likely soon disperse and head back to their underground homes, Walker said.

Choose the correct word to fill the 3rdblank.

Accepted Answer

The word 'evacuate' means to remove people from a dangerous place, which fits the context of a disaster or emergency.

Question 14

Directions: Ques No: 26-30
Read the following sentences. The second and fifth sentences are fixed and are numbered 2 and 5 respectively. The remaining are labelled P, Q, R,S and T. Rearrange these five sentences to form a meaningful paragraph and choose the proper sequence from the given options.
P. Research demonstrates that the fossil is over one million years old, eclipsing the previous record of hippo in the UK by at least 300,000 years and filling an important gap in the British fossil record.
2. In a new study published in the Journal of Quaternary Science and co-authored with researchers from Royal Holloway, University of London, the tooth is identified as belonging to an extinct species of hippo called
Hippopotamus antiquus
, which ranged across Europe in warm periods during the Ice Age.
Q. Excavations at Westbury Cave in Somerset, led by University of Leicester PhD student Neil Adams, uncovered a million-year-old hippo tooth which shows the animal roamed Britain much earlier than previously thought.
R. Professor Danielle Schreve, co-author of the study, said that Hippos are not only fabulous animals to find but they also reveal evidence about past climates.
5. Scientists know remarkably little about the fauna, flora and environments in Britain between about 1.8 and 0.8 million years ago, a key period when early humans were beginning to occupy Europe.
S. It was much larger than the modern African hippo, weighing around 3 tonnes, and was even more reliant on aquatic habitats than its living relative.
T. But new research at Westbury Cave is helping to fill in this gap and it shows that during this interval there were periods warm and wet enough to allow hippos to migrate all the way from the Mediterranean to southern England.

Which of the following will be thefourthsentence after rearrangement?

Accepted Answer

To determine the fourth sentence, first identify the logical flow and connections between the given sentences. Arrange them into a coherent paragraph to find the correct sequence.

Question 15

Directions: Ques No: 25-30
Read the passage given and answer the questions that follow. Your answers should be based only on the passage.
Curiosity is the desire to learn, to understand new things, and to know how they work. Curiosity can manifest in many ways, as the desire to read the gossip columns or watch reality shows on TV, or as the desire to know about people and their lives. It can also manifest as the desire to
accumulate
knowledge about science, geography, or other topics, or as the urge to know how to fix things. Curiosity is the expression of the urge to learn and
acquire
facts and knowledge. It widens the mind and opens it to different opinions, different lifestyles, and different topics. Curious people ask questions, read and explore. They are active in seeking information or experience and are willing to meet challenges and to
broaden their horizons
. They are not shy to ask questions and delve deeply into the topic that interests them.
Curiosity can be directed to _______ and ________ details, or to matters that are more important. It can also lead to learning, acquiring knowledge, and becoming an expert in one’s field. Curiosity is a vital ingredient for becoming a good journalist, writer, inventor, or scientist. Curiosity is important for excelling in any job and doing it better, because you ask questions, learn from others, and look for ways to do your job better. The mind of curious people is active. They want to know and to understand. This puts them in a better position to learn a job and do it better and more creatively, unlike a person who lacks curiosity. When curious people fail, they analyze their failure, because they are keen on knowing the reasons, so they can do better the next time. This increases their chances for success. Being curious is important for excelling in any job and doing it better, because you ask questions, learn from others, and look for ways to do your job better.

Which of the following is correct about curious persons as per the passage?

Accepted Answer

The passage states that curious people ask questions and learn from others. Option 4 directly reflects this information, making it the correct answer.

Question 16

Find out the most effective word from the given options to fill the blanks of the following question.1. More than 300 graves were________by the invading army.2. Because the priests were knowledgeable men, they never ________ the holy chambers

Accepted Answer

The word 'desecrated' means to treat a sacred place or thing with violent disrespect. This fits both contexts: graves being disrespected by an army and holy chambers by priests.

Question 17

Directions (Qs 27-30): -:
In the given statement some words have been highlighted. These words may not be at the correct place making the sentence grammatically and contextually incorrect. Choose the option which represents the correct sequence of words, which will make the sentence grammatically and contextually correct. If the sentence is correct as it is, choose E i.e. ‘No rearrangement required’ as your answer.

According to study, we do notpast (A)more complex jobs that we had in theinvolve (B),but today jobsperformed (C)numerous tasks that do not really need to behave (D).

Accepted Answer

The sentence starts with 'According to study, we do not' (D). This is followed by 'more complex jobs that we had in the' (A). Then 'involve' (B) fits, and finally 'numerous tasks that do not really need to be performed' (C) completes the sentence logically.

Question 18

Directions (Qs 26-28): -:
In the given statement some words have been highlighted. These words may not be at the correct place making the sentence grammatically and contextually incorrect. Choose the option which represents the correct sequence of words, which will make the sentence grammatically and contextually correct. If the sentence is correct as it is, choose E i.e. ‘No rearrangement required’ as your answer.

Whileother (A)corporate giants werevowed (B)to go carbonneutral (C), our companypledging (D)to go carbon negative by 2030.

Accepted Answer

The original sentence has grammatical errors. 'While other corporate giants were vowed' should be 'While other corporate giants vowed' and 'our company pledging' should be 'our company pledged'. The correct sequence of parts is ADCB.

Question 19

Directions: Ques No: 25-30
Direction: Read the given passage and choose the correct answers for the questions given below.
A region in Australia’s southeast was cloaked in sheets of web after floodwaters forced thousands of spiders to find higher ground. Residents in Victoria’s Gippsland region witnessed the ________
1
________ after intense rain and heavy flooding rocked the area last week, damaging dozens of homes and leaving two people dead.The waterlogged soil sent thousands, possibly millions of spiders ________
2
________ for refuge on plants, signs and anything else above ground.
“We are constantly surrounded by spiders, but we don’t usually see them. They are hiding in the leaf litter and in the soil,” Lizzy Lowe, a postdoctoral researcher at Macquarie University, wrote in an explainer about the phenomenon. “When these flood events happen, they need to ________
3
________ quickly up out of holes they live in underground. They come out en masse and use their silk to help them do that.” Baby spiders use the same technique of letting out strands of their silk, known as ballooning, to catch the wind and disperse after emerging from egg sacs. Simultaneous ballooning by thousands of spiders results in the blanket silk effect, called gossamer.
Ken Walker, a senior curator of entomology at the Melbourne Museum, told the media group ‘The Guardian’ that the gossamer effect ________
4
________ semi-regularly in Victoria during the wet season in the winter. “There has been a massive flooding event pretty quickly, so they are using the ballooning not to escape for hundreds of kilometres but to almost throw up a lasso on top of the vegetation. It ________
5
________ on to the tops of the vegetation because it is lighter than air, and then they quickly climb up.”
A council member, Carolyn Crossley, shared a video of the effect and asked for support for the Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund, which is providing assistance to areas hit hard by the floods. Locals were advised to leave the spiders alone. The webbing will ________
6
________ on its own, and the arachnids will likely soon disperse and head back to their underground homes, Walker said.

Choose the correct word to fill the 4thblank.

Accepted Answer

The word 'occurs' fits best as it means 'happens' or 'takes place', which is appropriate for describing an event in the given context.

Question 20

Directions: Ques No: 26-30
Read the following sentences. The second and fifth sentences are fixed and are numbered 2 and 5 respectively. The remaining are labelled P, Q, R,S and T. Rearrange these five sentences to form a meaningful paragraph and choose the proper sequence from the given options.
P. Research demonstrates that the fossil is over one million years old, eclipsing the previous record of hippo in the UK by at least 300,000 years and filling an important gap in the British fossil record.
2. In a new study published in the Journal of Quaternary Science and co-authored with researchers from Royal Holloway, University of London, the tooth is identified as belonging to an extinct species of hippo called
Hippopotamus antiquus
, which ranged across Europe in warm periods during the Ice Age.
Q. Excavations at Westbury Cave in Somerset, led by University of Leicester PhD student Neil Adams, uncovered a million-year-old hippo tooth which shows the animal roamed Britain much earlier than previously thought.
R. Professor Danielle Schreve, co-author of the study, said that Hippos are not only fabulous animals to find but they also reveal evidence about past climates.
5. Scientists know remarkably little about the fauna, flora and environments in Britain between about 1.8 and 0.8 million years ago, a key period when early humans were beginning to occupy Europe.
S. It was much larger than the modern African hippo, weighing around 3 tonnes, and was even more reliant on aquatic habitats than its living relative.
T. But new research at Westbury Cave is helping to fill in this gap and it shows that during this interval there were periods warm and wet enough to allow hippos to migrate all the way from the Mediterranean to southern England.

Which of the following will be thesixthsentence after rearrangement?

Accepted Answer

To determine the sixth sentence, one must first arrange all sentences into a coherent paragraph. Identify the opening, connecting ideas, and concluding statements to establish the correct sequence.