LIC AAO -- ENGLISH WITH ANSWERS
Directions (Q.
1-5): Rearrange the following six sentences (A), (B), (C), (D), (E) and (F) in
the proper sequence to form a meaningful paragraph, then answer the given
questions.
(A) Take for example, the market for learning dancing.
(B) This
could never happen if there was a central board of dancing education which enforced
strict standards of what will be taught and how such things are to be taught.
(C) The
Indian education system is built on the presumption that if something is good
for one child, it is good for all children.
(D) More
importantly, different teachers and institutes have developed different ways of
teaching dancing.
(E) There are very different dance forms that
attract students with different tastes.
(F) If,
however, we can effectively decentralise education, and if the government did
not obsessively control what would be the "syllabus" and what will be
the method of instruction, there could be an explosion of new and innovative courses
geared towards serving various riches of learners.
1. Which of the following should be the LAST
(SIXTH) sentence after the rearrangement?
a) A b) F c) D d)
C e) B
2. Which of the following should be the THIRD
sentence after the rearrangement?
a) A b) B c) F d)
D e) E
3. Which of the following should be the SECOND
sentence after the rearrangement?
a) A b) B c) C d)
D e) F
4. Which of the following should be the FIRST
sentence after the rearrangement?
a) A b) B c) C d)
D e) E
5. Which of the following should be the FOURTH
sentence after the rearrangement?
a) A b) B c) C d)
E e) D
Directions (Q.
6-15): Read the following passage carefully and answer the given questions. Certain
words / phrases have been given in bold to help you locate them while answering
some of the questions.
Manufacturers of
consumer packaged goods (CPG) face two key challenges this year. The first is
continued slow or negative growth in people's disposable incomes. The second is
changing consumer attitudes towards products and brands, as the great
fragmentation of consumer markets takes another turn. In response, companies
must dramatically shift the route they take to reach consumers in terms of both
product distribution and communications. In many markets, consumer wages have
been static for five years now. Even where economies are starting to perform
better, the squeeze on after-tax wages, especially for the middle class younger
people and families, is depressing consumer spending. Although growth in
developing countries is still better than in the United States and Europe, a
slowdown in emerging countries such as China - where many countries had hoped
for higher sales — has translated quickly into lower-than-expected consumer
spending growth.
Meanwhile, what
we call the great fragmentation is manifested in consumer behaviour and market
response. In both developed and emerging markets, there is a wider variety
among consumers now than at any time in the recent past. Growth is evident both
at the top of the market (where more consumers are spending for higher-quality
food and other packaged goods) and at the lower end (where an increasing number
of consumers are concentrating on value). But the traditional middle of the
market is shrinking.
Further, individual
consumer behaviour is more pluralistic. We are used to seeing, for example,
spirits buyers purchasing a premium brand in a bar, a less costly label at home
for personal consumption and yet another when entertaining guests. But this
type of variegated shopping has now spread to the grocery basket as
well. Fewer consumers are making one big stocking-up trip each week. Instead,
shoppers are visiting a premium store and a discounter as well as a
supermarket, in multiple weekly stops — in addition to making frequent
purchases online. During recession, more shoppers became inclined to spend time
hunting for bargains, and as some traditional tailers either went out of
business or shuttered down, retail space was freed up and was often filled
by convenience stores, specialty shops, and discounters.
A decade ago,
CPG companies had only a handful of sales channels to consider: supermarkets,
convenience stores, hypermarkets in advanced economies and traditional small and
large retailers in emerging countries.
Since then,
various discounters have made significant inroads, including no-frills,
low-variety outlets, such as Europe's Aldi and Lidi, which sell a limited range
of private label grocery items in smaller stores and massive warehouse clubs,
such as Costco and Sam's club, which initially operated solely in the US but
are now expanding internationally. In addition, dollar stores, specialised retailers,
and online merchants are having an impact on the CPG landscape. Economising
consumers have been pleasantly surprised by the savings generated by spreading their
business among multiple channels as well as by the variety and product quality
they find.
The result has
been greater demand for more products and brands, with different sizes, packaging
and sales methods. At most CPG companies, SKUs are proliferating despite there being
little increase in overall consumption. A better outcome can be seen at smaller
food and beverage suppliers, which are benefiting from consumer demand for variety
and authenticity. A recent ‘strategy & report’ found that in the US, small
manufacturers (with revenues of less than US$ l billion) grew at twice the
compound annual rate of large manufacturers (with revenues of more than $3 billion)
between 2009 and 2012.
Consumers’ media
usage has also fragmented with the rise of digital content and the proliferation
of online devices. Each channel — from the Web, mobile and social sites to radio,
TV, and print —- has its own requirements, audience appeal and economics,
needing specialised attention. But, at the same time, media campaigns need to
be closely coordinated for effective consumer messaging.
Collectively,
these shifts challenge the way CPG companies manage their brand and business
portfolios and call for a rethinking of their go-to-market approach, with an emphasis
on analytics. Our work with INSEAD shows that among business leaders, applying
analytics - especially for tracking consumer behaviour and product and
promotional performance is considered one of the most effective ways to improve
results and outpace the competition. But it’s not just about insight. It‘s also
about using the insight wisely to determine how to manage costs. The more
knowledgeable about customer needs and preferences a company is, the smarter and
more focused it must be in managing its own economics to cost-effectively deliver
both variety and value to the squeezed consumer.
6. The central theme of the given passage
is
a) The shrinking
market
b) Shift towards
offering luxury goods to consumers
c) Products to
officer consumers with squeezed pockets
d) To highlight
products consumed by the middle class
e) Gaining
insight into changing consumer behaviour towards CPGs
7. In
the context of the passage, which of the following trends existed otherwise but
is now being manifested in buying groceries as well?
a)
Consumers purchasing the same products for over a period of time
b)
Consumers willing to purchase goods for a longer period of time
c)
Consumers preferring luxury goods over regular goods
d)
Consumers are more aware of their rights
e)
Consumers prefer buying goods from a variety of stores.
8. Which
of the following is most nearly the OPPOSITE in meaning of the word
‘depressing’ as used in the passage?
a)
encouraging b) sunny c) doubtful d) light e) nil
9. As
mentioned in the passage, CPG companies may have to reassess their present strategies
of operating to
(A)
Retain their customers.
(B) Keep
pace with changing consumer preferences as they have access to multiple media
channels.
(C)
Make more cost-effective decisions.
a)
Only (A) b) Only (B) c) All (A), (B) and (C) d) Only (C)
e)
Only (A) and (B)
10. Which
of the following is True in the context of the passage?
a)
In the US, during the three-year period after 2009, small manufacturers did not
fare well as compared to their larger counterparts.
b)
Impact on disposable incomes of people barely affects the CPG manufacturing industry.
c)
Post-tax wages, especially for the middle class, is one of the critical factors
which have reduced spending behaviour of consumers.
d)
CPG has always been a favourite among consumers.
e)
None of the given options is true.
11. Which
of the following correctly explains the meaning of the phrase ‘a handful of’ as
used in the passage?
a)
Boundless b) Planned c) Satisfactory d) Limited e)
Imperfect
12. As
mentioned in the passage, one of the most critical factors that aids in
catering to the needs of consumers is
a)
Persuading them to purchase goods produced by the organisation.
b)
Assessing their requirements and appropriately planning to meet them.
3)
Offering them products that an organisation regularly manufactures.
d)
Concentrating only on being aware about changing preferences of consumers
e)
None of the given options.
13. Which
of the following is most nearly the SAME in meaning as the word ‘shrinking’ as
used in the passage?
a) developing b) annoying c) narrowing d)
wasting
e) rising
14. Which
of the following is most nearly the SAME in meaning to the word ‘variegated’ as
used in the passage?
a) diverse b) composite c) strong d) narrow e) valued
15. Which
of the following is most nearly the OPPOSITE in meaning of the word ‘shuttered’
as used in the passage?
a) closed b) retail c) flourished d)
gratified e) nearest
Directions (Q.
16-20): Read each sentence to find out whether there is any mistake/error in
it. The error, if any, will be in one part of the sentence. Mark the part with the
error as your answer. If there is no error, mark ‘No Error’ as your answer.
(Ignore errors of punctuation, if any)
16. After
his term in the Department of Defence / he was appointed Secretary of Energy -/
a job in which he strongly supported the use / of alternate sources of energy
such as nuclear energy.
a) After his
term in the Department of Defence
b) he was
appointed Secretary of Energy -
c) a job in
which he strongly supported the use
d) of alternate
sources of energy such as nuclear energy.
e) No error
17. As
GDP growth is half of what it / is just a few years ago, the country /
desperately needs to cut red tape and improve / infrastructure to boost
investment and growth.
a) As GDP growth
is half of what it
b) is just a few
years ago, the country
c) desperately
needs to cut red tape and improve
d)
infrastructure to boost investment and growth.
e) No error
18. When
elections in the country are due shortly / people are determined to register as
voters and to vote for / candidates based on their track record and the programmes
/ that they intend to implement for the betterment of the country.
a) When elections
in the country are due shortly
b) people are
determined to register as voters and to vote for
c) candidates
based on their track record and the programmes
d) that they
intend to implement for the betterment of the country,
e) No error
19. At
least a quarter of the World's corals have lost / over the past twenty-five
years and as climate change warms / the oceans the additional carbon dioxide
will make / the water more acidic further destroying coral reefs.
a) At least a
quarter of the-world's corals have lost
b) over the past
twenty-five years and as climate change warms
c) the oceans
the additional carbon dioxide will make
d) the water
more acidic further destroying coral reefs.
e) No error
20. The
Prime Minister's speech laid out how / it is important to encourage female
participated / in the economy yet the percentage of female lawmakers in / the
lower house of parliament has fallen to8 per cent.
a)
The Prime Minister's speech laid out how
b) it is
important to encourage female participated
c) in the
economy yet the percentage of female lawmakers in
d) the lower
house of parliament has fallen to 8 percent
e) No error
Directions (Q.
21-25): Each question has two blanks, each blank indicating that something has been
omitted. Choose the set of words for each blank that best fits the meaning of
the sentence as a whole.
21. Three
unknown assailants __________ on motorcycles and opened __________ barely a few
metres from where the actor was shooting.
a) came,
shooting b) rode, rounds c) arrived, fire d) approached, hitting
e) climbed,
shots
22. The
police __________ in kg _________ a car theft case within a matter of two hours
of registration of the complaint.
a) achieved,
solving it b)
victorious, catching c)
famed, arresting
d) succeeded,
cracking e) failed, assigning
23. The
health ministry has approved major expansion of post-graduate seats in key departments
of AIIMS to __________ the severe __________ of specialists across the country.
a)
address, dearth b) correct, loss c) improve, damage d) rectify, limits
e)
good, shortage
24. With
the _________ wedding season, people are leaving no stone unturned to make
their wedding cards look __________.
1)
prolonged, beyond b) ongoing,
special c) instant, great
d)
sudden, while e) estimated,
legible
25. The
tourism data __________ that Indians __________ are the biggest spenders while
on holidays.
a)
says, within b)
reveal, amongst c)
proclaims, between
d)
states, surrounded e) speaks,
amid
Directions (Q.
26-30): In the given passage, there are blanks each of which has been numbered.
Against each five words are suggested, one of which fits the blank appropriately.
Find out the appropriate word in each case.
A strong economy
would improve livelihoods and give hope for the future, but the lack of
reliable electricity in the country has contributed to holding back prosperity.
Over the past five years, GDP growth has averaged 3 per cent, too (26)
to fight poverty and create jobs. Demand for power outstrips what the country
can produce and (27). Planned and unplanned electricity outages
of 12 to 16 hours daily nationwide (28)
business, aggravate unemployment and spark angry protests. The country has (29) energy resources — an
estimated 186 billion tonnes of coal, over 100,000 megawatts of hydro potential
and wind potential of up to 3,46,000 megawatts. But the technology and investment
to (30) these resources are
limited. An overreliance on imported fuel has exposed the country to high oil
prices and there isn't enough money to keep the system -a mix of private and
state-run enterprises — running or to fix faulty infrastructure that leaks electricity.
A resolution of power crisis is thus very critical to the survival of the
country.
26. a)
much b) low c) required d) tough e)
minimal
27. a)
represent b) sufficient c) adequate d)
amount e) deliver
28. a)
run b) happens c) plans d)
effect e) hurt
29. a)
ample b) fix c) worst d) frequent e)
paucity
30. a)
lack b) solve c) Waste d) exploit e)
advantage
ANSWERS:
(1-5): CFAEDB
1. e) 2. a) 3. e) 4.
c) 5. d)
6. e) 7. e) 8. a) 9.
d) 10. c)
11. d) 12. b) 13. c) 14.
a) 15. c)
16. (d); Replace ‘alternate’ with
‘alternative’
17. (b); Replace ‘is’ with ‘was’
18. (a); Replace ‘when’ with ‘as’
19. (a); Insert ‘been’ after ‘have’
20. (b); Replace ‘participated’ with
‘participation’
21. c) 22. d) 23. a) 24.
b) 25. b)
26. b) 27. e) 28. e) 29.
a) 30. d)
Post a Comment