IBPS English Language model test paper - 9
Directions (1 to 2): Read the below given passage and answer the following questions carefully.
1)
The effect of cynicism can be disastrous, particularly if the cynic is a manager. Mirvis and Kanter (1989, p. 382) explain that the attitude of the cynical manager "leads to a workplace environment dominated by a feeling of temporariness, an absence of a lasting vision of what the company and its products ought to be." Cynical managers convey their attitudes by running the business only for the bottom line, treating long-term strategies as subordinate to those of the short-term, treating employees as "hands," and tolerating shoddy products. And in managing in a cynical fashion, they insidiously instil cynicism in their employees and organizational culture. Members live by the law of the jungle.
None of this makes for effective member participation in organizational change efforts. Consultants Carol Sanford and Pamela Mang (1992, p. 157) convey that "it takes equal effort on the part of operators (non-managers) to overcome patterns, one of the most common being the fear and/or cynicism that this is just another 'program of the month'." Members perceive change as being done solely in the interest of management. Resulting due to lack of co-operation in organization change, efforts results in further insincerity and even anger from management, thereby entrenching the status quo and continuing to severely damage the organization.
Cynicism leads to a generalized mistrust of authority, to disparagement of management communications and directions, and ultimately to denigration of the leadership and mission of the enterprise. This is directly counter to the requirements for several key aspects of effective organization development actions. As explained by Professors Thomas G. Cummings and Christopher G. Worley (Cummings and Worley, 1993), it's vital that the organization development agent establish an effective and trusting relationship with relevant change agents in the organization.
This isn't possible with a cynic, considering their mistrustful nature. Do to this lack of trust, other organization development activities are blocked, including establishing a diagnostic contract, obtaining valid data, accomplishing organizational members' ownership in feedback data, overcoming resistance to change, and managing the dynamics of and sustaining the change. And it's certainly unlikely that successful intervention and implementation will take place, considering the need for organization members to provide their ongoing commitment and support.
The disastrous effects of organizational cynicism are beginning to be recognized. Writer Barry Stephen (1994, p. A17) relates that Vice President Gore, after a Georgetown University seminar that compared past management theories and practices with new ideas, urged American executives "to abandon the cynicism of the workplace culture"; otherwise plans to reinvigorate the nation's bureaucracy would not succeed.
1. The passage is based on:
a. The meaning of cynicism
b. Causes of cynicism
c. Uses of cynicism in the business industry
d. Effects of cynicism on business and industry
View Answer / Hide AnswerANSWER: d. Effects of cynicism on business and industry
2. What does cynicism lead to?
a. Mistrust of the authority
b. Attitude of the managers
c. Intervention in the workplace
d. Bureaucracy
View Answer / Hide AnswerANSWER: a. Mistrust of the authority
3. Fill in the blank with the correct word:
The effect of cynicism can be disastrous, if the _________________ is manager.
a. Cynic
b. Doubter
c. Cynic attitude
d. Misanthropist
View Answer / Hide Answer4. From the above passage who quoted, “it's vital that the organization development agent establish an effective and trusting relationship with relevant change agents in the organization.”
a. Barry Stephen
b. Mirvis and Kanter
c. Carol Sanford and Pamela Mang
d. Thomas G. Cummings and Christopher G. Worley
View Answer / Hide AnswerANSWER: d. Thomas G. Cummings and Christopher G. Worley
2)
Job satisfaction is in regard to one's feelings or state-of-mind regarding the nature of their work. Job satisfaction can be influenced by a variety of factors, eg, the quality of one's relationship with their supervisor, the quality of the physical environment in which they work, degree of fulfilment in their work, etc.
To my knowledge, there is no strong acceptance among researchers, consultants, etc., that increased job satisfaction produces improved job performance -- in fact, improved job satisfaction can sometimes decrease job performance. For example, you could let someone sit around all day and do nothing. That may make them more satisfied with their "work" in the short run, but their performance certainly won't improve.
In a recent Leading News, e-newsletter, from Marshall Goldsmith, the premier executive coach, asked that question. Why? Because if you figured how time you spent at work – approximately one-third of our waking hours – then you realize that your job has a significant impact on your life.
He created an exercise to help people evaluate their job satisfaction and, mostly importantly, their career choice. There are three categories and you are to estimate the percentage of your job that falls within each category.
1. What are the factors that influence job satisfaction?
A. Relationship with the supervisor
B. Quality of physical environment
C. Colleagues
D. Work profile
a. Only A
b. Only B
c. Only C & D
d. Only A & B
View Answer / Hide Answer2. From the passage, who is Marshall Goldsmith?
a. Premier Executive Coach
b. Industrialist
c. Media Personality
d. None of the above
View Answer / Hide AnswerANSWER: a. Premier Executive Coach
3. Which of the following statements as per the passage is true?
a. Decreased job satisfaction leads to improved job performance
b. Increased job satisfaction leads to decreased job performance
c. Increased job satisfaction creates a comfort zone
d. None of the above
View Answer / Hide AnswerANSWER: b. Increased job satisfaction leads to decreased job performance
Admit when__________________.
a. You are wrong
b. You are right
c. You want something
d. You have done some crime
View Answer / Hide Answer4) Emotions and logic_________________do not always work together well
a. Are a deadly combination
b. Do not always work together well
c. Go hand in hand
d. None of the above
View Answer / Hide AnswerANSWER: b. Do not always work together well
___________________ The good work of others especially those who work under you.
a. Concede
b. Grant
c. Deny
d. Acknowledge
View Answer / Hide AnswerDirections (6 to 10): Select the combination of numbers so that letters arranged accordingly will form a meaningful word. 6) E T P S I
1 2 3 4 5
a. 4, 3, 5, 2, 1
b. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
c. 4, 5, 3, 2, 1
d. 2, 4, 5, 3, 1
View Answer / Hide Answer7) W E R B
1 2 3 4
a. 1, 2, 3, 4
b. 4, 3, 2, 1
c. 2, 3, 1, 4
d. 3, 2, 1, 4
View Answer / Hide Answer8) Y P E R A
1 2 3 4 5
a. 2, 3, 4, 5, 1
b. 4, 3, 2, 5, 1
c. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
d. 2, 1, 3, 4, 5
View Answer / Hide Answer9) L E S T
1 2 3 4
a. 1, 3, 2, 4
b. 2, 3, 4, 1
c. 1, 2, 3, 4
d. 2, 1, 3, 4
View Answer / Hide Answer10) Y P I M L
1 2 3 4 5
a. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
b. 4, 5, 3, 2, 1
c. 2, 3, 4, 5, 1
d. 3, 4, 2, 5, 1
View Answer / Hide AnswerDirections (11 to 15): In each question below, there are two sentences. These two sentences are to be combined into one sentence which should convey the same meaning as conveyed by the two sentences. 11) A few people make things happen. Many people watch things happen.
a. Whereas
b. And
c. Also
d. But
View Answer / Hide Answer12) They have passionate and strong leadership. They are risk-takers.
a. And so
b. Hence
c. That is why
d. Because
View Answer / Hide Answer13) Daring is not for the weak hearted. It is for highly motivated people like you.
a. But
b. Instead
c. That is why
d. So
View Answer / Hide Answer14) You are drinking. You should know your limits.
a. And
b. Therefore
c. Hence
d. And maybe
View Answer / Hide Answer15) He is watching television. He is studying
a. While
b. And
c. Along with
d. But
View Answer / Hide AnswerDirections (16 to 20): In the following question, arrange the below given sentences A, B, C, D between sentences 1 and 5, to form a logical and coherent passage.16) 1. Cancellations and returns are the equivalent to churn.
A. If you don’t know how much business you are losing, you won’t be able to understand how much new business you will require to stay out of the red.
B. As important as knowing how much, understands WHY you are losing customers.
C. Take it to the next level and use follow-up surveys, phone calls, personalized ‘how can we get you back’ emails.
D. This survey information is the real business insight for understanding your lost business.
6. By all means this is not a comprehensive list of key performance indicators.
a. ABCD
b. BCDA
c. CBDA
d. DCBA
View Answer / Hide Answer17) 1. Organizational sustainability is often misunderstood to mean primarily financial sustainability.
A. However, organizational sustainability -- or the surviving or even thriving of an organization -- depends on much more than effectively managing the organization's finances.
B. That misconception occurs because, when an organization becomes unsustainable, the symptoms of that problem show up in the finances.
C. However, in an organization, there are some primary dimensions
D. Just like the sustainability of individuals and families, there are many complex and dynamic dimensions that must be sustainable in organizations, as well.
6. If they are managed well, will ensure the sustainability of the organization.
a. ADCB
b. BCDA
c. CBDA
d. ADBC
View Answer / Hide Answer18) 1. Market share is usually very important to a company, oddly sometimes more important than the bottom line.
A. Many times the efforts and resources devoted to advertising, marketing and selling to new customers are at the expense of a company’s loyal customer base.
B. Where I live heating oil companies consistently offer new customers a deal for the first year in order to lure them in.
C. This can even be seen at the local level.
D. There is always great competition for new customers.
6. This, of course, is done at the expense of old, loyal customers who have to make up the slack.
a. BCDA
b. CBDA
c. DACB
d. DCBA
View Answer / Hide Answer19) 1. Crisis management is the nature of activities to respond to a major threat to a person, group or organization.
A. For example, how to recover if your computer system completely fails. Many people would refer to this, instead, as risk management and not crisis management.
B. Crisis management is a relatively new field of management.
C. Typically, proactive crisis management activities include forecasting potential crises and planning how to deal with them
D. Hopefully, organizations have time and resources to complete a crisis management plan before they experience a crisis.
6. Crisis management in the face of a current, real crisis includes identifying the real nature of a current crisis, intervening to minimize damage and recovering from the crisis.
a. BCAD
b. DCBA
c. ABCD
d. CDBA
View Answer / Hide Answer20) 1. The way your organization communicates during a crisis is important, but how it fixes the underlying problem will be what determines its reputation in the long run.
A. Even if you respond quickly and appropriately, you still have to fix the problem.
B. Those that choose to merely give lip service to an issue are playing with fire.
C. It might not be a quick fix, but you need to let people know how you are handling the issue, and what steps will be taken to correct the problem.
D. This is where you can use your social media presences such a blog or Facebook page to communicate to customers and supporters what your plan is for handling the crisis.
6. But you need to have a plan, you need to communicate that plan (not every detail, obviously), then you need to execute it.
a. ADBC
b. CBDA
c. BACD
d. DCBA
View Answer / Hide AnswerDirections (21 to 25): In each of the following question, a part of the sentence has been marked in bold and italicised. From the below given alternatives, choose the correct sentence which is grammatically correct. If no correction is required, choose “no error”21)In case anyone had assumed this threat was completely gone simply because it vanished from mainstream media coverage, the disease has actually killed two people this year in China, and
another large outbreak was just discovered.
a. In case anyone has assumed this threat
b. Has anyone assumed this threat
c. Did any in case assume this threat
d. If anyone had assumed this threat.
e. No error
View Answer / Hide Answer22) This strategy has been proven in countless crises, and social
media have made it easier than ever to communicate your message to large volumes of people.
a. Has made it easier than ever
b. Is making it easier than ever
c. Will make it easier than ever
d. Might make it easier than ever
e. No error
View Answer / Hide AnswerANSWER: b. Is making it easier than ever
23) But unlike established media organizations that
they have the resources to pursue reporting in the face of legal challenges, many online journalism ventures lack the legal
expertise and financial resources necessary to protect themselves.
a. That is why they have the resources
b. Have their resources
c. They have the resources
d. Is they have the resources
e. No error
View Answer / Hide AnswerANSWER: c. They have the resources
24) The Legal Guide is
comprised of more than 600 detailed articles divided into six major topics: business formation; risks of operating an online business; newsgathering and
privacy; access to government information; risks associated with publication; and intellectual property.
a. Comprises of
b. May comprise of
c. Has comprise of
d. Is now comprised of
e. No error
View Answer / Hide Answer25)
Every company has a organizational chart – a ladder of power, but how this structure functions during a crisis must be clarified with all the stakeholders in the company;
particularly the communications department.
a. Every company should have a organizational chart
b. Every company is having a organizational chart
c. Each company has a organizational chart
d. Every company has an organizational chart
e. No error
View Answer / Hide AnswerANSWER: d. Every company has an organizational chart
26) JOGGLE
a. Shake
b. Juggle
c. Jug
d. Jinx
View Answer / Hide Answer27) IMPENDING
a. Immune
b. Rehash
c. Imminent
d. Shingle
View Answer / Hide Answer28) NIMBLE
a. Paisley
b. Panel
c. Pang
d. Agile
View Answer / Hide Answer 29) SEETHE
a. Boil
b. Seine
c. Inbred
d. Ingrained
View Answer / Hide Answer30) DOUR
a. Drab
b. Gloomy
c. Drape
d. Dove
View Answer / Hide Answer
