Cloze Test for Bank Exams

Fill in the blanks with appropriate words.
Logistics can be traced all the way back to the Greek and Roman empires, but it’s undergone several major____(1)_____as new technologies provide opportunities to more efficiently manage the movement and storage of goods. In the digital transformation age, logistics is once again undergoing a major shift. Logistics technologies such as robotic warehouse systems make automation a reality, while drones improve last-mile delivery capabilities and better tracking with tools like RFID tags improves visibility throughout the supply chain. These technologies also contribute to a rise in big data and analytics in the logistics field. RFID tags and robotic warehouse systems generate and transmit data that, when combined with other data sources, allow companies to optimize the supply chain and make better ____(2)____ and forecasts to improve efficiency and boost the bottom line. Increasing technology innovations are making big waves across industries, and logistics and the supply chain may be one of the most impacted sectors. Notorious for its heavy use of manual processes and large amounts of data stored in different ways and in different places, the logistics industry has perhaps the most to gain from ____(3)____ new technologies and following the most innovative Supply Chain and Logistics technology trends. Recent years have seen massive advancement for the logistics industry in areas like artificial and augmented intelligence, advanced analytics, and automation, to name just a few. These technologies have evolved faster than ever while startups with even newer solutions and innovations continue popping up at a ____(4)____ rate. But attached to these innovations are new expectations and standards, forcing logistics companies to either adapt or fall behind. Much pressure comes from customers in the form of individuals and enterprises, all of who are demanding their products or services come faster and cheaper than ever before. But advancements in technologies aren’t the only big changes influencing the industry. From new shipping ___(5)_____ to growing global tensions and trade wars, and a predicted economic recession, logistics companies will need to be alert and prepared for 2020. For example, carriers are already working hard to meet the global 0.5% Sulphur cap, which goes into effect on January 1, 2020. It would ____(6)____ up to 70,000 ships, according to IMO estimates, and could lead to a 20-30% increase in total fuel costs, which would ultimately be passed on to customers. Global trade wars and tensions like that of China and the U.S. have continued affecting logistics operations. In 2018, trade tariffs affected $34 billion worth of Chinese products imported into the U.S., with China also taking costly countermeasures on U.S. imports. The European economy has also been going into a downturn as Brexit concerns continue weighing heavily on European countries, and the U.S. economy has also been growing weaker. All of these issues are signaling a possible global ____(7)____ in 2020, which would make things much more ____(8)____ for logistics companies.

Directions: In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank.
The Congress has precluded the ___(1)___ of any honest conversation at a proposed brainstorming on its plight by ___(2)___ the leadership of Sonia Gandhi beforehand. Ms. Gandhi and her two children, Rahul and Priyanka, control the party, but it would be ___(3)___ to attribute the collapse of the Congress party entirely to the Gandhi family. The meltdown of Congress has been caused by a ___(4)___ of several factors that evolved over the decades. At the same time, the Gandhis cannot wash their hands of the ___(5)___ that they have led the Congress into. They failed to see the ground shifting under their feet and showed no imagination or ___(6)___ to work hard. Popular leaders were routinely sidelined and a cabal of court jesters was allowed to ___(7)___ Rajya Sabha seats and control power. Mr. Gandhi who famously did not get along with the coterie that ___(8)___ his mother built a rootless, clueless one of his own, and made some disastrous choices such as appointing Navjot Singh Sidhu to lead the ___(9)___ in Punjab. In Uttarakhand, even in the face of a confused Bharatiya Janata Party, the Congress could not get its ___(10)___ together.

In the following passage, some of the words have been left out. Read the passage carefully and select the correct answer for the given blanks out of the given alternatives.
Studies have shown that good quality sleep is important in ___(1)____ good mental health. Think back to times when you’ve awoken and felt well-rested – how much clearer was your mind, your emotions and your overall mood?
Although the ___(2)____ between sleep and mental health is not completely understood, it’s generally ___(3)____ that getting a good night's sleep can help your mental and emotional resilience against mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. It’s believed that during the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) cycle of sleep, your mind begins to dream and it’s at this stage during the night which contributes to emotional health. Unfortunately, ___(4)____ in sleep can interrupt these cycles which can impair thinking and emotional regulation.
But sleep doesn’t just ward off risks of mental illness; it also helps ___(5)____ general mental functions as well. For example: throughout your day, your brain is taking in new information and responding to all kinds of stimuli. Then at night, sleep gives your brain the downtime to consolidate and process this information, and commit it to memory so that it’s ___(6)____ in the future when required.

Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words:
The Reserve Bank of India on Friday asked the banks and other lenders to report the accounts restructured due to coronavirus ___(1)___ to credit bureaus. Lenders should make necessary ___(2)___ to their system and ___(3)___ it to credit bureaus within two months, the banking regulator said. All commercial banks including small finance banks, local area banks and regional rural banks, primary (urban) co-operative banks/state co-operative banks/district central co-operative banks, India Financial Institutions (Exim Bank, NABARD, NHB and SIDBI) and non-banking financial companies (including housing finance companies) were ___(4)___ to apprise the credit bureaus about restructuring the accounts. The regulator modified the format to ___(5)___ the restructuring of accounts due to COVID-19. For the consumer bureau, the label of the field ‘written off and settled status’ is modified as ‘Credit Facility Status’ and it will also have a new catalogue value, viz., ‘restructured due to COVID-19’, RBI said. For the commercial bureau, the existing field ‘Major reasons for restructuring’ will have a new catalogue value, viz., ‘restructured due to COVID-19’, it added. The ___(6)___ field ‘account status’ will have a new catalogue value, viz., ‘restructured due to COVID-19' for MFI bureau.

Direction: Given below is a passage with five blanks (A-E). A phrase written in brackets is given against each blank. Choose the right word from the options which can replace the phrase most appropriately. If none of the options are fit for replacement, according to you, then select ‘None of these' as your answer.
India’s Economic growth has slowed for 5 _______ (A) (that follow one after another) quarters beginning from late 2015-16 onwards. It could be a serious blow for a government that had promised to turn around the economy through ________ (B) (capable of making choices quickly and surely) governance. India’s GDP growth has gone down from a high of 9.2% in the Third Quarter of the year 2016 to 5.7% in the current 4thquarter of 2017. The economic growth rate is probably the slowest in the last many years. However, the Indian Economy as per global standard is not in the _______ (C) (slowdown or a massive contraction) stage. The UK and the European Union consider an economy in recession only when real GDP growth actually turns negative over two consecutive quarters and by this criterion, with a positive growth rate of 5.7%, the Indian economy is far off from being in a recession. All four contributors to economic growth – domestic consumption, foreign consumption or exports, private investment and government spending – are hit by the slowdown. In the first quarter of this ______ (D) (connected with [public] money) year, domestic consumption fell to 6.66% as against 8.41% in the same period last fiscal; exports as a share of the Gross Domestic Product was down to 19% from 20%; and fixed capital formation decreased from about 31% of the GDP to 29.8%, _______ (E) (to convey something) a slowdown in the industry as well.

Directions: In the following passage, some words have been left out and a word has been emboldened beside each blank. Read the passage carefully and select the correct answer for the given blank out of the given alternatives.
Counting the dead is a A _____(intimidating ) task, especially in India. The country accounts for roughly 17% of the deaths worldwide, but still doesn’t have a system that can B _____ (meticulously ) count the number of deaths. While the Civil Registration System (CRS) and the Sample Registration System (SRS) measure mortality, both come with their own C____ ( frailty) . The CRS is a record of vital events such as birth, death and stillbirth at the place of occurrence. But not all deaths are registered in India and a D ____ (pronounced ) number is recorded beyond the prescribed time limit of 21 days. The SRS is a large-scale survey that provides an estimate of the death rate or the number of deaths per 1,000 population. While the SRS is considered far more E _____ (steadfast ) , reports state that in several States, the registered deaths exceed the estimates provided by the SRS. The release of the SRS Statistical Report 2020 in September has yet again raised questions about India’s mortality estimates. The report states that the death rate was 6.0 per 1,000 in 2020. In a year affected by the pandemic, the estimated death rate remained unchanged from 6.0 in 2019.

In the following passage, some of the words have been left out. Read the passage carefully and select the correct answer for the given blanks out of the given alternatives.
Modern Egypt dates back to 1922 when it gained independence from the British Empire as a monarchy. Following the 1952 revolution, Egypt declared itself a republic, and in 1958 it merged with Syria to form the United Arab Republic, which dissolved in 1961. Throughout the second half of the 20th century, Egypt ________ (1) ________ social and religious strife and political unrest, fighting several armed conflicts with Israel in 1948, 1956, 1967, and 1973, and occupying the Gaza Strip intermittently until 1967. In 1978, Egypt ________ (2) ________ the Camp David Accords, officially withdrawing from the Gaza Strip and recognizing Israel. The country ________ (3) ________ to face challenges, from political unrest, including the recent 2011 revolution and its aftermath, to terrorism and economic underdevelopment. Egypt's current government, a semi-presidential republic has been described by a number of ________ (4) ________ as authoritarian or heading an authoritarian regime, responsible for perpetuating the country's problematic human rights record.
Islam is the official religion of Egypt and Arabic is its official language. With over 100 million inhabitants, Egypt is the most populous country in North Africa, the Middle East, and the Arab world, the third-most populous in Africa (after Nigeria and Ethiopia), and the thirteenth most populous in the world. The great ________ (5) ________ of its people live near the banks of the Nile River, an area of about 40,000 square kilometres (15,000 sq mi), where only ________ (6) ________ land is found. The large regions of the Sahara desert, which constitute most of Egypt's territory, are sparsely inhabited. About half of Egypt's residents live in urban areas, with most spread across the densely populated centres of greater Cairo, Alexandria, and other major cities in the Nile Delta.

A passage is given below with five bla nks labelled (A)-(E). Below the passage, five options are given for each blank. Choose the word that fits each blank most appropriately in the context of the passage, and mark the corresponding answer.
The end of World War II was not just the end of a war, but also the __(A)__ of a tense and dynamic period that affected society on all levels. This “postwar” period, as it became known, shaped the world as we know it today; likewise, the period was shaped itself both by the war that had __(B)__ it, and the powerful forces that surrounded it. As the energy of fundamentally different ideologies—Communism and Democracy—collided with advances in science such as the nuclear bomb, a dangerous environment ensued that created an atmosphere of __(C)__ throughout the world and especially, within America.
This atmosphere is known broadly as the “Cold War.” While the Cold War played out step-by-step between the United States and the Soviet Union, it was __(D)__ playing out in the everyday lives of the masses within their borders. Paranoia, nevertheless, was not an effect that followed immediately after the close of the War. In fact, the United States had enjoyed an extended period of economic __(E)__ during the war, and following the war, the U.S. economy continued with great strength for more than a decade.

Fill in the blanks with appropriate words.
Logistics can be traced all the way back to the Greek and Roman empires, but it’s undergone several major____(1)_____as new technologies provide opportunities to more efficiently manage the movement and storage of goods. In the digital transformation age, logistics is once again undergoing a major shift. Logistics technologies such as robotic warehouse systems make automation a reality, while drones improve last-mile delivery capabilities and better tracking with tools like RFID tags improves visibility throughout the supply chain. These technologies also contribute to a rise in big data and analytics in the logistics field. RFID tags and robotic warehouse systems generate and transmit data that, when combined with other data sources, allow companies to optimize the supply chain and make better ____(2)____ and forecasts to improve efficiency and boost the bottom line. Increasing technology innovations are making big waves across industries, and logistics and the supply chain may be one of the most impacted sectors. Notorious for its heavy use of manual processes and large amounts of data stored in different ways and in different places, the logistics industry has perhaps the most to gain from ____(3)____ new technologies and following the most innovative Supply Chain and Logistics technology trends. Recent years have seen massive advancement for the logistics industry in areas like artificial and augmented intelligence, advanced analytics, and automation, to name just a few. These technologies have evolved faster than ever while startups with even newer solutions and innovations continue popping up at a ____(4)____ rate. But attached to these innovations are new expectations and standards, forcing logistics companies to either adapt or fall behind. Much pressure comes from customers in the form of individuals and enterprises, all of who are demanding their products or services come faster and cheaper than ever before. But advancements in technologies aren’t the only big changes influencing the industry. From new shipping ___(5)_____ to growing global tensions and trade wars, and a predicted economic recession, logistics companies will need to be alert and prepared for 2020. For example, carriers are already working hard to meet the global 0.5% Sulphur cap, which goes into effect on January 1, 2020. It would ____(6)____ up to 70,000 ships, according to IMO estimates, and could lead to a 20-30% increase in total fuel costs, which would ultimately be passed on to customers. Global trade wars and tensions like that of China and the U.S. have continued affecting logistics operations. In 2018, trade tariffs affected $34 billion worth of Chinese products imported into the U.S., with China also taking costly countermeasures on U.S. imports. The European economy has also been going into a downturn as Brexit concerns continue weighing heavily on European countries, and the U.S. economy has also been growing weaker. All of these issues are signaling a possible global ____(7)____ in 2020, which would make things much more ____(8)____ for logistics companies.

Direction: Fill in the blanks for the passage below with the correct word.
A kingdom is a piece of land that is ruled by a king or a queen. A kingdom is often called a monarchy, which means that one person, usually inheriting their position by birth or marriage, is the leader, or head of state. Kingdoms are one of the earliest types of societies on Earth, dating back thousands of years. There have been hundreds, if not thousands, of different kingdoms throughout history. Kingdoms can be huge, such as the United Kingdom. During the nineteenth century, the United Kingdom, ruled from London, England, stretched over five continents. Kingdoms can also be small, such as the kingdom of Brunei, which is smaller than the U.S. state of Delaware. Once upon a time in India, King Amarasakti ruled the city-state of Mahilaropyam in the south of India. The kingdom was filled with riches and the king had three witless sons who became a matter of endless (1) _________ for him. (2) _________ that his sons had no interest in learning, or that he would never be able to carry forward the reputation of the kingdom as a trading hub with the Ghana Empire, which located in the modern countries of Mauritania and Mali, was a kingdom on the southwest edge of the Sahara Desert. King Amarasakti summoned his ministers and said, ""You know I am not happy with my sons. According to men of learning, an unborn son is better than a son who is a (3) _________.  A son who is stupid will bring dishonour to his father. How can I make my sons fit to be my (4) _________? I turn to you for advice."" One of the ministers (5) _________ the name of Vishnu Sharman, a great scholar enjoying the (6) _________ of hundreds of his disciples. ""He is the most (7) _________ person to tutor your children. Entrust them to his care and very soon you will see the change."