SBI Clerk English Sectional Mock Test 14

1. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given after it. In many Indian villages, the arrival of a bank correspondent once a week is a small event. Bank correspondents, often local residents trained and appointed by a bank, carry a handheld device that lets villagers open accounts, deposit or withdraw small sums and check their balances without travelling to a branch. For an elderly farmer or a woman who cannot leave her household chores for a whole day, this service saves both time and money. The model has its weaknesses. Correspondents earn a commission on each transaction, and in villages where transactions are few, their income can be too low to keep them in the job. Poor mobile connectivity sometimes makes the device fail in the middle of a transaction, leaving customers anxious about whether their money has been recorded. Some customers also worry about handing cash to a person rather than to a bank counter. Banks have tried several remedies. A few now pay correspondents a fixed monthly amount in addition to commission, so that the job remains worthwhile. Others have equipped them with devices that can store a transaction offline and send it when the network returns. Printed receipts and SMS alerts after every transaction have also helped to build trust. When these problems are handled well, the correspondent becomes more than a cashier. Villagers turn to him or her for advice on insurance, pensions and government schemes, and the correspondent often becomes the first link between a household and the formal financial system.

   Q1.Who are bank correspondents, according to the passage?

   • A.Shopkeepers who sell mobile phones
   • B.Government officials who distribute pensions
   • C.Journalists who report on village banks
   • D.Local residents trained and appointed by a bank to provide basic banking services in villages
   • E.Senior officers who inspect rural branches

2. Q2.Why is the bank correspondent's service especially useful for an elderly farmer?

   • A.It gives him loans without any documents.
   • B.It allows him to avoid paying taxes.
   • C.It doubles the interest on his deposits.
   • D.It provides free mobile phones.
   • E.It saves the time and money of travelling to a branch.

3. Q3.Which of the following is mentioned as a weakness of the model?

   • A.Devices are too heavy to carry.
   • B.Banks pay correspondents more than branch staff.
   • C.Correspondents may earn too little where transactions are few.
   • D.Villagers refuse to open accounts.
   • E.Correspondents charge very high fees.

Start the test to answer these. Correct answers and explanations are shown after you submit.