SBI Clerk Prelims Full Mock Test 08

1. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given after it. A container that leaves a factory in central India may spend more time waiting than moving. It waits for a truck, waits at the port gate, waits for customs clearance and waits for a ship. Each delay adds cost, and for exporters competing on thin margins, these costs can decide whether an order is won or lost. Logistics costs in India have long been described as high compared with many competing economies, though estimates vary with the method used. Much of the problem lies not in any single link but in the hand-offs between them, where goods move from road to rail, from rail to port, and from one set of paperwork to another. Recent efforts have focused on these joints. Dedicated freight corridors allow goods trains to run faster without competing with passenger traffic. Digital platforms let exporters track consignments and file documents once instead of many times. Some ports have cut the time ships spend waiting for a berth by improving scheduling and equipment. Infrastructure alone will not finish the job. Small firms, which make up a large share of exporters, often lack the scale to use these systems efficiently and depend on intermediaries. Bringing them into the network, through shared warehouses and simpler procedures, may matter as much as building the next highway.

   Q1.What point does the author make with the example of the container in the first paragraph?

   • A.Containers are frequently lost at ports.
   • B.Customs clearance has been abolished.
   • C.Factories in central India are too far from the sea.
   • D.Goods often spend more time waiting than moving, and each delay adds cost.
   • E.Trucks are faster than ships.

2. Q2.According to the passage, where does much of the logistics problem lie?

   • A.In the hand-offs between different modes and sets of paperwork
   • B.In the lack of factories
   • C.In too many exporters
   • D.Only in the shortage of ships
   • E.Only in high fuel prices

3. Q3.How do dedicated freight corridors help, according to the passage?

   • A.They carry passengers more cheaply.
   • B.They replace ports altogether.
   • C.They allow trucks to avoid tolls.
   • D.They reduce customs duties.
   • E.Goods trains can run faster without competing with passenger traffic.

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