Punjab and Sind Bank Model Question Paper : Probationary Officer

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Name of the organisation : Punjab and Sind Bank
Description : English Model Question Paper for Probationary Officer

Punjab and Sind Bank P.O. Exam., 2010
(Held on 16-5-2010)
English Language : Solved Paper

Directions—(Q. 1–15) Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words/phrases have been printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.

Despite the global slowdown, the online shopping in India has increased. The growing pace of online buying is because of the attractive discounted prices offered and the ability of the customers to research and compare the prices across several outlets.

The average frequency of online purchases in India grew up to 2•9 in the fourth quarter of 2008 from 2•6 during the same quarter in 2007, as reported by the survey of Master Card Worldwide.

"The economic meltdown has not affected our business", said the CEO of an e-commerce portal which specializes in personalized gifting and merchandise space in India. He said, "Our business has increased up to five times this year despite the economic recession. Currently, we possess a database of 25,000 designs posted by a thousand designers so that the users can create their own merchandise by selecting the designs sitting at home".

The CEO also said that with the rise in bandwidth penetration in India and the increasing awareness of internet among people, the online shoppers sense the convenience to click on the products they want to purchase.

Holding onto a similar conviction, the CEO of another company said, "With the convenience of online buying, customers can save their time and money to move across multiple outlets for a product."

The online shoppers also plan their shopping in advance and conduct research on their planned purchases. It becomes easier for the customers to decide the price at which they want the products. Sharing views on this point, the Manager of the e-commerce portal says, "Through the online shopping, customers can attain the objective of value for money during these tough times."

Today, India is the only country where the 18 to 29 years age group has the highest average spend on online shopping. In India, the popular online purchases include the home appliances and the electronic gadgets like cell phones, camera, laptops and so on. According to the survey, the epurchasing of electronic products has gone up by 51 per cent.

So to drive these online shoppers, e-commerce portals are adopting a networking culture by incorporating 'social networking feature' in their websites, so that people can discuss with their friends and relatives before buying the particular product. There are more startups, who are innovating their products to combat slowdown.

1. What does the phrase 'value of money' as used in the passage mean ?
(A) Get the best at optimum price
(B) Buy the cheapest possible product
(C) Pay a lot for the best product
(D) Get a lot of money in return for the purchase
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

2. Which of the following statements is not true in the context of the passage ?
(A) Purchases online have increased as the people buying these products are rich
(B) Online buying has increased because customers are getting a lot of discounts
(C) Customers have access to a number of outlets online thus online buying is more popular
(D) Online purchases have increased because the customers are able to compare prices easily
(E) All of the above are not true
Ans : (E)

3. What according to the CEO of ecommerce portal is the reason for increase in the number of online shoppers ?
1. Greater bandwidth is now available in India.
2. Internet is available at a cheap cost.
3. More people are aware of the internet.
(A) Only (1) and (2)
(B) Only (2)
(C) Only (3)
(D) Only (2) and (3)
(E) Only (1) and (3)
Ans : (E)

4. Which of the following statements is True in the context of the passage ?
(A) Cameras, laptops and mobile phones are popular online shopping products
(B) Customers find online shopping more convenient
(C) More people in the age group of 18 to 29 spend on online shopping
(D) Home appliances are a popular online product
(E) All the above are true
Ans : (E)

5. How can customers plan their purchases online in advance ?
(A) By looking at the product in a store and then searching for it online
(B) By waiting for discounts being offered by companies
(C) By creating their own websites and socially interacting
(D) By conducting research and then deciding the price at which they want to buy
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)