SSC CGL 24 September 2025 · Shift 2 · English Comprehension — questions with answers

76

Directions (Qs. 76-80): In the following passage some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank. To treat gender as ontologically prior or naturally originary is to misunderstand its position as a (76) ____ — a semiotic and performative formation whose apparent stability is produced only through continual repetition across spatial, legal and psychic structures. In this framework, embodiment is not simply experienced but actively mediated, shaped by interpretive regimes that legitimize certain bodies while casting others as abject, deviant or structurally unintelligible. The state, working alongside biomedical epistemes and juridico-political grammars, engages in a necropolitical management of life itself, wherein recognition is not inherent but (77) ____ , distributed through historically contingent and politically malleable matrices of intelligibility. This arrangement positions gender as a matter of discursive legibility rather than biological inevitability. Resistance, when articulated within these same grammars, can inadvertently reinforce the structures it aims to challenge. Consequently, the radical imperative is not merely to broaden the scope of recognition, but to pursue a (78) ____ of recognition’s ontological foundations. This move requires rejecting the liberal dialectics of inclusion and exclusion and revealing their constitutive foreclosure of alterity. Such a politics demands the (79) ____ of normativity as the organizing principle of embodiment. Only through this dismantling can a post-identitarian ethics of becoming emerge — one that favours contingency over coherence, opacity over transparency and relational indeterminacy over categorical fixity. Within this schema, freedom is not recuperative but (80) ____ — a break from taxonomic legibility and a refusal of the logocentric demand to be fully known.

Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank number (76).

A.praxis-field
B.ontotheological mirror
C.diffident
D.nomos

Solution

Cloze — praxis-field The passage denies that gender is naturally originary and calls it a formation produced through continual repetition. A domain constituted through action and practice is a "praxis-field". "Diffident" is an adjective and does not fit the noun slot at all. Hence option (a).

77

Directions (Qs. 76-80): In the following passage some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank. To treat gender as ontologically prior or naturally originary is to misunderstand its position as a (76) ____ — a semiotic and performative formation whose apparent stability is produced only through continual repetition across spatial, legal and psychic structures. In this framework, embodiment is not simply experienced but actively mediated, shaped by interpretive regimes that legitimize certain bodies while casting others as abject, deviant or structurally unintelligible. The state, working alongside biomedical epistemes and juridico-political grammars, engages in a necropolitical management of life itself, wherein recognition is not inherent but (77) ____ , distributed through historically contingent and politically malleable matrices of intelligibility. This arrangement positions gender as a matter of discursive legibility rather than biological inevitability. Resistance, when articulated within these same grammars, can inadvertently reinforce the structures it aims to challenge. Consequently, the radical imperative is not merely to broaden the scope of recognition, but to pursue a (78) ____ of recognition’s ontological foundations. This move requires rejecting the liberal dialectics of inclusion and exclusion and revealing their constitutive foreclosure of alterity. Such a politics demands the (79) ____ of normativity as the organizing principle of embodiment. Only through this dismantling can a post-identitarian ethics of becoming emerge — one that favours contingency over coherence, opacity over transparency and relational indeterminacy over categorical fixity. Within this schema, freedom is not recuperative but (80) ____ — a break from taxonomic legibility and a refusal of the logocentric demand to be fully known.

Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank number (77).

A.conditionality
B.succour
C.presumption
D.irrevocability

Solution

Cloze — conditionality Recognition is said to be "not inherent but ____ , distributed through contingent and malleable matrices". Something granted only on certain terms is a matter of "conditionality". "Irrevocability" would mean the opposite — something that cannot be withdrawn. Hence option (a).

78

Directions (Qs. 76-80): In the following passage some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank. To treat gender as ontologically prior or naturally originary is to misunderstand its position as a (76) ____ — a semiotic and performative formation whose apparent stability is produced only through continual repetition across spatial, legal and psychic structures. In this framework, embodiment is not simply experienced but actively mediated, shaped by interpretive regimes that legitimize certain bodies while casting others as abject, deviant or structurally unintelligible. The state, working alongside biomedical epistemes and juridico-political grammars, engages in a necropolitical management of life itself, wherein recognition is not inherent but (77) ____ , distributed through historically contingent and politically malleable matrices of intelligibility. This arrangement positions gender as a matter of discursive legibility rather than biological inevitability. Resistance, when articulated within these same grammars, can inadvertently reinforce the structures it aims to challenge. Consequently, the radical imperative is not merely to broaden the scope of recognition, but to pursue a (78) ____ of recognition’s ontological foundations. This move requires rejecting the liberal dialectics of inclusion and exclusion and revealing their constitutive foreclosure of alterity. Such a politics demands the (79) ____ of normativity as the organizing principle of embodiment. Only through this dismantling can a post-identitarian ethics of becoming emerge — one that favours contingency over coherence, opacity over transparency and relational indeterminacy over categorical fixity. Within this schema, freedom is not recuperative but (80) ____ — a break from taxonomic legibility and a refusal of the logocentric demand to be fully known.

Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank number (78).

A.reiteration
B.destitution
C.emancipation
D.interpolation

Solution

Cloze — emancipation The sentence contrasts merely widening recognition with going after its very foundations. That demands liberation from those foundations — "emancipation". "Reiteration" would mean repeating them, the opposite of what is urged. Hence option (c).

79

Directions (Qs. 76-80): In the following passage some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank. To treat gender as ontologically prior or naturally originary is to misunderstand its position as a (76) ____ — a semiotic and performative formation whose apparent stability is produced only through continual repetition across spatial, legal and psychic structures. In this framework, embodiment is not simply experienced but actively mediated, shaped by interpretive regimes that legitimize certain bodies while casting others as abject, deviant or structurally unintelligible. The state, working alongside biomedical epistemes and juridico-political grammars, engages in a necropolitical management of life itself, wherein recognition is not inherent but (77) ____ , distributed through historically contingent and politically malleable matrices of intelligibility. This arrangement positions gender as a matter of discursive legibility rather than biological inevitability. Resistance, when articulated within these same grammars, can inadvertently reinforce the structures it aims to challenge. Consequently, the radical imperative is not merely to broaden the scope of recognition, but to pursue a (78) ____ of recognition’s ontological foundations. This move requires rejecting the liberal dialectics of inclusion and exclusion and revealing their constitutive foreclosure of alterity. Such a politics demands the (79) ____ of normativity as the organizing principle of embodiment. Only through this dismantling can a post-identitarian ethics of becoming emerge — one that favours contingency over coherence, opacity over transparency and relational indeterminacy over categorical fixity. Within this schema, freedom is not recuperative but (80) ____ — a break from taxonomic legibility and a refusal of the logocentric demand to be fully known.

Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank number (79).

A.ablation
B.concretization
C.immanence
D.retrieval

Solution

Cloze — ablation The next sentence speaks of "this dismantling", so the blank must mean a removal. "Ablation" means cutting away or removing. "Concretization" and "retrieval" would keep normativity in place. Hence option (a).

80

Directions (Qs. 76-80): In the following passage some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank. To treat gender as ontologically prior or naturally originary is to misunderstand its position as a (76) ____ — a semiotic and performative formation whose apparent stability is produced only through continual repetition across spatial, legal and psychic structures. In this framework, embodiment is not simply experienced but actively mediated, shaped by interpretive regimes that legitimize certain bodies while casting others as abject, deviant or structurally unintelligible. The state, working alongside biomedical epistemes and juridico-political grammars, engages in a necropolitical management of life itself, wherein recognition is not inherent but (77) ____ , distributed through historically contingent and politically malleable matrices of intelligibility. This arrangement positions gender as a matter of discursive legibility rather than biological inevitability. Resistance, when articulated within these same grammars, can inadvertently reinforce the structures it aims to challenge. Consequently, the radical imperative is not merely to broaden the scope of recognition, but to pursue a (78) ____ of recognition’s ontological foundations. This move requires rejecting the liberal dialectics of inclusion and exclusion and revealing their constitutive foreclosure of alterity. Such a politics demands the (79) ____ of normativity as the organizing principle of embodiment. Only through this dismantling can a post-identitarian ethics of becoming emerge — one that favours contingency over coherence, opacity over transparency and relational indeterminacy over categorical fixity. Within this schema, freedom is not recuperative but (80) ____ — a break from taxonomic legibility and a refusal of the logocentric demand to be fully known.

Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank number (80).

A.recuperative
B.apophatic
C.regulatory
D.valorized

Solution

Cloze — apophatic Freedom is defined here by refusal — a break from legibility and from the demand to be fully known. Understanding something through what it is NOT is the apophatic mode. "Recuperative" is expressly ruled out by the sentence itself. Hence option (b).

81

Choose the correct article: She wants to become ____ engineer and work on renewable energy projects.

A.a
B.an
C.the
D.no article

Solution

Article before a vowel sound "Engineer" begins with a vowel SOUND. Before such a sound the indefinite article is "an". The profession is being named for the first time, so a definite article would be wrong. Hence option (b).

82

Select the most appropriate option to fill in the blank. The teacher advised revising the entire syllabus ____ than focusing on a single topic.

A.more
B.rather
C.other
D.as

Solution

rather than The fixed pair here is "rather than", used to prefer one option over another. It joins the two parallel gerunds "revising" and "focusing". "More than" would compare quantity, which is not the sense here. Hence option (b).

83

The following sentence has been divided into parts. One of them contains an error. Select the part that contains the error from the given options. The ancient tree is famous for (1)/ it's beautiful, sprawling branches (2)/ which provide shade for the entire park (3)/ during the hot summer months. (4)

A.(1)
B.(2)
C.(3)
D.(4)

Solution

its vs it's "It’s" is the contraction of "it is"; the possessive form is "its", with no apostrophe. Here the branches belong to the tree, so the possessive is needed. Correct: ‘famous for its beautiful, sprawling branches’. Hence option (b).

84

The following sentence has been divided into parts. One of them contains an error. Select the part that contains the error from the given options. The volunteers served sandwiches (1)/ to all the hungry children (2)/ at the shelter on paper plates (3)/ decorated with colourful patterns. (4)

A.(1)
B.(2)
C.(3)
D.(4)

Solution

Misplaced modifier A modifying phrase should sit next to the word it describes. As written, "on paper plates" is stranded after "at the shelter", so it seems to describe the shelter rather than the sandwiches. Correct: ‘served sandwiches on paper plates to all the hungry children at the shelter’. Hence option (c).

85

Select the option that expresses the given sentence in the Active/Passive voice. Does the company provide health insurance to its employees?

A.Is health insurance provided to employees by the company?
B.Has health insurance been provided to employees by the company?
C.Was health insurance provided to employees by the company?
D.Do employees are provided health insurance by the company?

Solution

Passive of a question The sentence is simple present active, so the passive takes "is provided". The object "health insurance" becomes the subject and the question form is kept. (b) is present perfect, (c) past and (d) is ungrammatical. Hence option (a).

86

Select the sentence containing the homonym of the highlighted word: The philosopher identified an aporia in the argument.

A.The student discussed aporia while analyzing a Greek philosophical text.
B.The professor explained aporia as a moment of unresolved doubt.
C.The architect calculated the aporia of the structure using software tools.
D.The essay focused on aporia to highlight logical uncertainty.

Solution

Homonym — aporia In the given sentence "aporia" means a state of doubt or a logical impasse. Options (a), (b) and (d) all use it in that same philosophical sense. In (c) an architect calculates it as a measurable quantity of a structure — a different meaning altogether. Hence option (c).

87

Select the option that expresses the given sentence in the Active/Passive voice. The problem is being solved by the students.

A.The students are solving the problem.
B.The students solved the problem.
C.The students have solved the problem.
D.The students will solve the problem.

Solution

Passive → active "Is being solved" is present continuous passive. Its active form keeps the same tense: are solving. (b) is simple past, (c) present perfect and (d) future. Hence option (a).

88

Select the most appropriate option to substitute the underline/Bold segment in the given sentence. He has completed his work yesterday.

A.completed his work
B.has been completing his work
C.had completed his work
D.completes his work

Solution

Past adverb with simple past "Yesterday" points to a finished past time. The present perfect cannot be used with such a definite past adverb. So "has completed" must become the simple past "completed". Hence option (a).

89

Select the most appropriate option to substitute the underline/Bold segment in the given sentence. He plays football every evening, isn’t he?

A.doesn't he?
B.isn't he?
C.hasn't he?
D.didn't he?

Solution

Question tag A question tag must repeat the auxiliary of the main clause. "He plays" is simple present with no auxiliary, so the tag takes "does". Since the statement is positive, the tag is negative: doesn’t he? Hence option (a).

90

Select the correct indirect/direct form of the given sentence. The professor remarked that the theory had several limitations.

A.The professor said, "The theory has several limitations."
B.The professor said, "The theory had several limitations."
C.He said, "This theory is full of errors."
D.He remarked, "The theory has no limitations."

Solution

Indirect → direct Reverse the backshift: the reported past "had" comes from the present "has". The reporting verb and the rest of the sentence stay as they are. (c) and (d) change the meaning, and (b) simply repeats the reported form. Hence option (a).

91

Select the correct indirect/direct form of the given sentence. Ravi said, "Let us help the needy."

A.Ravi said that they should help the needy.
B.Ravi suggested that they should help the needy.
C.Ravi told that they will help the needy.
D.Ravi ordered that they must help the needy.

Solution

Reported 'let us' "Let us" expresses a proposal, so the reporting verb becomes "suggested" or "proposed". It is then followed by "that … should". (a) keeps the plain "said", (c) misuses "told" and (d) turns a suggestion into an order. Hence option (b).

92

Sentences of a paragraph are given below in jumbled order. Arrange the sentences in the correct order to form a meaningful and coherent paragraph. 1. Ancient trade routes connected distant civilizations. 2. They enabled exchange of goods, ideas and technologies. 3. Merchants faced long journeys and numerous hazards. 4. Over time these links shaped cultural and economic development.

A.3-1-2-4
B.1-2-3-4
C.2-4-1-3
D.1-3-4-2

Solution

Para jumble — trade routes Sentence 1 introduces the trade routes — the opener. Sentence 2 ("They enabled…") states what they did and sentence 3 the hardships involved. Sentence 4 ("Over time…") closes with the long-term effect. Order 1-2-3-4 — option (b).

93

Choose the correctly spelt word.

A.adaptebility
B.adaptability
C.adoptibilitye
D.adapptabilitty

Solution

Spelling — adaptability 'Adaptability' is the correct spelling — adapt + ability. It keeps the a of "ability" and has a single p and a single t. The others change the vowel or double the letters. Hence option (b).

94

Select the most appropriate synonym of the given word: SHORTENED

A.Lengthened
B.Extended
C.Truncated
D.Complicated

Solution

Synonym — Shortened 'Shortened' means made shorter in length or duration. 'Truncated' means cut short by removing a part — the closest synonym. Lengthened and extended mean the opposite, and complicated is unrelated. Hence option (c).

95

Select the most appropriate antonym of the given word. Restore

A.Recreate
B.Replenish
C.Pulverize
D.Regenerate

Solution

Antonym — Restore 'Restore' means to bring something back to its former state. 'Pulverize' means to crush into powder — to destroy utterly, the true opposite. Recreate, replenish and regenerate all mean building back. Hence option (c).

96

Choose the correct meaning of the idiom: The coach saw the writing on the wall and resigned before the team was disbanded.

A.A public confession
B.A clear warning of inevitable doom
C.A declaration of love
D.A mark of brilliance

Solution

Idiom — writing on the wall 'The writing on the wall' means a clear sign that something bad is bound to happen. The phrase comes from the Book of Daniel, where a mysterious hand foretold a king’s downfall. The coach read the signs and quit before the end came. Hence option (b).

97

Choose the correct spelling of the word meaning 'hard but liable to break easily'.

A.Brittel
B.Brittle
C.Brittlle
D.Britle

Solution

Spelling — Brittle 'Brittle' is the correct spelling. It has a double t and ends in -tle, like little. The others reverse the ending or drop a letter. Hence option (b).

98

Choose the correct one-word substitute for: 'A person or organization declared in law as unable to pay their debts'.

A.Pauper
B.Bankrupt
C.Spendthrift
D.Debtor

Solution

One-word — Bankrupt A 'bankrupt' is one legally declared unable to pay his debts. A pauper is simply a very poor person and a debtor merely owes money. A spendthrift wastes money — none of these carries the legal declaration. Hence option (b).

99

Choose the correct one-word substitute for: 'A person of wide knowledge or learning'.

A.Polymath
B.Prodigy
C.Savant
D.Virtuoso

Solution

One-word — Polymath A 'polymath' has expertise across many different subjects. A prodigy is a young person with exceptional talent. A savant is learned in one field and a virtuoso highly skilled in an art such as music. Hence option (a).

100

Sentences of a paragraph are given below in jumbled order. Arrange the sentences in the correct order to form a meaningful and coherent paragraph. 1. Education empowers individuals and transforms societies. 2. Digital tools have made learning accessible beyond classrooms. 3. Yet, the digital divide still limits opportunities for many. 4. Bridging this gap is essential for inclusive growth.

A.2-1-3-4
B.1-3-2-4
C.1-2-4-3
D.3-4-1-2

Solution

Para jumble — education Sentence 3 ("Yet…") must come after the sentence about digital tools, and sentence 4 ("this gap") right after 3. That fixes the tail as 3-4 and puts 2 before 3. Among the choices only 2-1-3-4 keeps that order intact. Order 2-1-3-4 — option (a).