For Parents For Educators & Experts For Institutions For Employers

SSC GD Constable 12 February 2025 · Shift 1 · English — questions with answers · ShikshaSphere

Chapter 94 of 210

12 February 2025 · Shift 1

English

20 questions ~20 min readFree

20 questions

Select the correct spelling of the incorrectly spelt word in the given sentence. The principal announced several curricullam changes for the upcoming year.

A.currciular
B.curricular
C.curricural
D.curicullam

Solution

Spelling: adjective form The misspelt word sits before the noun 'changes', so the word the sentence needs is an adjective. The adjective meaning 'relating to the curriculum' is spelt 'curricular' (cur-ric-u-lar); the printed 'curricullam' is a corruption of it. Check the other three against the dictionary: 'currciular' has the letters of 'curric-' transposed, 'curricural' puts an r where the l belongs, and 'curicullam' only repeats the sentence's own error with a single c. Hence 'curricular' is the correct spelling - option (b).

Select the most appropriate ANTONYM of the given word. Lanky

A.Plump
B.Rectangular
C.Rare
D.Congenital

Solution

Antonym: body build 'Lanky' describes a person who is tall and ungracefully thin. Its opposite must describe build in the other direction: 'plump' means pleasantly fat, round and full-bodied. 'Rectangular' names a shape, 'rare' names frequency and 'congenital' means present from birth - none of the three describes body build, so none can be the opposite of 'lanky'. Hence 'Plump' - option (a).

Select the most appropriate synonym of the given word. Chastise

A.Praise
B.Laud
C.Flog
D.compliment

Solution

Synonym: punish 'Chastise' means to punish or rebuke someone severely for a fault. 'Flog' means to beat with a whip or stick as a punishment - the same idea of punishing harshly, so it is the synonym asked for. 'Praise', 'laud' and 'compliment' all mean to express approval; they are opposites of 'chastise' and are the trap in this question. Hence 'Flog' - option (c).

Select the most appropriate ANTONYM of the given word. Baroque

A.Gilt
B.Plain
C.Florid
D.Ornate

Solution

Antonym: ornamentation 'Baroque' describes a style that is heavily, elaborately ornamented. The opposite of 'heavily ornamented' is 'plain' - simple, with no decoration at all. 'Florid' and 'ornate' both mean richly decorated, so they are near-synonyms of 'baroque', not its opposite; and 'gilt' (covered with a thin layer of gold) adds decoration instead of removing it. Hence 'Plain' - option (b).

Select the most appropriate option to fill in the blank. Researchers

____

new technologies to improve recycling processes in the near future.

A.has been developing
B.develop
C.are developing
D.was developing

Solution

Tense: present continuous The subject 'Researchers' is plural, so the helping verb must be the plural 'are', never the singular 'has'. The action is in progress now and points to 'the near future', and English uses the present continuous (is/am/are + verb-ing) for exactly such an ongoing, soon-to-bear-fruit action. 'Develop' carries no helping verb at all, and 'was developing' is past, which contradicts 'in the near future'. Hence 'are developing' - option (c).

Select the most appropriate option that can substitute the underlined segment in the given sentence. The discipline committee of the college pondered the matter for two hours but did not take any decision.

A.thought down the matter
B.pondering over the matter
C.grinned in the matter
D.talked over the matter

Solution

Phrasal verb substitution The substitute must keep the meaning of the underlined part and still fit the grammar of the sentence. 'Pondered the matter' means considered or discussed the matter at length; the phrasal verb 'talk over' means to discuss something thoroughly, so 'talked over the matter' keeps both the sense and the past tense that pairs with 'did not take'. 'Pondering over the matter' is the tempting option, but a bare -ing form cannot serve as the main verb of the clause. 'Thought down' and 'grinned in' are not English phrasal verbs at all. Hence 'talked over the matter' - option (d).

Select the most appropriate option to fill in the blank. The company is

____

financial difficulties due to declining sales.

A.doing
B.facing
C.challenging
D.directing

Solution

Vocabulary: collocation The blank follows 'is' and is itself followed by the object 'financial difficulties', so it needs an -ing form that can take an object. 'Face' means to confront or deal with a difficult situation, and 'face difficulties' is the standard collocation: the company is facing financial difficulties. 'Doing difficulties' and 'directing difficulties' are not English combinations, and 'challenging' would reverse the sense - it would make the company the one issuing a challenge, not the one suffering. Hence 'facing' - option (b).

Select the INCORRECTLY spelt word.

A.Exiuisite
B.Accolades
C.Restaurants
D.Cuisine

Solution

Spelling error Match each option against its standard dictionary form. 'Exiuisite' is wrong: the word is 'exquisite' (ex-qui-site), spelt with 'qu'; the option has 'iu' in place of 'qu'. 'Accolades', 'Restaurants' and 'Cuisine' are all spelt correctly. Hence the incorrectly spelt word is 'Exiuisite' - option (a).

Select the most appropriate option to fill in the blank. After working tirelessly on the project for weeks, Mark finally decided to burn the midnight

____

A.food
B.water
C.paper
D.oil

Solution

Idiom completion 'Burn the midnight oil' is a fixed idiom meaning to work or study late into the night, and the sentence about Mark working tirelessly on a project calls for exactly that idea. The words of an idiom cannot be exchanged, so 'burn the midnight food/water/paper' carries no meaning in English however common those nouns are. Hence 'oil' - option (d).

Select the most appropriate ANTONYM of the given word. Fatuous

A.Sappy
B.Dim
C.Lamebrain
D.Brilliant

Solution

Antonym: intelligence 'Fatuous' means silly and foolish, showing no intelligence at all. The opposite must lie at the intelligent end of the same scale: 'brilliant' means exceptionally clever. 'Sappy' (foolishly sentimental), 'dim' (slow-witted) and 'lamebrain' (a stupid person) all repeat the idea of foolishness, so all three are synonyms of 'fatuous' and cannot be its antonym. Hence 'Brilliant' - option (d).

Select the most appropriate option to fill in the blank. The farmers will

____

their fields tomorrow.

A.tropical
B.plough
C.collide
D.isotope

Solution

Word choice: verb The blank comes straight after the modal 'will', so only a bare verb can fill it - and that verb must be something farmers do to fields. 'Plough' means to turn over the soil of a field before sowing, which is precisely the farmer's action. 'Tropical' is an adjective and 'isotope' a noun, so neither can follow 'will'; 'collide' is a verb but one cannot collide a field. Hence 'plough' - option (b).

The following sentence has been divided into parts. One of them may contain an error. Select the part that contains the error from the given options. If you don't find any error, mark 'No error' as your answer. Most of the passengers complained/ that the speed of the bus/ was usual fast.

A.was usual fast.
B.that the speed of the bus
C.Most of the passengers complained
D.No error.

Solution

Error spotting: adverb Read each part on its own and look for a word used in the wrong form. In 'was usual fast', the word before 'fast' has to modify 'fast', which is itself an adverb here - and only an adverb can modify another adverb. 'Usual' is an adjective, so it must become the adverb 'unusually', which also gives the intended sense: the bus was faster than usual. Corrected part: 'was unusually fast'. Parts (b) and (c) are faultless, so 'No error' is ruled out. Hence the error lies in 'was usual fast.' - option (a).

Select the most appropriate option to fill in the blank and make the sentence meaningful. My grandmother

____

to the temple alone last night.

A.goes
B.have gone
C.went
D.is going

Solution

Tense: simple past 'Last night' names a time that is over, and a finished past time takes the simple past tense. The simple past of 'go' is 'went': My grandmother went to the temple alone last night. 'Goes' and 'is going' are present forms, and 'have gone' is present perfect and plural too, which the singular subject 'grandmother' cannot take. Hence 'went' - option (c).

The following sentence has been divided into parts. One of them may contain an error. Select the part that contains the error from the given options. If you don't find any error, mark 'No error' as your answer. He doesn't travel such more/ these days/ because he is not well.

A.because he is not well.
B.No error.
C.He doesn't travel such more
D.these days

Solution

Error spotting: quantifier Test each part against standard usage; the fault here is in the word of quantity. 'Such more' is not an English quantifier. The sentence measures how much he travels, an uncountable amount, and after a negative verb that amount is expressed by 'much': 'He doesn't travel much'. 'Such' introduces a kind or degree before a noun (such a long journey), so it cannot stand before 'more'; and the sentence makes no comparison, so 'more' has nothing to compare with either. 'These days' and 'because he is not well.' are both correct, so 'No error' cannot be the answer. Hence the error lies in 'He doesn't travel such more' - option (c).

Select the most appropriate meaning of the given word. Tedious

A.Brief and concise
B.Boring and tiresome
C.Inspiring and uplifting
D.Exciting and fun

Solution

Word meaning 'Tedious' describes something so long, slow or repetitive that it wearies the person going through it. 'Boring and tiresome' states exactly those two ideas - dull to sit through and tiring. 'Brief and concise' speaks of length only, while 'inspiring and uplifting' and 'exciting and fun' are the very opposite of tedious. Hence 'Boring and tiresome' - option (b).

Directions (Qs. 76-80): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. The US is the (76)

____

shareholder in the World Bank and traditionally, the bank's president has been a US citizen (77)

____

by Washington. Small island developing states have argued for moving the fund (78)

____

from a donor recipient model, with all their usual power imbalances, (79)

____

a partnership founded on a shared commitment to protecting the planet. This will require partial or total (80)

____

of the World Bank. This is already happening under its new president, some argue. But hosting the fund within the bank would still give donor countries disproportionate influence.

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

A.brightest
B.tallest
C.longest
D.biggest

Solution

Cloze: superlative choice The blank is a superlative adjective describing the US as a shareholder, and a shareholding is measured by the size of the stake held. 'Biggest' means largest in amount, so 'the biggest shareholder' is the member holding the largest share - which is why the passage goes on to say the presidency traditionally goes to a US citizen. 'Tallest' and 'longest' measure physical height and length, and 'brightest' measures light or cleverness; none of the three can measure a shareholding. Hence 'biggest' - option (d).

Directions (Qs. 76-80): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. The US is the (76)

____

shareholder in the World Bank and traditionally, the bank's president has been a US citizen (77)

____

by Washington. Small island developing states have argued for moving the fund (78)

____

from a donor recipient model, with all their usual power imbalances, (79)

____

a partnership founded on a shared commitment to protecting the planet. This will require partial or total (80)

____

of the World Bank. This is already happening under its new president, some argue. But hosting the fund within the bank would still give donor countries disproportionate influence.

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

A.nominated
B.radiated
C.culminated
D.ruminated

Solution

Cloze: past participle The blank is a past participle describing the president: 'a US citizen ___ by Washington', so the verb must be one that an authority can perform on a person. 'Nominated' means formally put forward or appointed to a post, and Washington - the US government - is exactly such an authority; this also explains the tradition the sentence describes. 'Radiated' (gave off rays), 'culminated' (reached a climax) and 'ruminated' (thought at length) describe no act of appointment, and none of them can take 'by Washington' as its doer. Hence 'nominated' - option (a).

Directions (Qs. 76-80): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. The US is the (76)

____

shareholder in the World Bank and traditionally, the bank's president has been a US citizen (77)

____

by Washington. Small island developing states have argued for moving the fund (78)

____

from a donor recipient model, with all their usual power imbalances, (79)

____

a partnership founded on a shared commitment to protecting the planet. This will require partial or total (80)

____

of the World Bank. This is already happening under its new president, some argue. But hosting the fund within the bank would still give donor countries disproportionate influence.

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

A.during
B.beside
C.away
D.along

Solution

Cloze: adverb particle The blank sits between 'moving the fund' and 'from a donor recipient model', so it must be the word that combines with 'from'. 'Move away from' is the fixed combination meaning to abandon one system for another, which is what the island states are demanding. 'During' and 'beside' are prepositions and cannot be followed by another preposition 'from', and 'along from' is not an English combination either. Hence 'away' - option (c).

Directions (Qs. 76-80): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. The US is the (76)

____

shareholder in the World Bank and traditionally, the bank's president has been a US citizen (77)

____

by Washington. Small island developing states have argued for moving the fund (78)

____

from a donor recipient model, with all their usual power imbalances, (79)

____

a partnership founded on a shared commitment to protecting the planet. This will require partial or total (80)

____

of the World Bank. This is already happening under its new president, some argue. But hosting the fund within the bank would still give donor countries disproportionate influence.

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

A.lest
B.behind
C.towards
D.liable

Solution

Cloze: preposition The sentence has the shape 'moving the fund away from X ... ___ a partnership', so after the starting point marked by 'away from' a destination is needed. 'Towards' means in the direction of, so it introduces the partnership the island states want to move to and completes the away-from/towards pair. 'Behind' marks position, not destination; 'lest' is a conjunction meaning 'in case'; and 'liable' is an adjective, so none of the three can head this phrase. Hence 'towards' - option (c).

Directions (Qs. 76-80): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. The US is the (76)

____

shareholder in the World Bank and traditionally, the bank's president has been a US citizen (77)

____

by Washington. Small island developing states have argued for moving the fund (78)

____

from a donor recipient model, with all their usual power imbalances, (79)

____

a partnership founded on a shared commitment to protecting the planet. This will require partial or total (80)

____

of the World Bank. This is already happening under its new president, some argue. But hosting the fund within the bank would still give donor countries disproportionate influence.

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

A.resign
B.reform
C.reckon
D.redeem

Solution

Cloze: noun choice 'Partial or total ___ of the World Bank' needs a noun naming a change that an institution can undergo. 'Reform' is used as a noun meaning a change made to an institution to improve it, and the next sentence - 'This is already happening under its new president' - confirms that a change of the institution is meant. 'Resign', 'reckon' and 'redeem' stay verbs in this form; none of them can follow 'partial or total', and their senses (to quit a post, to calculate, to buy back) do not fit a change of the Bank itself. Hence 'reform' - option (b).

Finished reading? Now test yourself.

The same 20 questions, but with a timer and the answers hidden — 15 minutes.

Take the test

Full contents list