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SSC GD Constable 19 February 2025 · Shift 2 · English — questions with answers · ShikshaSphere

Chapter 159 of 210

19 February 2025 · Shift 2

English

20 questions ~20 min readFree

20 questions

Select the most appropriate option that can substitute the underlined segment in the given sentence. Climate change, conflict, COVID-19 and economic crises are cut children off from their chance to thrive.

A.cutting child off
B.cutting children off
C.cuts children off
D.cut children of

Solution

Present continuous verb form The sentence already carries the plural auxiliary 'are', and after a form of 'be' the main verb must appear as a present participle: are + verb-ing. 'cut' is a bare verb form and cannot follow 'are', so the underlined segment is faulty; 'cutting' is the form the auxiliary demands, which also rules out the finite 'cuts' in option (c). The subject is a list of world-wide forces acting on children in general, so the plural 'children' must stay - option (a) shrinks it to a single 'child'. 'Cut off' is a phrasal verb whose particle is 'off'; option (d) reduces it to the preposition 'of' and drops the participle as well. Hence the correct option is (b) - 'are cutting children off from their chance to thrive'.

Select the most appropriate synonym for the given word. Relinquish

A.Retain
B.Hold
C.Surrender
D.Embrace

Solution

Synonym of 'relinquish' 'Relinquish' means to give up a claim, a right, a post or a possession, and to do so willingly. 'Surrender' names exactly that act of handing something over or letting it go, so it is the synonym. 'Retain' and 'Hold' both mean to keep what one has, which is the opposite of giving it up, and 'Embrace' means to accept something warmly. Hence the correct option is (c).

Select the sentence with an error in the adverb used.

A.The students completed the assignment less thorough than expected.
B.He answered the questions surprisingly well during the interview.
C.She performs her duties more diligently than anyone else in the team.
D.The new software runs more efficiently than the previous version.

Solution

Adverb vs adjective A verb is modified by an adverb and a noun by an adjective, so in each option ask what the describing word is actually attached to. In (a) 'less thorough' is meant to tell us how the students completed the assignment - it describes the verb 'completed', so the adverb 'less thoroughly' is required. 'Thorough' is an adjective and can only qualify a noun, as in 'a thorough revision', which is not what this sentence is saying. In (b), (c) and (d) the words 'surprisingly well', 'more diligently' and 'more efficiently' are adverbs correctly modifying 'answered', 'performs' and 'runs'. Hence the correct option is (a).

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

____

challenges faced during the expedition, the team managed to reach their destination.

A.insignificant
B.negligible
C.trivial
D.formidable

Solution

Contrast word in a blank 'Despite' introduces a concession: whatever follows it must work against the result stated in the main clause. The main clause says the team still managed to reach its destination, so the challenges have to be hard ones, not easy ones. 'Formidable' means so strong or difficult as to inspire fear or respect, which supplies exactly that opposition. 'Insignificant', 'negligible' and 'trivial' all mean unimportant; challenges of that kind would leave 'despite' with nothing to concede. Hence the correct option is (d).

Select the most appropriate ANTONYM of the underlined word in the given sentence. Let's distribute the surplus food to the needy.

A.Stale
B.Huge
C.Dearth
D.Hot

Solution

Antonym of 'surplus' 'Surplus' is the quantity left over once a need has been met - an excess of something. Its opposite must therefore name a shortage, and 'dearth' means precisely a scarcity or want of something. The distractors describe other qualities of the food, not its quantity: 'stale' is about freshness, 'huge' about size and 'hot' about temperature. Note that the antonym is asked for the word, so it need not fit back into the sentence - only its meaning has to be the reverse. Hence the correct option is (c).

Select the most appropriate ANTONYM of the bracketed word to fill in the blank. The scent of freshly baked bread filled the bakery,

____

(sickening) customers to step inside.

A.pampering
B.withdrawing
C.enticing
D.wakening

Solution

Antonym in context The blank must take the opposite of the bracketed word 'sickening', which means causing disgust or revulsion. The sentence describes the smell of freshly baked bread making customers step inside, so the word needed is one that draws them in. 'Enticing' means tempting or attracting by offering something pleasant - the exact reverse of 'sickening'. 'Pampering' means indulging someone, 'withdrawing' means pulling back and 'wakening' means rousing from sleep; none of these is an opposite of 'sickening'. Hence the correct option is (c).

Select the most appropriate synonym for the given word. Dubious

A.Clear
B.Definite
C.Doubtful
D.Certain

Solution

Synonym of 'dubious' 'Dubious' describes either a person who is not sure about something or a thing that cannot be trusted. 'Doubtful' carries the same idea of uncertainty and unreliability, so it is the synonym. 'Clear', 'Definite' and 'Certain' all state the absence of doubt and are therefore antonyms of the given word. Hence the correct option is (c).

In the sentence, 'The scientist's explanation was extremely abstruse', what is a synonym of the word 'abstruse'?

A.Complicated
B.Obvious
C.Clear
D.Concise

Solution

Synonym of 'abstruse' 'Abstruse' is used of an idea or an explanation that is hard to follow because it is deep, technical or obscure. 'Complicated' names that same difficulty, so it fits an explanation described as 'extremely abstruse'. 'Obvious' and 'Clear' both mean easy to grasp and are the opposite of the given word. 'Concise' is the tempting choice, but it comments only on length - a concise explanation is short, and a short explanation can still be perfectly easy to understand. Hence the correct option is (a).

Select the word segment that can substitute and replace the bracketed word correctly and complete the sentence. The toddler asked for more pieces of cake, but she wasn't given (more cake).

A.two
B.none
C.any
D.many

Solution

Quantifier after a negative The bracketed words sit in the clause 'but she wasn't given (more cake)', which is already negative because of 'wasn't'. 'Some' and its relatives change to 'any' in a negative clause, and 'any' can stand alone as a pronoun meaning 'not even a small amount'. 'None' would add a second negative to 'wasn't', giving the double negative 'wasn't given none'. 'Two' and 'many' are counting words that would need the plural noun 'pieces' after them, and they would also contradict the sense that the toddler received nothing. Hence the correct option is (c) - 'but she wasn't given any'.

Select the most appropriate option that can substitute the highlighted word segment in the given sentence. If the sentence is grammatically correct, select 'No correction'. The manager of the hotel was giving orders when the incident occurred.

A.gave
B.has given
C.No correction
D.giving

Solution

Past continuous with 'when' The sentence sets two past actions against each other: a longer one already in progress and a short one that interrupts it. English marks the longer action with the past continuous and the interrupting action with the simple past, so 'was giving orders when the incident occurred' is exactly the required pattern. 'Gave' would put both verbs in the simple past and lose the sense of an action already under way. 'Has given' is present perfect, which cannot be used with the finished past time fixed by 'occurred', and 'giving' alone leaves the clause without an auxiliary. Hence the correct option is (c), 'No correction'.

Identify the sentence with the INCORRECT usage of adverb.

A.The novel written by Rahul was harshly critiqued by the readers.
B.The presentation was well-organised and effectively delivered.
C.Merry was aware of the implications more than her colleagues slightly.
D.Marsh is an exceptionally talented musician with a bright future.

Solution

Adverb placement An adverb of degree such as 'slightly' has to stand immediately before the word whose degree it limits. In (c) 'slightly' is stranded at the very end of the sentence, cut off from 'more aware', the comparative it is supposed to soften. Placed correctly the sentence reads 'Merry was slightly more aware of the implications than her colleagues', so option (c) is the one whose adverb is misused. In (a), (b) and (d) the adverbs 'harshly', 'effectively' and 'exceptionally' each sit directly before 'critiqued', 'delivered' and 'talented', the words they modify. Hence the correct option is (c).

Select the word that best completes the given sentence. Determine the collocation through the sentence. The teacher, Sara, told us we must

____

arrangements for the upcoming conference.

A.meet
B.put
C.make
D.made

Solution

Collocation with 'arrangements' A collocation is a word pair that English fixes by habit, so the question is simply which verb usually goes with 'arrangements'. The set phrase is 'make arrangements', meaning to plan or organise something in advance - which is what a conference needs. 'Meet' and 'put' do not combine with 'arrangements'; one meets a deadline and puts things in place, but neither is the fixed pair here. 'Made' is the past form, and after the modal 'must' only the bare infinitive 'make' can stand. Hence the correct option is (c).

Select the most appropriate idiom that can replace the underlined segment in the given sentence. After suffering for a long time, Roy finally passed away this month.

A.breathed his last
B.burnt his boats
C.blazed the trail
D.brought

Solution

Idiom for dying 'Passed away' is the polite way of saying that someone died, so the idiom replacing it must carry that same meaning. 'Breathed his last' means drew his final breath, that is, died - an exact match, and it also keeps the past tense of the original. 'Burnt his boats' means destroyed every means of retreat, and 'blazed the trail' means pioneered something new; neither has anything to do with dying. 'Brought' is a single verb, not an idiom at all, and leaves the sentence incomplete. Hence the correct option is (a).

Select the INCORRECTLY spelt word in the given sentence. 'Ramesh is extremely greatful to God for having survived the Pandemic.'

A.Greatful
B.Pandemic
C.Survived
D.Extremely

Solution

Correct spelling The sentence needs the adjective meaning 'thankful', and its correct spelling is 'grateful'. The word is built on 'grate-', from Latin gratus meaning pleasing, and has nothing to do with the English word 'great' - so 'greatful' is the misspelling. The same root shows up in 'gratitude' and 'gratify', which is a quick way to remember the single 'a'. 'Pandemic', 'survived' and 'extremely' are all spelt correctly in the sentence. Hence the correct option is (a).

Select the INCORRECTLY spelt word.

A.Quandery
B.Contingency
C.Sergeant
D.Paradigm

Solution

Correct spelling 'Quandary' means a state of uncertainty about what to do, and it ends in '-ary', like 'boundary' and 'summary'. The printed 'Quandery' spells that ending with an 'e', so it is the incorrectly spelt word. 'Contingency' correctly keeps '-gency', as in 'agency' and 'urgency'. 'Sergeant' is spelt with 'ser-' and a silent 'ea' even though it is pronounced 'sarjent', and 'Paradigm' keeps its silent 'g' before the final 'm'. Hence the correct option is (a).

Directions (Qs. 76-80): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Aristotle (384-322 BCE), the disciple of Plato, is one of the most (76)

____

philosophers in history. Judged solely in terms of his (77)

____

influence, only Plato is his peer: Aristotle's works shaped centuries of philosophy from Late Antiquity through the Renaissance, and even today continue to be studied with keen, non-antiquarian interest. Aristotle was a (78)

____

researcher and writer, producing about two hundred treatises, though only thirty-one survive. His writings cover a vast range of (79)

____

including logic, metaphysics, ethics, political theory, aesthetics and rhetoric, as well as non-philosophical fields like biology, where he meticulously studied plants and animals. Aristotle's ideas have sparked (80)

____

inspired resistance and captivated readers for centuries.

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

A.modern
B.average
C.unknown
D.influential

Solution

Cloze: adjective from context The blank stands inside 'one of the most (76) ___ philosophers in history', so it needs an adjective that can take 'most' and that praises Aristotle's standing. The very next sentence judges him 'in terms of his influence' and says only Plato is his peer, so the passage itself supplies the word: 'influential'. 'Modern' contradicts a thinker who lived in 384-322 BCE, while 'average' and 'unknown' deny the eminence the sentence is asserting. Hence the correct option is (d).

Directions (Qs. 76-80): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Aristotle (384-322 BCE), the disciple of Plato, is one of the most (76)

____

philosophers in history. Judged solely in terms of his (77)

____

____

researcher and writer, producing about two hundred treatises, though only thirty-one survive. His writings cover a vast range of (79)

____

____

inspired resistance and captivated readers for centuries.

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

A.history
B.modernity
C.society
D.philosophical

Solution

Cloze: adjective before a noun The blank comes between 'his' and the noun 'influence', a slot that only an adjective can fill. 'History', 'modernity' and 'society' are all nouns, and a noun cannot describe 'influence' in that position. 'Philosophical' is the one adjective offered, and it matches what the same sentence goes on to say - that his works shaped centuries of philosophy. Hence the correct option is (d).

Directions (Qs. 76-80): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Aristotle (384-322 BCE), the disciple of Plato, is one of the most (76)

____

philosophers in history. Judged solely in terms of his (77)

____

____

researcher and writer, producing about two hundred treatises, though only thirty-one survive. His writings cover a vast range of (79)

____

____

inspired resistance and captivated readers for centuries.

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

A.reluctant
B.prolific
C.lazy
D.hesitant

Solution

Cloze: adjective from evidence The blank describes Aristotle as a 'researcher and writer', and the same sentence gives the evidence: about two hundred treatises. 'Prolific' means producing a great many works, which is exactly what that number establishes. 'Reluctant', 'lazy' and 'hesitant' all suggest he wrote little or unwillingly, contradicting the evidence standing beside the blank. Hence the correct option is (b).

Directions (Qs. 76-80): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Aristotle (384-322 BCE), the disciple of Plato, is one of the most (76)

____

philosophers in history. Judged solely in terms of his (77)

____

____

researcher and writer, producing about two hundred treatises, though only thirty-one survive. His writings cover a vast range of (79)

____

____

inspired resistance and captivated readers for centuries.

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

A.characters
B.books
C.politics
D.topics

Solution

Cloze: noun after 'range of' The blank follows 'cover a vast range of' and is then expanded by a list: logic, metaphysics, ethics, political theory, aesthetics and rhetoric. Every item on that list is a subject of study, so the noun that covers them all is 'topics'. 'Books' would name the works rather than what they are about, and 'politics' is only one entry on the list, not the whole range. 'Characters' belongs to fiction and drama, not to the subject matter of a philosopher's treatises. Hence the correct option is (d).

Directions (Qs. 76-80): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Aristotle (384-322 BCE), the disciple of Plato, is one of the most (76)

____

philosophers in history. Judged solely in terms of his (77)

____

____

researcher and writer, producing about two hundred treatises, though only thirty-one survive. His writings cover a vast range of (79)

____

____

inspired resistance and captivated readers for centuries.

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

A.debates
B.confuse
C.criticise
D.indifferent

Solution

Cloze: parallel objects The blank is the object of 'have sparked', and the sentence then adds two more verb-plus-object pairs: 'inspired resistance' and 'captivated readers'. To keep that parallel structure the blank must be a noun, and only 'debates' is a noun; 'confuse' and 'criticise' are verbs and 'indifferent' is an adjective. 'Spark a debate' is also the natural collocation, and it suits ideas that have provoked argument for centuries. Hence the correct option is (a).

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