SSC CGL Tier 1 2011 English Comprehension Questions with Solutions

Explanation

The sentence follows the grammatical pattern of the third conditional, which is used to express a hypothetical situation in the past that did not actually occur. The rule for the third conditional dictates that the if-clause uses the past perfect tense (had + past participle), while the main clause must use the perfect conditional construction (would have + past participle). In this instance, the condition "If I had helped him" requires the corresponding result clause to be "would not have drowned" to correctly indicate the imaginary past outcome.

Explanation

The phrasal verb hand in means to submit or give a completed piece of work, such as an assignment, report, or application, to a person in authority like a teacher or an employer. In the context of the sentence, it refers to the act of delivering the finished assignment to the responsible party for grading or review.

Explanation

The word barren refers to land or soil that is incapable of producing offspring, crops, or vegetation. In a broader sense, it describes any effort or situation that is completely lacking in results or effectiveness. Therefore, unproductive is the most accurate synonym as it defines a state where nothing is being generated or achieved.

Explanation

Infamy refers to the state of being well known for an evil or wicked act, or having an extremely bad reputation. Similarly, notoriety is defined as the state of being famous or widely known for something unfavorable or disreputable. Both words describe a negative form of fame where a person or event is remembered for disgraceful reasons.

Explanation

The term intrepid originates from the Latin word intrepidus, which combines the prefix in- meaning not and trepidus meaning alarmed or trembling. It is used to describe an individual who displays resolute courage and fortitude in the face of danger, difficulty, or pain. A person who is intrepid is characterized by an absence of fear and an undaunted spirit, making the quality of being fearless its primary defining attribute. In literature and formal English, it typically refers to explorers, soldiers, or individuals who undertake bold actions without being deterred by potential risks or intimidating circumstances.

Explanation

The word prodigal refers to a person who spends money or resources in a reckless, wasteful, or extravagant manner. It is derived from the Latin word prodigus, meaning lavish or wasteful. When someone is described as prodigal, they are typically giving or spending on a grand scale without concern for thrift or future needs. Similarly, lavish denotes the quality of being extremely generous or extravagant, often involving large quantities or high costs. Because both terms describe the act of spending or using resources with extreme profusion and a lack of restraint, lavish is the most accurate synonym.

Explanation

The word perspicuous means clearly expressed and easily understood, making clear the most accurate synonym among the choices. While precision can contribute to clarity, clear is the direct definition of the word.

Explanation

Liberty is defined as the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life or behavior. Slavery represents the exact opposite condition, where an individual is owned by another person and is forced to work and obey them, resulting in a complete lack of personal freedom and autonomy. Thus, slavery serves as the direct antonym to liberty.

Explanation

The word disorderly denotes a condition where there is a lack of systematic order, neatness, or structure. It is used to describe things that are messy or in a state of confusion. The term arranged serves as the opposite because it describes the state of having been placed in a neat, intentional, or specific order. Where something disorderly lacks any clear placement or organization, something arranged has been deliberately set in its proper place to ensure clarity and sequence.

Explanation

Elevation refers to the height of a place above a certain level or the act of raising something to a higher position. In both physical geography and general terminology, the direct antonym is depression, which denotes a sunken place, a hollow, or the act of lowering something below the surrounding level. These terms represent the upward and downward extremes relative to a horizontal baseline.

Explanation

The word glossy is used to describe a surface that is smooth, shiny, and reflects light with a high degree of luster. The term dull serves as its direct antonym because it characterizes a surface or appearance that lacks brightness, vividness, or sheen. While glossy implies a polished and radiant quality, dull represents a matte or lackluster state where light is not reflected, effectively providing the opposite visual and textural meaning.

Explanation

The word appropriate is defined as being suitable or proper in the circumstances for a particular purpose, person, or occasion. Its direct antonym is unsuitable, which describes something that is not fitting, right, or appropriate for a specific situation. Therefore, unsuitable captures the exact opposite meaning of being well-matched or fitting.

Explanation

The idiom a damp squib refers to an event or situation that is much less impressive or successful than it was expected to be. It originates from the mechanics of a squib, which is a small firework or firecracker. If the gunpowder in a squib becomes damp, it fails to ignite or explode with the intended force, resulting in a weak fizzle instead of a loud bang. Metaphorically, this expression is used to describe an anticlimactic outcome where high expectations meet with a disappointing or underwhelming reality.

Explanation

The idiom in cold blood means to do something, especially a violent act, intentionally and without emotion or mercy. It implies a calculated and deliberate action rather than one committed in the heat of anger or passion.

Explanation

The idiom to take someone for a ride means to cheat, trick, or deceive someone, often for personal gain or to make them look foolish. It implies a situation where a person is led to believe something that is not true, often resulting in them being swindled or misled into a disadvantageous position. This figurative expression suggests that the victim is being led along a path of deception, unaware of the actual intent of the deceiver until the trickery is revealed. In common usage, it describes various forms of dishonesty ranging from minor pranks to serious fraudulent activities.

Explanation

The idiom to move heaven and earth signifies exerting the maximum possible effort or using every available resource to achieve a specific goal. It implies a sense of total determination where an individual is willing to overcome any obstacle and explore every potential avenue, no matter how difficult or ambitious, to ensure a desired outcome. The phrase suggests an effort so monumental that it would theoretically involve both the celestial and terrestrial realms, symbolizing the act of leaving no stone unturned in the pursuit of an objective.

Explanation

The idiom to smell a rat is used to describe the act of sensing that something is wrong, dishonest, or deceptive in a particular situation. It implies a state of being suspicious or having an intuitive feeling that a trick is being played or that someone is not being entirely truthful, even if there is no immediate visible evidence. The phrase originates from the ability of a hunting animal, such as a dog or cat, to detect the hidden presence of a rat through its scent, serving as a metaphor for detecting hidden danger or treachery before it becomes obvious.

Explanation

The sentence asks about the purpose or reason for an action. In standard English interrogative structures, when the pronoun what is the object of a preposition like for, the preposition is typically placed at the end of the sentence. This creates the construction What... for?, which is the idiomatic way to inquire about an objective. The correct syntax follows the order of the interrogative pronoun (What), the auxiliary verb (do), the subject (you), the main verb phrase (go to school), and finally the preposition (for).

Explanation

The sentence requires a logical causal sequence to be coherent. The act of completing the report in good time serves as the reason for the directors' satisfaction. By placing the completion of the report first and following it with the result using the demonstrative pronoun this to refer back to the entire preceding action, the sentence establishes a clear cause-and-effect relationship. This structure corrects the ungrammatical phrasing of the original sentence and provides a meaningful narrative flow where the timely work is the direct catalyst for the positive reaction from the directors.

Explanation

The adverbial phrase all day long modifies the action to tell and describes the duration of the courtiers' communication. In English syntax, adverbial phrases of time or duration are most effectively placed immediately after the verb they modify or the verb's object to ensure clarity. By placing all day long after tell the King, the sentence clearly specifies that the act of speaking occurred throughout the day. This placement prevents the misplaced modifier ambiguity found in the original sentence, where the phrase appearing at the end could mistakenly imply that the King's efficiency as an administrator was limited to a specific time period.

Explanation

The phrase for shopping uses the preposition for to establish the purpose or objective of the verb go. In this structure, shopping is a gerund, which is a verb form ending in -ing that functions as a noun describing the specific activity. Using a prepositional phrase to indicate purpose is a standard grammatical method to clarify the goal of an action, especially when describing a recurring habit or routine. The original phrasing effectively communicates the intent of the subject's Saturday activity within a grammatically acceptable framework.

Explanation

The verb enjoy is a transitive verb, which means it requires a direct object to complete its meaning. In English grammar, if there is no specific noun or phrase acting as the object, a reflexive pronoun must be used when the subject is performing the action upon themselves. Since the subject in the second part of the sentence is we, the reflexive pronoun ourselves must follow the verb to satisfy this grammatical requirement. This addition provides the necessary object for the transitive verb enjoy, making the clause we enjoyed ourselves very much syntactically complete and correct.

Explanation

An epitaph is a short text honoring a deceased person, specifically inscribed on a tombstone or monument at the place of burial. The term is derived from the Greek words epi, meaning over, and taphos, meaning tomb. These inscriptions serve as a lasting memorial and typically include the name of the deceased, significant dates, and a brief message or verse that commemorates their life and legacy.

Explanation

Conscience refers to the inherent moral sense or the inner voice that guides an individual in distinguishing between right and wrong behavior. It functions as a psychological and ethical faculty that directs a person to act in accordance with their moral values and creates feelings of guilt or remorse when those values are violated. This internal monitoring system is what allows a person to judge the morality of their own past, present, and future actions.

Explanation

Parole refers to the conditional release of a prisoner before they have served their full sentence. This arrangement allows an inmate to serve the remainder of their term in the community, provided they adhere to specific terms and conditions, such as regular reporting to a parole officer and maintaining good behavior. The primary purpose of parole is to facilitate the transition of the individual back into society while ensuring they remain under legal supervision. If the conditions of the release are violated, the parole can be revoked, and the individual is returned to prison.

Explanation

Amnesia is the medical and linguistic term used to describe a partial or total loss of memory. This condition typically results from various factors such as brain injury, neurological disease, or severe psychological trauma. It manifests as an inability to recall past experiences or information, and in some cases, an inability to form new memories. The term is derived from the Greek words meaning forgetfulness or lack of memory. Depending on the underlying cause and the nature of the memory deficit, amnesia can be temporary or permanent.

Explanation

The word flounder describes the act of struggling helplessly or clumsily, typically while moving in water or mud, or when faced with a difficult situation. It signifies a state of being unable to proceed effectively, often characterized by frantic but unsuccessful movements or mental confusion. In a figurative sense, it refers to a person who is having great difficulty or is close to failure, making it the precise vocabulary substitute for the phrase to struggle helplessly.

Explanation

Recondite is correctly spelled and refers to a subject or knowledge that is little known or abstruse. Gestalt is also correctly spelled, but recondite is the definitive correct option among the choices provided. The other words are misspelled versions of imbroglios and impasse.

Explanation

The word hindrance is the noun form of the verb hinder. In English orthography, when the suffix -ance is joined to the root word hinder, the unstressed vowel e in the final syllable of the root is omitted. This results in the correct spelling h-i-n-d-r-a-n-c-e. This specific spelling follows the rule of vowel deletion during suffixation, ensuring the noun is phonetically and grammatically accurate.

Explanation

The word advisory is correctly spelled as a-d-v-i-s-o-r-y. It functions as an adjective meaning having the power or intent to give advice, or as a noun referring to an official announcement or warning. The word is formed by adding the suffix -ory to the root verb advise, following the standard English convention of dropping the final -e before adding a suffix that begins with a vowel.

Explanation

The word colleague refers to an associate or co-worker, particularly in a professional or academic context. The correct spelling is c-o-l-l-e-a-g-u-e. It originates from the Latin word collega, which is formed by the prefix col- (meaning together) and the root legare (meaning to choose or deputy). The orthography features a double l after the first syllable and the ea digraph representing the long e sound. Consistent with other English words of Latin or French origin that end in a hard g sound, such as league or plague, it concludes with a silent ue.

Explanation

The passage describes a ritual where officials deliver gifts to tribal people living on a secluded island. In the sequence of events, the officials must move their boat towards the land to reach the beach where the gifts are to be left. The verb approach accurately describes this physical movement of coming nearer to a destination, which is a necessary action before the officials can dump the coconuts and later row away.

Explanation

In the context of the passage, the officials are visiting the island to provide items to the tribesmen. The word carrying acts as a present participle that modifies the noun boat, describing its function of transporting the gifts. It is the most appropriate term to indicate that the vessel is loaded with and moving the coconuts and other goods intended for the islanders.

Explanation

The phrasal verb come forward is used to describe the movement of the islanders from their initial position of safety toward the beach where the gifts have been placed. In the context of the passage, the tribesmen observe the officials from a distance and only choose to approach the gifts once the officials begin to depart. The use of forward indicates this directional movement toward the center of activity or the location of the coconuts. The word hesitantly further qualifies this action, showing that while they are moving toward the shore to claim the gifts, they remain cautious of the outsiders.

Explanation

The sentence structure requires an auxiliary verb to form the present perfect tense with the past participle dumped. The subject of the verb is the officials, which is a plural noun. In English grammar, plural subjects in the present tense require the auxiliary verb have rather than has. The use of the present perfect tense indicates that the action of dumping the coconuts is completed immediately before the subsequent actions of the officials moving away and the islanders approaching. Since the entire passage is written in the present tense to describe a recurring ritual, have is the grammatically correct choice to agree with the plural subject.

Explanation

The preposition for is used to indicate the intended recipient or the purpose of an action. In this passage, the coconuts are described as gifts intended for the tribesmen. By using for, the sentence establishes that the islanders are the beneficiaries for whom the officials have transported the goods to the beach.

Explanation

The sentence describes the movement of the officials in their boat after they have delivered the gifts to the islanders. Since the officials arrived at the island in a boat, the action of departing from the shore and moving across the water is most appropriately expressed by the word sailing. The phrase begin sailing away perfectly captures the physical act of the boat leaving the vicinity of the small island to allow the cautious tribesmen to approach the beach and collect the coconuts.

Explanation

The phrase muster up is a common idiomatic expression used to describe the act of gathering or summoning a particular feeling, quality, or strength from within oneself, especially when facing a difficult or intimidating situation. In the context of the passage, the tribesmen are generally cautious and maintain a safe distance from the officials. When they decide to swim closer to the boat, it indicates a significant effort to overcome their apprehension. Therefore, they muster up enough courage to approach the visitors, making this the most linguistically and contextually appropriate choice for the blank.

Explanation

The phrase a few feet away from is a standard English idiom used to indicate spatial distance from a specific object or point. In this passage, it describes the proximity the tribesmen are willing to maintain relative to the boat. By swimming to within a few feet away from the vessel, the islanders demonstrate the courage mentioned in the sentence, as they are significantly reducing the usual safe distance they keep from the officials.

Explanation

The sentence structure requires a negative adverb to modify the verb phrase initiated by the auxiliary verb do. In English grammar, the standard way to form a negative statement in the simple present tense is by using the auxiliary do or does followed by the negative particle not and the base form of the main verb. Within the context of the passage, the officials are stating their policy of non-interference, and the construction do not want correctly expresses this negative intention while maintaining grammatical agreement with the plural subject they.

Explanation

The sentence describes the dependency of the island for its supplies, and the phrase rely heavily on is a standard idiomatic expression meaning to depend significantly on something. In the context of obtaining goods, rely is the only word that makes logical and grammatical sense when followed by the preposition on.

Explanation

The phrase a great many is an idiom used as a quantifier that must be followed by a plural countable noun and a plural verb. In this sentence, the noun student is in the singular form, which violates the rules of subject-verb and quantifier-noun agreement. For the sentence to be grammatically correct, the plural form students must be used to match the quantifier a great many and the subsequent plural auxiliary verb have been.

Explanation

The error lies in the pluralization of the noun within the compound adjective. When a numeral and a noun combine to function as an adjective modifying a subsequent noun, the noun part of that modifier must remain in the singular form. In the expression this three-crores project, the phrase three-crore is a compound adjective describing the principal noun project. Therefore, the plural crores should be replaced by the singular crore, as adjectives in English do not take plural endings.

Explanation

The error in the first part of the sentence involves the redundant use of the preposition to. In English, when the verb go is used to describe participating in a recreational activity or a routine task expressed as a gerund, the preposition to is omitted. The correct idiomatic construction is go shopping, following the same pattern as go swimming or go dancing. The inclusion of to makes the phrase ungrammatical because the gerund functions as the direct activity following go rather than a destination.

Explanation

The adjective worth is followed by a gerund (verb + ing) rather than an infinitive (to + verb) when used in the structure it is worth doing something. This idiomatic construction indicates that an action is deserving of the time, effort, or money involved. In the sentence provided, the use of the infinitive to take is grammatically incorrect, and the phrase must be corrected to if it was worth taking to follow standard English usage.

Explanation

The error in the first part of the sentence is the use of the adverb carefully to modify the noun investigation. In English grammar, nouns are qualified by adjectives, while adverbs are used to modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Since investigation is a noun, it must be preceded by the adjective careful. The correct phrasing should be after a careful investigation.

Explanation

The error lies in the phrase owed to, which is used incorrectly to express a cause or reason. In English grammar, the correct idiomatic prepositional phrase to indicate because of or on account of is owing to. The word owed is the past participle of the verb owe, which implies a debt or an obligation. In this sentence, the security of food companies is being attributed to the factor of demand, which requires the use of the present participle form owing to function as a compound preposition. Substituting owed to with owing to or due to provides the necessary logical and grammatical connection between the state of the companies and the reason for that state.

Explanation

The sentence describes an action that occurred in the past, indicated by the verb hit in the second part of the sentence. To maintain grammatical consistency and logical sequence, the main verb of the sentence must also reflect the past tense. Using the present tense auxiliary is in the phrase is dogged by controversy creates a tense mismatch. Replacing is with was ensures that the state of being dogged by controversy is correctly aligned with the past event of the vaccine hitting the market.

Explanation

The error lies in the use of the adverb hardly. In English, the word hard functions as both an adjective and an adverb; as an adverb, it means with great effort or energy. In contrast, hardly is a distinct adverb that means scarcely or almost not. Since the sentence intends to convey that the son is putting a lot of effort into his work, the correct adverbial form to modify the verb working is hard. Using hardly changes the meaning to suggest that he is barely working, which is contextually incorrect in this structure.

Explanation

The relative pronoun who refers to the antecedent I. According to the rules of subject-verb agreement, the verb in a relative clause must agree in person and number with its antecedent. Since the antecedent I is a first-person singular pronoun, the auxiliary verb should also be in the first-person singular form have instead of the third-person singular form has. The grammatically correct structure for the clause is who have done.