SSC CGL Tier 1 2016 English Comprehension Questions with Solutions

Explanation

The provided text explicitly states that Alexander was forced to leave school for economic reasons because the economic success of the family was yet to be realized. This financial hardship occurred after he had moved to London to live with his brothers, eventually leading him to seek employment in a shipping company at the age of sixteen to support himself before a later legacy enabled his return to medical studies.

Explanation

The word jubilant is an adjective used to describe a person or a group feeling or expressing great happiness and triumph. It signifies a state of being overjoyed or exultant. Similarly, jocular relates to a state of being cheerful, playful, or characterized by high spirits and humor. Both terms share a core connotation of lightheartedness and a positive disposition, as they describe a state of being in high spirits or expressing merriment.

Explanation

Courage represents the mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. Its direct antonym is cowardice, which denotes a lack of bravery or the contemptible failure to face danger or pain. In linguistic terms, while courage is the virtue of facing one's fears, cowardice is the specific quality of being unable or unwilling to do so.

Explanation

The word Commensurate is derived from the Latin roots com (meaning together) and mensuratus (the past participle of mensurare, meaning to measure). The correct spelling requires a double m as the prefix com is joined to a root starting with m, followed by the sequence e-n-s-u-r-a-t-e. In English, the term is used to describe things that are proportional or corresponding in size, degree, or amount.

Explanation

The adjective continual describes something that occurs frequently or recurs at intervals with breaks. In this context, the music played next door suggests a steady and uninterrupted distraction that hindered concentration. The word continuous is the correct choice because it specifically denotes an action or state that is unbroken and persists without any pause or cessation.

Explanation

The sentence is a well-known English proverb that is grammatically and idiomatically correct. In this context, waters is used as a plural noun to signify a body of water, and the plural verb run correctly agrees with this subject. The adjective still describes the calm state of the water, while deep functions as an adverbial adjective describing how the waters run. Because the sentence follows standard linguistic conventions and established proverbial structure, it contains no error.

Explanation

The second part of the sentence is grammatically incomplete. The word direct functions as an adjective and requires a following noun to act as the object of the preposition under. In standard English usage, a noun such as supervision, control, or charge must be included to complete the phrase. Alternatively, the adjective direct could be replaced by the noun direction to form the idiomatic expression under the direction of Mrs Jones. Because the adjective is used in place of a noun or lacks a noun to modify, part B contains the grammatical error.

Explanation

The preposition into is used to express motion or direction toward the inside of a container or space. When the verb pour is used, it implies a dynamic movement of a substance from one location to the interior of another. Therefore, into is the grammatically correct choice to describe the action of moving the juice from its original source to the inside of the glass.

Explanation

The phrasal verb working on is used to indicate that someone is putting effort into a task, trying to solve a problem, or improving something. In the given sentence, it correctly completes the Present Perfect Continuous construction to show that the action of dealing with the problem began at noon and continues into the present.

Explanation

The sentence structure requires a noun to function as the object of the verb has and to be modified by the adjective deep. Hatred is the standard abstract noun used to describe an intense feeling of dislike or ill will. In this context, it correctly completes the noun phrase a deep hatred, where the adjective specifies the intensity of the emotion Sushma feels.

Explanation

The idiom couch potato refers to a person who leads a sedentary lifestyle, specifically one who spends a significant amount of time sitting or lying on a couch watching television. It characterizes an individual who is physically inactive and prefers passive entertainment over active pursuits. The term was coined in the late 1970s as a metaphor for someone who stays rooted in one spot, much like a vegetable, while consuming media for extended periods.

Explanation

The idiom carry the ball originates from team sports like American football or rugby, where the player in possession of the ball is the one actively leading the play and moving the team toward its objective. In a general or professional context, it refers to taking the lead, assuming primary responsibility for a task or situation, and being in charge of ensuring that a project or initiative continues to move forward successfully.

Explanation

The phrasal verb turned down is commonly used to mean the refusal or dismissal of an offer, request, application, or invitation. It signifies the act of declining something that has been proposed or submitted. This usage is synonymous with the word reject, which refers to the decision not to accept, consider, or agree to something. For example, if a job offer is not accepted by a candidate or a proposal is not approved by a committee, the offer or proposal is said to have been turned down or rejected.

Explanation

A plagiarist is an individual who engages in the act of plagiarism, which involves taking the written work, ideas, or creative expressions of another author and representing them as their own original creation. The term specifically denotes the unethical practice of using someone else's intellectual property without proper acknowledgement or citation, particularly in academic, literary, or journalistic contexts.

Explanation

The term palpable refers to something that is tangible or capable of being handled, touched, or felt. It is derived from the Latin word palpabilis, which means that which can be touched. In English, it is used both literally to describe physical objects and figuratively to describe an atmosphere or feeling that is so intense it seems as though it could be physically sensed.

Explanation

The verb enjoy is a transitive verb that is followed by a gerund rather than a to-infinitive. In English grammar, certain verbs such as enjoy, finish, mind, and suggest require the -ing form of the subsequent verb to function as the object. Additionally, the standard idiomatic expression for traveling or visiting places is to go on a tour or go on tours. Consequently, the gerund going paired with the prepositional phrase on tours provides the grammatically correct structure for the sentence.

Explanation

The sentence describes a situation where one action was already in progress when another shorter action occurred. The Past Continuous tense is used for the ongoing background activity, while the Simple Past tense is used for the action that interrupts or happens during that period. Since ringing the bell is a sudden event that occurs at a specific point during the cooking process, the verb following the conjunction when must be in the simple past. The past tense of the verb ring is rang, which correctly establishes the chronological relationship between the continuous state of cooking and the momentary event of the bell being rung.

Explanation

The sentence follows the third conditional structure, which describes a hypothetical situation in the past and its imaginary result. The standard construction for the conditional clause is If + Subject + had + past participle. This can be expressed in an inverted form by placing the auxiliary verb had before the subject and omitting the conjunction if. The resulting structure, Had the room been brighter, is a grammatically precise and more formal way to convey the same condition. This inversion is commonly utilized in English to enhance the stylistic quality of conditional sentences while maintaining the required past perfect tense to match the result clause I would have been able.

Explanation

When a sentence begins with a negative adverb or adverbial phrase such as Never, Seldom, or Hardly, the rule of inversion must be applied. This means the auxiliary verb is placed before the subject to provide emphasis. In this sentence, since the adverb Never starts the construction, the auxiliary verb have must precede the subject such incidents. This follows the standard grammatical pattern of Negative Adverb + Auxiliary Verb + Subject + Main Verb. This structure maintains the present perfect tense required by the context of the sentence while adhering to the formal rules of English syntax.

Explanation

The subject My mother is third-person singular, which requires the verb to agree in number and tense. The base form teach is grammatically incorrect in this context as the simple present would require teaches. The word taught is the past tense of the verb teach and provides a grammatically correct way to describe the action of imparting knowledge or values. Using the past tense creates a meaningful sentence indicating that the mother performed the action of educating the speaker on how to be a good human being.

Explanation

The narrator characterizes himself in the first paragraph as being full of assumptions about himself and quick to offer comments on any topic. He explicitly states that he expected people to pay attention to everything he said, which reflects a strong sense of self-importance and belief in his own worth. Such traits directly demonstrate that the narrator was highly self-confident during this period of his life.

Explanation

The narrator explicitly states in the passage that after twenty minutes of the talk, he was thoroughly bored and found the session insipid. His lack of interest is further evidenced by his physical cues, such as glancing at his watch three times, yawning, and looking around the room to check if others were listening. He describes the one-hour talk as taking ages to end and expresses a sense of disgust toward the speaker's content. Finally, his jump to his feet with a sigh of relief immediately after the talk concludes reinforces his state of extreme boredom and impatience throughout the event.

Explanation

The narrator's disgust is directly linked to the contrast between his own perception of the talk and his neighbor's reaction. While the narrator considers the lecture to be insipid and boring, he discovers that his neighbor is completely sold out to the speaker and looks as though it is the greatest day of his life. The narrator's sense of superiority and his desire to share expert criticisms are thwarted by his neighbor's genuine engrossment in a performance the narrator deems worthless.

Explanation

The narrator explicitly states that as the one-hour talk finally came to an end, they jumped to their feet with a sigh of relief before the vote of thanks was even concluded. Throughout the passage, the narrator describes the experience as sitting through an insipid and boring talk that felt like it took ages to finish. The mention of jumping up and sighing with relief directly indicates that the narrator felt a sense of liberation or comfort because the unpleasant experience had reached its conclusion.

Explanation

The narrator explicitly states that they listened to the talk for the first five minutes. Signs of restlessness and judgment only began appearing after this period, starting with the narrator looking around to check the reactions of others by the seventh minute. Subsequent actions, such as checking the watch by the tenth minute and concluding that the talk was insipid by the twentieth minute, confirm that the initial five-minute window was the only time the narrator listened without active negative assessment.

Explanation

To adapt means to change something or modify one's behavior so that it becomes suitable for a new purpose, situation, or environment. It involves the process of modification to achieve a state of fitness or harmony with external conditions. The word adjust serves as a direct synonym because it refers to the act of altering or regulating something to bring it into a proper, exact, or conforming relationship with its surroundings. Both terms emphasize the necessity of flexibility and change to meet specific requirements or to function effectively in a different context.

Explanation

Arid refers to a climate or land that is extremely dry and lacks sufficient water to support the growth of plants or crops. It is characterized by a deficiency of moisture, often leading to a lack of life and productivity in the soil. In contrast, fertile describes soil or land that is rich in nutrients and highly capable of producing abundant vegetation, crops, or life. While arid implies a state of emptiness and an inability to sustain growth, fertile signifies a high level of productivity and life-sustaining capacity, making it the direct opposite in meaning.

Explanation

The word definite is an adjective used to describe something that is clearly stated, certain, or having fixed limits. Etymologically, it originates from the Latin definitus, the past participle of definire, which combines the prefix de- with finis, meaning boundary or limit. This linguistic root explains the presence of the i in the second and third syllables. In standard English orthography, the correct spelling is d-e-f-i-n-i-t-e. This spelling is consistent across all major English dictionaries and follows the morphological pattern of related words such as definition and definitive.

Explanation

The sentence is an interrogative construction in the continuous tense, which requires an auxiliary verb to precede the subject. The error occurs because the verb are is missing between the question word why and the subject you. In English grammar, a question cannot be formed by simply placing a subject before a present participle without a helping verb. The correct grammatical structure for this question is why are you copying, which follows the standard rule of placing the auxiliary verb before the subject in direct questions.

Explanation

The noun time, when referring to a duration or an available period, is an uncountable noun. In English grammar, the quantifier few is reserved for plural countable nouns, whereas little is used for uncountable nouns. Therefore, the phrase few time is grammatically incorrect and should be replaced by little time to indicate a small amount of the uncountable noun time.

Explanation

The noun hope should be used in its plural form hopes to maintain subject-verb agreement with the plural auxiliary verb were found in the next part of the sentence. While hope can be uncountable, the use of were necessitates a plural subject. Therefore, the phrase all my hope in segment A is grammatically incorrect and must be replaced with all my hopes to correctly match the plural construction of the predicate.

Explanation

The preposition by is used to indicate the means or method of achieving something. In this sentence, it functions to show the specific process or activity—buying and selling used cars—through which Naresh acquired his wealth. Using by followed by a gerund phrase is the standard grammatical construction to describe the instrument or manner of an action.

Explanation

In English grammar, a question tag is formed using the auxiliary verb and the subject pronoun of the main sentence. When the statement is affirmative, the question tag must be negative. The sentence "She has finished writing the article" uses the auxiliary verb "has" in a positive context. Therefore, the correct question tag is the negative contraction "hasn't" followed by the subject pronoun "she". This construction follows the standard rule where a positive statement is followed by a negative tag to seek confirmation.

Explanation

The term extinct refers to a species that has no living members remaining on Earth. In biology and ecology, extinction signifies the end of an organism or a group of organisms, typically a species. A species is formally classified as becoming extinct at the moment the very last individual of that population dies. This event marks the permanent loss of that specific genetic lineage and its biological contribution to the ecosystem. Because the final member has perished, the species loses all capacity to reproduce and sustain its population, resulting in its total disappearance from the natural world.

Explanation

The idiom catch a tartar describes a situation where one encounters an adversary or opponent who proves to be much more formidable, powerful, or troublesome than expected. It implies dealing with a person who is more than one's match, where the attempt to control or best them results in being overwhelmed by their superior strength or difficult temperament. The phrase is historically rooted in military anecdotes where a soldier claims to have captured an enemy, only to find that the captive is actually the one holding the captor in place because of their ferocity.

Explanation

The idiom cap in hand, or hat in hand, refers to the traditional gesture of removing one's headgear as a sign of humility, submission, or reverence when addressing a person of higher social standing or authority. Historically, this physical act demonstrated that the individual was approaching with respect rather than defiance. In modern usage, the phrase is used figuratively to describe someone who is asking for a favor, money, or forgiveness in a very humble or respectful manner.

Explanation

The idiom in the blues refers to a state of melancholy, sadness, or low spirits. Historically, the expression is derived from the term blue devils, which was used in the 17th century to describe feelings of intense agitation or depression. Over time, the phrase evolved into its modern form to signify being in a cheerless and depressed mood.

Explanation

An obituary is a news article or announcement that reports the recent death of a person, typically accompanied by an account of their life, achievements, and information regarding upcoming funeral services. It serves as a public notification to inform the community and provide a tribute to the deceased individual.

Explanation

The term gregarious is derived from the Latin word gregarius, which means belonging to a flock, from the root grex, meaning flock or herd. In biological and linguistic terms, it describes animals that naturally live in flocks, herds, or organized social groups instead of living solitary lives. This behavior is often an evolutionary survival strategy used for protection against predators or for more efficient foraging and migration.

Explanation

The word sedulous is defined as showing dedication and diligence in one's work or duties. It characterizes a person who is consistently industrious and thorough in their efforts, making it the exact synonym for being hard-working and diligent.

Explanation

The verb check is used with the preposition in when referring to the act of verifying information within a reference book, document, or list. Since a dictionary is a source containing a collection of entries, one checks a word or fact in it to confirm its accuracy. This idiomatic usage correctly identifies the dictionary as the medium where the information is located and sought.

Explanation

When a specific numeral like fourteen precedes the word dozen, the word dozen remains in its singular form and does not take an s. In the phrase fourteen dozen, the quantity acts as a plural subject because it represents a total count of items. According to the rules of subject-verb agreement, a plural subject requires a plural verb. The base form cost is the plural verb form, whereas costs is the singular form. Consequently, the original construction fourteen dozen cost is grammatically accurate as it correctly applies the singular form of the unit after a number and pairs it with a plural verb.

Explanation

The modal verb can must always be followed by the base form of the verb, which is believe. The use of the past form believed is grammatically incorrect in this construction. Additionally, when multiple adjectives such as old and dilapidated modify a single noun like house, the definite article the should only appear before the first adjective. Repeating the article suggests the existence of two different houses rather than one house with two qualities. The past perfect tense had bought is appropriate here to indicate that the action of purchasing the house was completed at a point in time prior to the current observation.

Explanation

The conjunction whenever is used to indicate that an action happens every time a particular situation occurs. In this sentence, taking an umbrella is presented as a habitual or repeated response to the sky being overcast. While if can denote a condition, whenever more precisely emphasizes the regularity and frequency of the action, signifying at whatever time or every time that the condition is met. This makes it the most suitable choice for describing a consistent personal habit or a recurring event.

Explanation

The expression to have blood in one's veins is a standard English idiom used to describe a person's ancestry, heritage, or innate character. In this context, claiming to have royal blood in his veins is the grammatically and idiomatically correct way to state that the artist believes he is of noble descent. The phrase accurately reflects the biological reality of blood circulation while functioning as a figurative statement about lineage, requiring no changes to the vocabulary or structure.

Explanation

According to the passage, individuals who go without breakfast are likely to experience a late morning slump characterized by tiredness and sleepiness. The text explicitly states that skipping the first meal of the day causes a decrease in efficiency and physical alertness. Because breakfast is meant to provide at least one-fourth of the daily nutrient requirements, missing this meal deprives the body of the energy needed to function effectively, leading directly to the sensation of morning fatigue and drowsiness.

Explanation

The passage explicitly states that skipping the first meal of the day leads to intense hunger pangs by late morning. These physiological cravings cause individuals to seek quick satisfaction, resulting in the consumption of unhealthy, high-fat items like chips, samosas, and burgers. The text establishes a direct causal link between omitting breakfast and the subsequent choice of poor dietary options later in the day.

Explanation

The passage explicitly states that a good breakfast leads to a more active and productive day, helping to prevent the late morning slump characterized by tiredness and sleepiness. It also highlights a direct link between consuming breakfast and improved performance in academic environments like schools and colleges. By providing essential nutrients and sustained energy from whole grain cereals and proteins, a good breakfast ensures that an individual remains physically energetic and mentally sharp. Therefore, the benefits of eating breakfast encompass both maintaining high activity levels and boosting overall performance.

Explanation

The passage explicitly states that an ideal breakfast should contain adequate amounts of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats in addition to minerals and vitamins. It emphasizes that this meal should contribute at least one-fourth of our daily nutrient requirements by including most food groups. This balanced combination of macronutrients and micronutrients ensures sustained energy levels, prevents the late morning slump, and reduces the urge for unhealthy snacking before lunch.

Explanation

According to the passage, the high fibre and protein content found in whole grain cereals, which are integral to a traditional breakfast, provides a feeling of satisfaction. This feeling of satiety is crucial as it lowers the urge to snack on unhealthy foods before lunch. The text specifically attributes the sense of being satisfied to these two nutritional components.