SSC CGL Tier 1 2016 English Comprehension Questions with Solutions

Explanation

The word obsequious originates from the Latin root obsequium, meaning compliance or leaf-like following. It describes a person who is excessively attentive, fawning, or obedient to an extreme degree, typically to win favor from an influential person. This behavior is characterized by a lack of self-respect and an overly submissive attitude. The term servile directly matches this meaning, as it refers to someone displaying an excessive willingness to serve or please others, often in a way that is perceived as cringing or submissive. Both words are used to criticize behavior that is overly compliant and lacks independence.

Explanation

The word rugged refers to a surface or terrain that is broken, rocky, and uneven in texture. It implies a lack of uniformity and the presence of many irregularities. In contrast, the word smooth describes a surface that is perfectly even, level, and free from any bumps, ridges, or roughness. Therefore, smooth serves as the direct antonym to rugged when considering the physical characteristics of a surface.

Explanation

The word Counterfeit is correctly spelled with the sequence C-O-U-N-T-E-R-F-E-I-T. It originates from the Old French contrefait, where counter signifies opposition and feit is derived from the Latin factum, meaning made. In English orthography, the ei combination is used in this instance to represent the specific vowel sound following the f. It describes an imitation or forgery produced with the intent to deceive or defraud, such as fraudulent currency or documents.

Explanation

In indirect speech, when reporting a question, the sentence structure changes from interrogative word order (verb before subject) to assertive word order (subject before verb). The phrase in part C, what was my name, incorrectly uses the interrogative form. Since it is an indirect question introduced by the reporting verb asked, the subject my name must come before the verb was. The correct construction should be and asked me what my name was.

Explanation

The sentence is grammatically correct in its entirety. The subject My lawn is a singular noun that matches the singular verb needs in part C, adhering to the rules of subject-verb agreement. In part B, the relative clause which is overgrown correctly modifies the noun lawn by providing additional descriptive information. In part C, the verb needs is followed by the gerund weeding. This is a standard English construction where verbs like need, want, or require are followed by a gerund to convey a passive meaning, signifying that the lawn needs to be weeded. Since all parts of the sentence follow proper syntax and idiomatic usage, there is no error.

Explanation

The sentence describes a general truth or a universal human desire, which necessitates the use of the simple present tense throughout. The first part of the sentence uses the present tense verb wishes to establish this general context. Therefore, the second part of the sentence must maintain tense consistency to remain grammatically correct. The past tense verb wanted in part C breaks this consistency and should be replaced with the present tense verb wants to match the subject-verb agreement and temporal flow of the initial clause.

Explanation

The phrasal verb set aside means to reserve, save, or keep something, such as money or time, for a particular purpose or for future use. In the context of the sentence, it refers to the act of saving a portion of one's finances specifically to provide a safety net for unforeseen circumstances or emergencies. This is the standard idiomatic expression used in English to describe the practice of building a financial reserve.

Explanation

In English grammar, the preposition on is used to indicate a specific location or surface where an object arrives or rests. When referring to railway stations, trains are conventionally said to arrive on a specific numbered platform. This usage designates the platform as the physical area or surface where the train stops and where passengers board or alight. Therefore, on platform six is the standard idiomatic expression for identifying the arrival point of a train.

Explanation

In English grammar, much is used as a quantifier for uncountable nouns, particularly in negative sentences and questions. In this context, opportunity functions as an uncountable noun representing the abstract concept of time or chance available for a task. Because the sentence is negative (haven't had), much is the standard determiner used to indicate a significant amount of that uncountable quality.

Explanation

The idiom cheek by jowl describes a situation where people or things are positioned very close together or side-by-side. It originates from the physical proximity of the cheek to the jowl, which refers to the jaw or lower part of the face. When two entities are cheek by jowl, they are in such close contact that they are practically touching, often used to describe crowded living conditions or objects placed in immediate succession.

Explanation

The idiom beyond the pale derives from the historical use of the word pale to describe a boundary or a fence made of wooden stakes. Specifically, it referred to the English Pale in Ireland, which was the region under the jurisdiction of the English government during the Middle Ages. Anything outside this boundary was considered uncivilized, lawless, or beyond the protection of the law. In modern usage, the phrase describes behavior, ideas, or actions that are considered unreasonable, unacceptable, or outside the limits of what is socially or morally permitted. It signifies that something has crossed a line of decency or convention and is no longer considered within the bounds of standard acceptable conduct.

Explanation

The idiom blow one's own trumpet is a figurative expression used to describe someone who talks boastfully about their own achievements, abilities, or successes. It originates from the historical practice of using trumpets to announce the arrival of important figures or to signal victory. When individuals blow their own trumpet, they are essentially acting as their own herald, drawing public attention to their own merits rather than waiting for others to recognize them. In modern English, it is synonymous with bragging or self-promotion, often implying that the person is being overly proud or vain about their accomplishments.

Explanation

The word flicker is used to describe a light source that shines unsteadily or varies rapidly and irregularly in its brightness. It typically refers to a flame or a light that wavers or fluctuates, producing a brief and intermittent glow rather than a constant or stable beam of light. This specific characteristic of inconsistent and brief illumination perfectly matches the definition of shining with a bright but brief or irregular light.

Explanation

Emancipation refers to the process of being set free from legal, social, or political restrictions, or liberation from slavery or bondage. The term is derived from the Latin word emancipare, which historically signified the act of releasing a person from the paternal power of the head of the household or the manumission of a slave. It denotes a broad sense of gaining freedom and independent status.

Explanation

In a subordinate clause or an indirect question where the interrogative pronoun who functions as the subject of the clause, the auxiliary verb did is not used to form the simple past tense. Instead, the main verb is used directly in its past tense form. In the sentence provided, who is the subject performing the action, so the standard grammatical structure requires the simple past tense form accompanied without the auxiliary did.

Explanation

The verb depart is idiomatically followed by the preposition for when referring to a destination. This construction indicates the start of a journey toward a specific location. In the sentence provided, departed for London correctly identifies London as the intended destination of the travel. As the usage aligns with standard English grammar and prepositional norms, the original sentence is correct as written and requires no modification.

Explanation

The word respite is an uncountable noun that refers to a short period of relief from something unpleasant, such as heat. In the original sentence, the comparative adjective more is used without a second element of comparison, which makes the sentence structurally incomplete. To indicate a significant amount of relief without a direct comparison, the quantifier much is used with uncountable nouns. Therefore, replacing more respite with much respite provides the correct grammatical form to express that the rain brought a great deal of relief from the heat.

Explanation

The sentence requires the correlative structure too + adjective/adverb + to-infinitive to express that a quality exists in such an excess that it produces a negative or impossible result. In this grammatical construction, the word too modifies the adverb fast, and the following infinitive phrase to be understood completes the meaning, indicating that the speed of his speech makes understanding impossible.

Explanation

In standard English grammar, when a sentence involves multiple subjects including the speaker, the first-person pronoun I is placed last as a matter of politeness and etiquette. This follows the 2-3-1 rule, which dictates the order of persons as Second Person (you), Third Person (he, she, they, or nouns like parents), and finally First Person (I). Furthermore, because the phrase functions as the subject of the verb live, the nominative or subjective case pronoun I must be used instead of the objective case me. Therefore, the grammatically correct and polite arrangement is My parents and I.

Explanation

The passage explicitly provides a methodology for drafting a personal mission statement by stating that an individual can frame it by starting with their core values and then working outward toward material desires and financial needs. According to the text, a mission statement should prioritize internal attributes—such as how one wants to live and the person one wants to become—over external benchmarks like titles, degrees, or possessions. By beginning with core values, the individual establishes a foundation based on their character and principles before addressing physical or financial ambitions.

Explanation

The narrator's mission is explicitly stated as using win-win relationships to improve the lives of all persons with whom they come into contact. This commitment to the betterment of others is a core component of the personal mission statement provided in the text. Since the narrator identifies associates as one of the primary groups they interact with—alongside clients, friends, and family—the overarching goal of improving lives directly applies to their associates. The focus is on recognizing the uniqueness of these individuals and treating them with loving concern to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.

Explanation

A win-win relationship is a fundamental concept in interpersonal dynamics and leadership where any agreement or solution is mutually beneficial and satisfying for all parties involved. This approach is based on the paradigm that there is plenty for everybody and that one person's success does not need to come at the expense of another's. In the context of the passage, it signifies a cooperative frame of mind that seeks to improve the lives of everyone in contact with the individual, ensuring that value is created and shared by both sides rather than resulting in a competitive or adversarial outcome. Such relationships focus on synergy and mutual gain, fostering long-term trust and collaboration.

Explanation

The provided passage explicitly outlines the framework for creating a personal mission statement in its concluding sentence. It suggests that an individual should frame their mission statement by starting with their core values and then working outward to include their material desires and financial needs. This approach emphasizes prioritizing intrinsic principles and character before addressing external or material aspirations, ensuring that one's life goals are rooted in a foundational value system.

Explanation

The passage frames the individual as the Chief Executive Officer of their own life, emphasizing personal agency and self-leadership in the knowledge era. It suggests that just as successful companies use mission statements to maintain focus, a person must proactively define how they want to live and who they want to become. By instructing the reader to frame their own mission statement starting from their core values and working outward, the text clearly identifies the individual as the sole entity responsible for designing their personal mission and vision.

Explanation

Negotiation refers to the formal process of discussion between two or more parties who are seeking to reach a mutual agreement or settlement. It involves communication, the exchange of proposals, and compromise to resolve differences or finalize a deal. Bargaining is the core component of this process, as it specifically describes the act of discussing and haggling over terms, prices, or conditions to reach an acceptable arrangement for all involved. Both terms describe the interactive dialogue used to navigate conflicting interests toward a shared conclusion.

Explanation

The word impromptu refers to something that is done, spoken, or performed without any prior planning, rehearsal, or organization. It describes actions taken on the spur of the moment or spontaneously. In contrast, prepared describes something that has been made ready, planned, or practiced in advance. Since the essence of being impromptu is the total absence of preparation, the word prepared serves as its direct antonym by representing the state of having been arranged or organized beforehand.

Explanation

The word bureaucracy is derived from the French word bureau, which means a desk or an office, and the Greek suffix cracy, which denotes a form of government or rule. The correct spelling follows the French vowel sequence eau after the initial bur and is completed by the suffix cracy. Consequently, the correct alphabetical arrangement is b-u-r-e-a-u-c-r-a-c-y, referring to a system of government in which most of the important decisions are taken by state officials rather than by elected representatives.

Explanation

The sentence follows the Sequence of Tenses rule in indirect speech. When the reporting verb in the main clause is in the past tense, such as told, the verbs in the subordinate clauses must also be shifted to the past tense unless they represent a universal truth. In this construction, while part B correctly uses the past tense could, part C incorrectly retains the present tense is. To maintain grammatical consistency throughout the reported statement, the verb is should be changed to the past tense was to match the temporal frame established by the reporting verb.

Explanation

The preposition in is the standard grammatical choice used before a specific year to indicate when an event occurred or a work was completed. While about can be used to suggest an approximation, the formal and conventional structure for stating a date of composition is in 1599. In competitive English grammar, using in provides the necessary temporal precision required for historical facts.

Explanation

The error lies in the incorrect use of the preposition in part (B). The adjective enamoured, which means to be filled with a feeling of love, admiration, or fascination, is idiomatically paired with the preposition of or occasionally with. In standard English usage, especially in formal writing, one is enamoured of a person or a thing. The use of the preposition at after enamoured is grammatically incorrect and does not conform to established idiomatic patterns. To rectify the sentence, the word at should be replaced with of to correctly express the writer's affinity for the subject.

Explanation

The adjective impossible is regularly followed by the preposition for when indicating the person or entity to whom a condition or limitation applies. In this sentence, for correctly identifies the individual affected by the lack of impossibility, establishing the relationship between the state and the person.

Explanation

The noun relations, when used to describe personal or social connections between individuals, is idiomatically followed by the preposition with. This construction indicates the person or entity with whom the relationship is shared. In the context of expressing the nature of a personal bond or the quality of interaction between people, with is the standard prepositional pairing to link the relationship to the specific individual involved.

Explanation

The phrase a year ago is a specific time marker that indicates a completed action in the past. In English grammar, when a sentence specifies a definite point in past time, the Simple Past tense must be used. The second form of the verb come is came, which correctly identifies an event that occurred and concluded at that specific historical point.

Explanation

The idiom blow one's trumpet refers to the act of talking boastfully about one's own achievements, talents, or successes. It is derived from the historical practice where heralds would blow trumpets to announce the arrival of an important person. When individuals blow their own trumpet, they are figuratively acting as their own heralds to publicize their accomplishments and ensure others are aware of their importance or merit. It is commonly used to describe someone who is self-promoting or seeking attention for their deeds.

Explanation

The idiom stick to his guns means to remain firm in one's convictions or beliefs, especially when faced with opposition or criticism. It originates from military terminology where a soldier would refuse to abandon their artillery position even under heavy fire. In a general context, it signifies a person's refusal to compromise or change their stance, choosing instead to maintain their own opinion or course of action despite pressure from others.

Explanation

The idiom at sea is used to describe a person who is confused, bewildered, or unable to understand a particular situation. This expression originates from maritime navigation, referring to a ship that is out of sight of land and lacking clear coordinates or direction. Figuratively, it signifies being in a state of uncertainty where one does not know how to proceed or react, making it synonymous with being at a loss.

Explanation

The term octogenarian refers to a person who is between 80 and 89 years old. It originates from the Latin word octogenarius, which is derived from octoginta, meaning eighty. This classification is used to describe individuals based on the specific decade of life they have reached, utilizing the Latin prefix for the number eighty to denote their age group.

Explanation

An oasis is a isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source. These fertile spots occur where the water table is near the surface or where aquifers provide a consistent supply of water, allowing trees and plants to thrive in an otherwise arid environment. Because they provide water, shade, and food, oases have historically been essential for trade routes and settlements in desert regions.

Explanation

An apiary refers to a location where beehives are kept and managed, typically for the production of honey and other hive products or for pollination services. The term is derived from the Latin word apis, meaning bee, and denotes the specific site where a beekeeper, or apiarist, maintains honey bee colonies in human-made hives.

Explanation

The subject of the second clause is the gerund understanding. In English grammar, when a gerund functions as the subject of a sentence or clause, it is treated as a singular noun and must be followed by a singular verb. The original sentence uses the plural verb are, which creates a subject-verb agreement error. Option c provides the singular verb is to match the singular subject understanding, thereby correcting the grammatical error while preserving the parallel structure and emphasis of the original statement.

Explanation

The sentence requires a modal verb to express the ability or capacity of certain bacteria to exist in extreme conditions like nuclear power stations. In English grammar, the modal verb can is followed by the base form of the main verb to denote capability. The original construction using are is grammatically incorrect because the auxiliary verb be requires either a present participle for continuous tenses or a past participle for passive voice, neither of which applies to the base verb survive in this context. Replacing are with can correctly forms the phrase can survive, indicating the biological potential of these organisms to withstand radiation.

Explanation

The correlative conjunction No sooner must always be paired with than to introduce the second part of the sentence. This grammatical structure is used to indicate that one event happens immediately after another. In the sentence No sooner did she finish the lecture, the usage of than the students began to leave follows the standard rule No sooner... than, which is required for expressing immediate succession in English.

Explanation

The verb await is a transitive verb, which means it must be followed directly by an object without the need for a preposition. In the given sentence, the boxer's arrival serves as the direct object. While the verb wait is intransitive and requires the preposition for to connect to an object, await inherently incorporates the meaning of wait for. Therefore, the original phrasing to await the boxer's arrival is grammatically correct and requires no improvement.

Explanation

In English grammar and usage, verbs must collocate correctly with the nouns they modify to convey the intended meaning. The word problem is typically paired with the verb cause when describing the origin or source of a difficulty. To cause a problem means to be the reason why a problematic situation exists. In the context of political dissidents, their actions or presence result in difficulties for the party, making cause the most semantically and syntactically appropriate choice to replace the underlined word.

Explanation

An archipelago is a geographical term defined as a chain, cluster, or collection of islands. These landmasses are typically situated in close proximity to one another within a large body of water, such as an ocean, sea, or lake. The passage explicitly confirms this definition by stating that Stockholm is spread out on an archipelago of 14 islands where Lake Malaren meets the Baltic Sea. Archipelagos can be formed through various geological processes, including volcanic activity, tectonic shifts, or rising sea levels that isolate higher ground. Famous examples include the Indonesian Archipelago, which consists of thousands of islands, and the Galápagos Islands. In the context of urban geography, cities built on archipelagos often utilize bridges and waterways to connect the disparate land segments.

Explanation

The provided text explicitly describes the composition of Stockholm by stating that it is one-third water. It further specifies that the remaining two-thirds of the city combine arched bridges, jet fountains, and palatial buildings trimmed with gold. This ratio reflects the city's unique layout across an archipelago of fourteen islands where Lake Malaren meets the Baltic Sea, creating a landscape defined by both its aquatic environment and its grand architectural features.

Explanation

The word amiable is derived from the Latin root amicabilis, meaning friendly. In the context of the passage, it describes Stockholm as a pleasant, friendly, and agreeable place to live. An antonym or opposite of a word that signifies being agreeable and pleasing is unpleasant, which describes something that is disagreeable, offensive, or not easy to be around. Since amiable denotes a positive and welcoming quality, unpleasant provides the direct negative contrast.

Explanation

According to the provided text, Stockholm is positioned at the leading edge of fashion, design, and advanced technology. The passage explicitly states that fashion houses and IT companies utilize the city as a test market for their innovations specifically because Stockholmers are followers of technology. This characteristic of the local population ensures that new products and technological advancements are met with an informed and engaged consumer base, making the city an ideal environment for testing the viability of innovative concepts.

Explanation

Stockholm is of central importance to Sweden because it serves as the nation's capital and its largest city. As the political heart of the country, it houses the site of the national government and the Parliament, concentrating the administrative and legislative power of the state within its boundaries. Its significance is further underscored by its role as a primary hub for economic and technological innovation, where advanced technology and fashion industries utilize the city as a major test market. The combination of being the administrative center and the largest urban population center makes it the most critical city for the country's governance and infrastructure.

Explanation

The word pallid is an adjective derived from the Latin word pallidus, which means pale. It is typically used to describe a person's face or complexion when it lacks its natural or healthy color, often due to illness, shock, or fatigue. In a more figurative sense, it can describe something that is dull, uninteresting, or lacking in vitality. Consequently, pale is the direct synonym as it describes the same state of being light-colored or lacking intensity in hue.