SSC CGL Tier 1 2016 English Comprehension Questions with Solutions

Explanation

The word terminate means to bring something to an end, finish, or conclude a process. Its direct antonym is commence, which means to begin, start, or initiate an action or sequence of events. While terminate signifies the finality or cessation of an activity, commence represents the starting point or the inception of that activity.

Explanation

Nefarious is an adjective used to describe actions, people, or intentions that are extremely wicked, villainous, or despicable. Derived from the Latin word nefarius, which implies something that is contrary to divine law or impious, the term is typically reserved for deeds that are notoriously evil or criminal in nature. In a linguistic context, it serves as a direct synonym for wicked, characterizing someone or something as being morally corrupt or iniquitous.

Explanation

The word insular describes an outlook that is narrow-minded or limited to a local perspective, often lacking interest in or knowledge of cultures and ideas outside of one's own immediate environment. In direct contrast, cosmopolitan refers to a person or entity that is worldly, sophisticated, and broad-minded, possessing a wide range of experience and familiarity with many different countries and cultures. Because cosmopolitan represents a broad and inclusive worldview while insular represents a restricted and isolated one, they are opposites in meaning.

Explanation

The word accommodate is derived from the Latin verb accommodare, which combines the prefix ad- (assimilated to ac- before a c) with the root commodare. In English orthography, the correct spelling requires two sets of double consonants: a double c and a double m. Remembering that the word is large enough to house two pairs of double letters is a common mnemonic to ensure the inclusion of both the second c and the second m.

Explanation

The error lies in the use of the adjective actual in part A. In English, the word actual means real or factual and is typically used to emphasize that something is real rather than perceived, suggested, or guessed. When referring to the work a person is performing at the present time, the correct term to use is current or present. Using actual as a synonym for current is a semantic error, as it does not correctly convey the intended meaning of time-bound employment. The sentence requires a word that specifies the friend's existing job rather than affirming its reality.

Explanation

Quintessence is the correct spelling, representing the purest or most perfect example of a quality or class. The term originates from the Medieval Latin quinta essentia, which translates to fifth essence. Historically, this referred to a fifth substance in addition to the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water, thought to form the stars and planets. The word is constructed from the Latin roots quintus, meaning fifth, and essentia, meaning being or essence. In modern English, the spelling follows the standard essence suffix, using an e in the third syllable and a c near the end.

Explanation

The error is in the third part of the sentence because of the use of the noun acts. In the context of being accountable for one's behavior or conduct, the standard idiomatic expression is responsibility for one's actions. While the word acts typically refers to specific, discrete deeds or formal legislative documents, the word actions refers to the broader process of doing things or a person's general conduct. Therefore, to maintain idiomatic accuracy in professional and standard English, actions should be used instead of acts to describe the behavior for which the students are refusing to be held responsible.

Explanation

The error in part B lies in the use of the definite article the before accurate date. The definite article is typically used to refer to a specific noun that is already known or has been previously mentioned. In this context, the speaker is stating that they cannot provide a specific date because it has not been fixed or determined yet. Since the date is currently undefined and represents any one accurate date that might be decided in the future, the indefinite article an is required instead of the. Changing the phrase to an accurate date correctly reflects that the specific information does not yet exist for the speaker to share.

Explanation

The conjunction until is used to indicate a point in time or an event that marks the end of a state or a continuous action. In this sentence, the action of waiting began in the past and continued uninterrupted up to the specific moment the train reached the station. Using until correctly specifies that the arrival of the train was the terminal point for the duration of the wait.

Explanation

The sentence requires a comparative adverb to express the degree of an emotion or action. In English grammar, more is the comparative form of the adverb much, which is used to indicate a greater extent or intensity of a verb like love. When comparing how much a subject performs an action toward two different objects, more is the standard term to complete the comparative structure than.

Explanation

The phrasal verb fall in is the standard military command used by an officer to order soldiers to form a rank or assemble in a line. While fall out means to dismiss from formation, fall in is the most appropriate choice for a general order to gather and prepare for further instructions.

Explanation

The idiom put up the shutters is derived from the physical action of a shopkeeper closing their place of business by placing shutters over the windows and doors. Figuratively, it means that a business has ceased operations or closed down permanently, often due to financial difficulties or a lack of success. Therefore, the phrase is used to describe a situation where a person or company has gone out of business.

Explanation

The idiom a drop in a bucket refers to an amount that is so small or minuscule that it has almost no effect on the overall situation or the total quantity required. It draws a comparison between a single drop of liquid and the large capacity of a bucket, highlighting that the contribution is negligible or very insignificant in proportion to the whole.

Explanation

The idiom draw a blank means to be unsuccessful in a search, inquiry, or attempt to remember something. It signifies failing to get a response or a result. Historically, the phrase refers to lotteries where a participant might draw a ticket with no prize written on it, thus winning nothing. In a broader sense, it describes any situation where an effort yields no positive outcome or information. Therefore, finding no favour is the most appropriate meaning among the choices, as it reflects the lack of a successful or positive result from an action or request.

Explanation

The word novice refers to a person who is a beginner or lacks experience in a specific field, job, or situation. It is derived from the Latin word novicius, which translates to new. In various professional and skill-acquisition frameworks, such as the Dreyfus model, a novice is the initial stage where an individual follows rules without a broader understanding of the context, as they have no prior experience in the task at hand.

Explanation

Erudition refers to the quality of having or showing great knowledge or learning, typically acquired through extensive study and research. Derived from the Latin word eruditio, which means instruction or polish, it signifies profound scholarship and the depth of one's academic attainment. It is the specific state or quality that characterizes a person who is highly knowledgeable and well-read in a particular field or across multiple disciplines.

Explanation

The sentence follows the structure of a Second Conditional, which is used to describe hypothetical or imaginary situations. The grammatical rule for this conditional type requires the if-clause to be in the Simple Past tense and the main clause to use a past modal such as could or would followed by the base form of the verb. Since the first part of the sentence uses the past tense got, the present modal can in part B is grammatically incorrect and must be replaced with could or would to maintain tense consistency within the conditional framework.

Explanation

Alienation refers to the state of being withdrawn or isolated from the objective world or from a group or society to which one should belong. It signifies a profound sense of emotional or intellectual separation, where an individual feels like an outsider or lacks a connection with their social environment, work, or even themselves. This term is commonly used in psychology and sociology to describe the experience of being estranged or detached from others.

Explanation

The sentence requires a possessive adjective to indicate that the applications belong to the individuals wishing to enroll. While the original sentence uses the adverb there to denote location, the correct word is the possessive pronoun their. In English grammar, their is standardly used as a gender-neutral singular possessive when referring back to indefinite pronouns like anyone. This usage avoids gender bias and ensures that the noun applications is properly modified to show ownership by the applicants.

Explanation

In formal English grammar, a gerund is a verb form ending in -ing that functions as a noun. When a noun or pronoun precedes a gerund to indicate the performer of the action, it should be in the possessive case. In the given sentence, leaving is a gerund acting as the object of the verb mind. The possessive adjective my is used because the speaker is asking for permission regarding the act of leaving the payment, rather than asking about themselves personally. Using the possessive case clarifies that the action itself is the object of the inquiry.

Explanation

The phrase all these difficulties follows the correct standard English word order where the pre-determiner all precedes the demonstrative determiner these. In the context of the sentence, the passive voice construction may be overcome is essential because difficulties are the entity being acted upon rather than the actor. The preposition with is used here to indicate the instrument or quality employed to achieve the result, establishing a clear logical connection between the action and the virtue of patience.

Explanation

The idiomatic expression not so much as is used to emphasize that someone did not do even the smallest thing that might be expected in a given situation. In this context, it functions as a synonym for not even. The phrase indicates that Sita showed no physical sign of surprise or emotion, failing to perform even the minimal action of blinking despite the significant news of winning a scholarship.

Explanation

Versatility is the quality of being able to adapt to many different functions or activities or having a wide range of skills. In this context, the subject is an architect who has successfully demonstrated talent in an entirely different field, play-writing. Since he is excelling in two distinct and unrelated creative disciplines, the term versatility accurately describes his multifaceted abilities and explains why his friends were impressed by his diverse range of talents.

Explanation

The author explicitly defines awareness in the opening sentence as the capacity to perceive the world in one's own way rather than through the methods or labels one has been taught. In the context of the passage, awareness represents a spontaneous and aesthetic form of perception that is unencumbered by intellectual categorization or social conditioning. By using the example of a child who stops truly seeing or hearing birds once he is forced to label them as jays or sparrows, the writer emphasizes that true awareness is lost when individual experience is replaced by standardized education or external influence.

Explanation

The passage explicitly states that during the first years of life, the act of seeing and hearing has a different quality for infants than for grownups, being more aesthetic and less intellectual. It describes a child perceiving birds with delight, experiencing them in an original and personal way before formal education or parental guidance introduces labels and classifications. This direct, sensory-based awareness represents an aesthetic engagement with the world that exists prior to the development of intellectual categorization.

Explanation

The passage explicitly describes the actions of the good father as intervening in his son's natural aesthetic experience to provide intellectual structure. According to the text, the father feels he should share the experience and help his son develop by teaching him to identify specific birds, such as a jay or a sparrow. This behavior is motivated by the father's belief that formal education and categorization are more practical for life than simple sensory delight, leading him to prioritize intellectual labels over the child's innate awareness.

Explanation

Ornithology is the branch of zoology that deals with the study of birds, including their physiology, classification, ecology, and behavior. The term is derived from the Greek words ornis meaning bird and logos meaning knowledge or study. As highlighted in the passage, identifying specific species like jays and sparrows and understanding their characteristics is the primary focus of an ornithologist. This scientific discipline encompasses both the observation of birds in their natural habitats and the laboratory-based study of their biological systems.

Explanation

The sentence is grammatically correct as it stands. The use of the past perfect tense had often heard indicates an action that occurred repeatedly before a specific point in the past. The relative clause they have to travel on serves to identify the ship based on an obligation that may still be current or set for the future. In English grammar, a shift in tense between the main clause and a subordinate clause is permissible when the subordinate clause describes a situation that remains true or is yet to occur. Since the requirement to travel on the ship can exist independently of when the subjects heard about it, the sequence of tenses is logically and grammatically sound.

Explanation

The passage distinguishes between raw awareness, which is described as aesthetic and characteristic of early childhood, and the structured learning imposed by education. It notes that while an infant experiences the world through direct sensory delight, the introduction of formal labels and classifications by the father shifts the child's focus. By learning to identify specific species such as a jay or a sparrow, the boy moves away from a purely aesthetic experience toward an intellectual framework. The father’s goal is to prepare the boy for a life where such analytical knowledge is necessary for professional development, implying that education prioritizes an intellectual outlook over a sensory one.

Explanation

The sentence employs the correlative conjunction "no sooner", which follows a fixed grammatical rule requiring it to be paired with "than". This construction is used to indicate that one action happens immediately after another. In part (C), the word "when" is used incorrectly as the connecting word. While "when" is the correct pairing for words like "hardly", "scarcely", or "barely", the phrase "no sooner" must always be followed by "than" to maintain idiomatic and grammatical accuracy. Replacing "when" with "than" corrects the error.

Explanation

When a singular subject is connected to another noun by the prepositional phrase with, the verb remains singular as it must agree with the main subject (The ship). Therefore, the correct auxiliary verb is has.

Explanation

The sentence is in indirect speech, as indicated by the reporting verb asked. According to the rules of sequence of tenses, when the reporting verb is in the past tense, the modal verb in the subordinate clause must also be in its past form. In direct speech, a respectful request for permission is typically expressed using may. When converted to indirect speech following the past tense verb asked, may shifts to its past form, might, to maintain grammatical consistency.

Explanation

The expression for certain is a fixed idiomatic phrase in English used to mean without doubt or definitely. In this sentence, it functions as an adverbial phrase modifying the verb know to emphasize that the speaker has complete and reliable knowledge regarding the fact that the person has gone to England.

Explanation

The idiom to eat humble pie originates from the medieval word umbles, which referred to the heart, liver, and entrails of a deer. While the upper classes consumed the best cuts of venison, these inferior parts were baked into a pie for servants and those of lower social standing. Over time, the phonetic similarity between umble and humble led to the modern phrasing. The expression describes a situation where an individual is forced to apologize, admit a mistake, or submit to others in a way that is embarrassing or damaging to their pride. It signifies the act of yielding or showing submissiveness under humiliating circumstances, typically after being proven wrong or suffering a defeat.

Explanation

The idiom to end in smoke refers to a situation, plan, or effort that comes to nothing or fails to produce any practical result. It originates from the idea of something burning away completely until only smoke remains, leaving no solid substance or achievement behind. When an undertaking ends in smoke, it implies that despite any initial activity or promise, the final outcome is a total failure or insignificance.

Explanation

The idiom to spill the beans means to reveal a secret or disclose information that was intended to be kept private, often prematurely or unintentionally. It is frequently used in contexts where someone gives away a surprise or lets out sensitive details before the appropriate time. Historically, the phrase is often associated with ancient voting practices where beans were used to cast secret ballots; if the jar containing the beans was accidentally knocked over, the secret results of the vote would be revealed to everyone.

Explanation

The word conscript refers to the act of compulsorily enlisting someone into a particular service, most commonly the military or armed forces. In various English-speaking regions, particularly in North America, the term draft is the standard synonym used to describe this mandatory recruitment process. Both words function as verbs meaning to enroll individuals by force of law or decree into national service, and as nouns referring to the individuals who have been so enlisted.

Explanation

Captivity refers to the state of being imprisoned, confined, or held under the control of another without the liberty to leave or act independently. Freedom is the exact opposite as it denotes the condition of being free, having the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. While captivity involves the loss of liberty and physical restriction, freedom represents the state of liberty and independence from such confinement.

Explanation

The word vivacious is an adjective used to describe a person, typically a woman, who is attractively lively and animated. It originates from the Latin word vivax, meaning long-lived or vigorous, which is derived from the verb vivere, meaning to live. In English, the suffix -ious is frequently added to roots to form adjectives that signify possessing a particular quality. The standard spelling follows this linguistic pattern by combining the root vivac- with the suffix -ious to correctly form vivacious.

Explanation

The error lies in the prepositional usage within the first part of the sentence. In English grammar, the noun job is idiomatically followed by the preposition of when identifying the specific task or nature of the work. Therefore, the phrase the job for drawing water is incorrect and should be replaced with the job of drawing water. The preposition of is used to specify the content or composition of the noun it follows, making it the appropriate choice to describe the activity being performed.

Explanation

A vendetta is a prolonged feud or a series of retaliatory acts, often involving murder, carried out by one person or group against another as revenge for a previous injury or killing. Historically, the term refers to a blood feud where the family of a victim seeks vengeance by killing the murderer or a member of the murderer's family, creating a cycle of retaliatory violence specifically motivated by the desire for revenge.

Explanation

The sentence is grammatically sound and follows standard English usage. In part A, the structure remember him as is the standard way to introduce a description of a person from memory. Part B correctly uses the relative pronoun who to refer to someone, and the phrase a lot nicer uses a common intensifier for the comparative degree of the adjective nice. In part C, the conjunction than is properly used for comparison, and the verb warranted is in the past tense, which maintains consistency with the past tense verb was in the previous clause. The expression than circumstances warranted is a common idiomatic way to say that something was more than what the situation justified or required. Since all parts of the sentence are correct in terms of syntax, tense, and agreement, there is no error.

Explanation

The error in part B lies in the incorrect use of the phrasal verb worked over. The phrase work over typically means to beat someone up or to examine something very thoroughly. In the context of summoning or gathering a feeling such as bravery or determination, the correct phrasal verb is work up. To work up courage means to gradually develop or summon enough bravery to perform a task that one is nervous or afraid to do. Therefore, the preposition over should be replaced with up to make the sentence idiomatically correct.

Explanation

The subject of the sentence is the starving man, which is a singular noun phrase. According to the rules of subject-verb agreement, a singular subject requires a singular verb form. The verb was is the third-person singular past tense of the verb to be, making it the grammatically correct choice to agree with the man. The adverb barely is appropriately placed to modify the adjective able, indicating that the man had great difficulty and was only just capable of walking due to his weakened state. This combination results in a syntactically correct and meaningful sentence.

Explanation

The verb benefit means to be useful to or to provide an advantage to someone. In the context of public infrastructure and services, such as a new railway counter, the primary objective is to improve convenience, efficiency, or accessibility for the users. When a new facility is established to make a process easier or more helpful for a specific group, it is said to benefit that group. Therefore, the new counter at Dwarka is intended to be advantageous and provide a positive impact for all travellers using the station.

Explanation

The phrasal verb looks after means to take care of, tend to, or be responsible for the well-being of someone or something. In this sentence, it appropriately describes the action of the younger brother providing care and attention to his grandfather, which is a standard idiomatic expression for looking after family members or the elderly.

Explanation

The idiom to be in a fix describes a state of being in a predicament or an awkward and difficult situation. It is commonly used to express that someone is facing a problem or a complication that is not easily resolved. This expression conveys the sense of being stuck in a troublesome position, requiring a solution or help to get out of it.

Explanation

The idiom to break the ice refers to the act of initiating a conversation or performing an action that helps to relieve tension and social awkwardness in a formal or unfamiliar setting. It is commonly used when people meet for the first time and feel hesitant to speak. By breaking the ice, an individual clears away the initial coldness or stiffness of the atmosphere, which helps to make everyone involved feel more relaxed and comfortable, facilitating smoother interaction and further communication.

Explanation

The term abattoir originates from the French word abattre, which means to beat down, fell, or slaughter. In English usage, an abattoir refers specifically to a slaughterhouse or a facility where livestock such as cattle, sheep, or pigs are killed and processed to provide meat for human consumption. These establishments are typically regulated by health and safety authorities to ensure that the processing of animals for food meets specific hygiene and welfare standards.

Explanation

The term eccentric is used to describe a person whose behavior, views, or habits are unconventional and slightly strange. Etymologically derived from the Greek words ek (out of) and kentron (center), it literally refers to something that is off-center or deviates from the established norm. In a social context, it identifies an individual who acts in a way that is considered peculiar or abnormal by standard societal expectations without necessarily being mentally ill or malicious.