SSC CGL Tier 1 2016 English Comprehension Questions with Solutions

Explanation

The term brittle refers to a physical property of materials that break, crack, or shatter easily when subjected to stress, without significant prior deformation or bending. Brittle substances lack ductility, meaning they do not stretch or deform plastically; instead, they fail suddenly once their limit of endurance is reached. Common examples of brittle items include glass, ceramics, and certain types of cast iron, all of which are characterized by their tendency to snap or crumble under pressure rather than change shape.

Explanation

An epitaph refers specifically to the text or short piece of writing inscribed on a tombstone or monument in memory of the person buried there. The term is derived from the Greek words epi, meaning upon, and taphos, meaning tomb, directly signifying its placement on a grave to honor the deceased.

Explanation

The preposition in is idiomatically correct when referring to accessories that are worn as part of a hairstyle or woven into the hair. While on suggests something merely resting on a surface, in implies that the ribbons are integrated into the braids or tied within the mass of the hair. Standard English usage dictates that one wears flowers, clips, or ribbons in their hair.

Explanation

The word aptitude refers to a natural talent, capacity, or an inherent ability to learn and perform in a specific area. In the context of academic subjects or technical skills, it describes a person's underlying potential or natural leanings. Furthermore, the noun aptitude is idiomatically paired with the preposition for, making it the most precise and grammatically appropriate term to describe a natural proficiency in Mathematics.

Explanation

In English grammar, the adjective or passive verb impressed is idiomatically followed by the preposition by or with to indicate the source of admiration or influence. When an individual is affected or moved by a particular thing, action, or person, by is the standard preposition used to link the feeling of being impressed to the cause. In the given sentence, replacing the incorrect preposition results in the grammatically sound construction impressed by it.

Explanation

The noun access is idiomatically followed by the preposition to when indicating the right, opportunity, or means of approaching or entering a place or communicating with a person. In this context, having access to the President refers to the privilege or ability of high officials to meet or reach him. The phrase access to is a standard colocation in English grammar used to denote entry or availability.

Explanation

The sentence correctly employs the positive degree of comparison to express a superlative idea. The construction no other followed by a singular noun requires a singular verb, making is the appropriate choice. In such comparative structures, the adjective is placed between the correlative conjunctions as...as to indicate that no other member of the category possesses the quality to the same extent as the subject. The grammar, subject-verb agreement, and comparative structure are all used accurately in the original phrasing.

Explanation

Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot is historically recognized for constructing the first full-scale, self-propelled mechanical vehicle around 1769. His invention, a steam-powered tricycle intended for use by the French Army to transport heavy artillery, represents the first successful application of a steam engine to a full-sized road vehicle. This machine, often referred to as the fardier a vapeur, was a functional, large-scale apparatus that moved under its own power, marking a significant milestone in the development of mechanical transport. One of the steam tractors built by Cugnot is preserved in the French National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts.

Explanation

Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot was a French inventor who developed the first full-scale, self-propelled mechanical vehicle. In 1769, he designed and constructed two steam-powered tractors specifically for the French Army. These vehicles were intended to transport heavy artillery pieces, such as cannons, replacing the need for horse-drawn transport. One of these original steam tractors is still preserved at the Musee des Arts et Metiers in Paris.

Explanation

The passage explicitly states that in 1801, Richard Trevithick built and demonstrated the Puffing Devil road locomotive. Although it is regarded as the first demonstration of a steam-powered road vehicle, the text identifies a specific mechanical failure, noting that the vehicle was unable to maintain sufficient steam pressure for long periods of time.

Explanation

In the context of the passage, the phrase "sentiment against" indicates a prevailing negative attitude or collective feeling of opposition toward steam-powered road vehicles. This negative public and political mood led to the passage of the Locomotive Acts of 1865, which were highly restrictive laws—such as the Red Flag Act—intended to curb the use of these vehicles due to safety concerns and pressure from the horse-drawn carriage industry. Resentment accurately captures this sense of indignant displeasure and hostility that motivated the legal crackdown on early automotive innovation.

Explanation

The term nonentity refers to a person of no importance or significance, often someone who lacks any distinguishing or notable characteristics. It is derived from the Latin prefix non, meaning not, and the word entity, referring to a thing with distinct and independent existence. In common usage, it describes an individual who is perceived as having no influence, power, or special qualities, effectively rendering them a non-person in a social or professional hierarchy.

Explanation

The passage identifies the Pyreolophore as the name given by Nicéphore Niépce and his brother Claude to their invention in 1807, which is recognized as the world's first internal combustion engine. Unlike the steam-powered engines of the era that relied on external combustion to generate pressure, the Pyreolophore utilized controlled explosions of fuel inside the machine to create motion. The Niépce brothers successfully used this engine to power a boat upstream on the river Saône in France, demonstrating the practical application of internal combustion technology several decades before the development of modern gasoline engines.

Explanation

The phrasal verb live by means to follow, adhere to, or conduct one's life according to a particular set of principles, rules, or customs. In the context of a tribe and their traditional practices, this expression accurately describes how the group maintains its way of life through adherence to their specific cultural norms and social regulations. Using this preposition indicates that the customs serve as the guiding standard for the tribe's existence.

Explanation

The word dumbfounded is used as a past participle modifying the subject he, meaning to be so greatly astonished or shocked that one is temporarily unable to speak or act. In the context of the sentence, it perfectly describes the person's reaction to a sudden or unexpected accusation, which explains why he was unable to provide a serious defence. The structure and vocabulary are grammatically correct and convey the intended meaning effectively.

Explanation

The adverb always is the logically correct choice to complement the phrase each time. In English grammar, always indicates that an action occurs on every occasion or without exception. Since the sentence specifies the frequency as each time he plays cricket, the adverb of frequency must reflect this consistency. Replacing never with always ensures the sentence is semantically coherent, indicating that Ramu successfully scores a century in every single match he plays.

Explanation

The phrase given to is an idiomatic expression used to indicate that someone has a habit of doing something or a tendency toward a particular behavior, especially something negative or undesirable. In this sentence, it accurately describes a habitual inclination toward the vices of gambling and drinking. The construction is grammatically sound as the phrase functions as an adjective followed by a preposition, where the preposition to is correctly followed by gerunds.

Explanation

The sentence expresses a preference between two actions using the conjunction than, which necessitates the use of a comparative form. The phrase would sooner is a standard English idiom used to indicate preference, functioning similarly to would rather. When followed by than, the comparative adverb sooner is grammatically required to establish the comparison between walking and standing in the cold.

Explanation

The passage explicitly states that the stranger proposed a condition for joining Robin's band involving an archery contest. According to the text, the man specified that if he was defeated in that competition, he would gladly join Robin and his men. This means the agreement was predicated on Robin demonstrating superior skill and winning the match. By successfully hitting the center of the bull's eye and breaking the stranger's arrow, Robin fulfilled this specific requirement, leading the man to fulfill his promise and join the group under the name Little John.

Explanation

According to the text, once the stranger proposed a shooting contest as a condition for joining the band, Robin's men immediately took action to facilitate the event. The passage states that arrangements for the competition were made, specifically noting that the men carved a bull's eye onto the trunk of a tree at a distance of about fifty yards to serve as the target for the archers.

Explanation

The word indolent is an adjective used to describe a person who is habitually disinclined to exert themselves or perform work. It characterizes an individual who lacks energy or initiative and actively avoids physical or mental effort. Derived from the Latin root indolentia, which originally referred to a state of being free from pain, its modern English usage specifically denotes a state of slothfulness or being lazy.

Explanation

The word insolent is used to describe a person or behavior that is boldly rude, disrespectful, or lacking in manners, often characterized by an arrogant disregard for others. Its direct antonym is courteous, which refers to being polite, respectful, and considerate in manner. While an insolent person shows contempt, a courteous person demonstrates social grace and proper etiquette, making these two words opposite in their description of interpersonal conduct.

Explanation

The word beneficiary refers to a person or entity that receives a benefit or advantage, such as a recipient of funds from a will, trust, or insurance policy. Its spelling is derived from the Latin root beneficium, which combines bene (meaning well) and the suffix iary (denoting a person or thing connected with something). The correct sequence of vowels and consonants is B-E-N-E-F-I-C-I-A-R-Y.

Explanation

This sentence follows the standard grammatical rules for a Third Conditional construction, which is used to describe a hypothetical situation in the past and its likely result. In such sentences, the "if" clause can undergo inversion by placing the auxiliary verb "had" before the subject, resulting in "Had I been" instead of "If I had been." This is a common formal structure and is perfectly correct. The main clause "I would have refused the offer" correctly utilizes the perfect conditional tense (would + have + past participle), which is the mandatory pairing for a past perfect conditional clause. All components of the sentence are syntactically and semantically accurate.

Explanation

According to the passage, the stranger recognized Robin's superior skill during the archery competition when Robin performed an extraordinary feat of precision. While the stranger's arrow had successfully hit the center of the bull's eye from fifty yards away, Robin's shot was even more accurate. Robin's arrow hit the center of the bull's eye and simultaneously split the stranger's existing arrow down the middle. This specific display of masterly accuracy proved Robin's technical superiority, causing the stranger to admit he had never seen such skill in his life and prompting him to join Robin's band.

Explanation

The error in the sentence is the incorrect tense used in part A. The presence of the frequency adverb usually indicates a habitual or routine action. In English grammar, general truths, habits, and recurring actions are expressed using the Simple Present tense. The verb spent is in the Simple Past tense, which contradicts the habitual nature implied by usually. Furthermore, the second half of the sentence uses the Present Continuous tense are spending to describe a current exception to the rule, confirming that the first part refers to a regular habit. Therefore, the past tense verb spent must be replaced with the simple present verb spend to accurately reflect the habitual meaning.

Explanation

The error lies in the use of the redundant preposition up in the phrase cope up with. The correct phrasal verb is cope with, which means to deal effectively with something difficult. The expression cope up with is a common grammatical error; in standard English, the verb cope is followed directly by the preposition with to indicate managing a situation or a problem.

Explanation

The phrasal verb call off means to cancel an event that has been scheduled. In this context, the sentence indicates that the match was cancelled because of the weather conditions. Phrasal verbs combine a verb with a preposition or adverb to create a meaning distinct from the original verb, and call off is the standard idiomatic expression used for the cancellation of sports matches, meetings, or social gatherings.

Explanation

The phrasal verb go ahead with means to proceed with a planned action or to start doing something, particularly after receiving formal permission. In this context, the management has granted authorization, allowing the subjects to move forward with the implementation of the new curriculum.

Explanation

The phrase dubious distinction is a common idiomatic expression used to describe a record or achievement that is actually undesirable, shameful, or ironic. While the word distinction typically refers to a positive honor or high quality, qualifying it with the adjective dubious indicates that the fame is for something negative. Since being recognized as the world's highest garbage dump is a source of shame rather than pride for Mount Everest, this specific adjective is the most linguistically appropriate choice to complete the sentence.

Explanation

The idiom as daft as a brush is a common British colloquialism used to describe someone who is extremely silly, foolish, or nonsensical. In this expression, the word daft serves as a synonym for stupid or empty-headed. The comparison to a brush—an inanimate and simple object—emphasizes a complete lack of common sense or intelligence. It is often employed in a lighthearted or mildly mocking manner to characterize behavior that is quirky, irrational, or absurdly illogical.

Explanation

The idiom in a nutshell signifies expressing something in the fewest possible words. It refers to providing a summary or the basic facts of a matter in a condensed form, similar to how the meat of a nut is contained within a small shell. This phrase is used when someone wants to describe a complex situation or a long story briefly and concisely, focusing only on the most essential points.

Explanation

The idiom strain every nerve means to make the greatest possible effort or to use all of one's energy and resources to achieve a specific goal. It evokes the physical image of someone pushing their body to its absolute limit, where every part of their physical and nervous system is fully engaged in a task. In general usage, it describes a situation where a person works with extreme diligence and intense concentration to overcome a challenge or complete a difficult assignment.

Explanation

A hypothesis is a proposed explanation or a starting point for an investigation that is formulated as a premise for further reasoning or testing. In the context of the scientific method and logic, it is specifically characterized as a statement that is not yet proven or assumed to be true but is used as a foundation to derive consequences or to design experiments that will eventually determine its validity.

Explanation

Stoicism refers to the quality of enduring pain or hardship without showing feelings or complaining. Derived from the ancient Greek school of philosophy founded by Zeno of Citium, it emphasizes the development of self-control and fortitude as a means to overcome destructive emotions. A person practicing stoicism remains indifferent to the vicissitudes of life, maintaining a steady and calm state of mind regardless of whether they experience pleasure or suffering. This psychological detachment allows an individual to remain unaffected by external circumstances, focusing instead on internal virtue and reason.

Explanation

According to the passage, after the stranger identified himself as John Little and expressed his pleasure in joining the band, Robin declared that from that time forward, he would be known as Little John. This renaming followed Robin's victory in the archery competition, where he demonstrated superior skill by splitting the stranger's arrow.

Explanation

An adolescent is a person who is in the process of developing from a child into an adult. This stage of human development, known as adolescence, occurs between the onset of puberty and the attainment of full maturity. It specifically describes the transitional phase where an individual has outgrown childhood behaviors and physical traits but has not yet reached the legal or social status of a fully grown adult.

Explanation

When a definite numeral adjective such as one, two, three, or four precedes nouns denoting number or measure like dozen, hundred, thousand, or million, these nouns are used in their singular form. Additionally, the preposition of is not used between these units of measurement and the noun they quantify. In this sentence, the presence of the specific numeral four dictates that the singular form dozen must be used without the preposition of, resulting in the correct phrase four dozen mangoes.

Explanation

The phrase am yet to meet is the standard idiomatic expression used to indicate that an action or event has not occurred up to the present time. This construction follows the grammatical pattern of subject + be verb + yet to + infinitive, which is used to express that something remains to be done or seen. In the context of the sentence, it effectively communicates that the speaker has not encountered a person perfectly satisfied with their job so far in their experience.

Explanation

In formal English, the auxiliary verb should is used at the beginning of a conditional sentence to replace if. This construction is known as inversion and is used to express a possibility or a chance event, meaning if by any chance. In this sentence, should you find one absent is equivalent to if you should find one absent or if you find one absent. This structure is typically used to provide instructions or make requests that are contingent on a specific situation occurring in the future. The use of should in this manner maintains the formal tone appropriate for the request to leave a message.

Explanation

The sentence requires the standard grammatical construction too + adjective + to-infinitive. In this structure, the adverb too modifies the adjective impatient, and the following infinitive to tolerate completes the thought by expressing the action that cannot be performed or the limit of the adjective's quality. This correlative pair is used to indicate that a quality exists in such an excess that a particular result or action follows, making the infinitive form the only grammatically appropriate choice to follow the adjective.

Explanation

The phrase with a view to is an idiomatic prepositional expression where to functions as a preposition rather than an infinitive marker. In English grammar, when to is a preposition, it must be followed by a noun or a gerund (the -ing form of a verb). Therefore, the verb offend must be changed to its gerund form offending to maintain grammatical correctness and idiomatic usage.

Explanation

According to the passage, there are two important manifestations of antigen-antibody immunity. The first is lysis, which involves the rapid physical rupture of antigenic cells. The second is phagocytosis, described as the process in which antigenic particles are engulfed and often digested by specialized cells known as macrophages and polymorphs. The text further notes that this process is significantly aided when the particles are coated by specific antibodies.

Explanation

Antibodies are defined as proteins that are synthesized by specialized immune cells known as plasma cells. These plasma cells are derived from lymphocytes and begin the synthesis process when the body detects an antigen, which is a foreign substance. The passage explicitly identifies antibodies as proteins produced through this biological synthesis to facilitate immunological responses such as lysis and phagocytosis.

Explanation

According to the text, when an antigen, which is a substance foreign to an organism's body, comes in contact with lymphocytes, it triggers a specific cellular response. The lymphocytes react to this contact by forming specialized cells known as plasma cells. These plasma cells are the functional units responsible for the subsequent synthesis of antibodies, which are the proteins that drive the immunological reaction against the foreign substance. Thus, the formation of plasma cells is the direct result of the interaction between an antigen and lymphocytes.

Explanation

The passage explicitly states that the process of lysis is executed by a complex and unstable blood constituent known as complement. This substance remains inactive until it is triggered by a specific antibody, at which point it facilitates the rapid physical rupture of antigenic cells and the release of their contents into the surrounding medium.

Explanation

According to the concluding sentences of the passage, once the archery competition concluded and Robin Hood proved his superior skill, two specific actions were taken. First, Robin and his men gladly welcomed the stranger, John Little, into their band. Second, Robin declared that the man would be known as Little John from then on, thereby changing his name. Option a accurately captures both of these subsequent actions described in the text.

Explanation

According to the provided passage, phagocytosis is defined as a process in which antigenic particles are engulfed by and very often digested by macrophages and polymorphs. The text explicitly uses the word engulfed to describe the action taken by these specialized cells when they encounter foreign substances, followed by the digestion of those particles.

Explanation

Reproof refers to an expression of blame, disapproval, or criticism directed at someone for a fault or a mistake. It is the act of censuring or reprimanding an individual to point out their misconduct. Similarly, a rebuke is defined as a sharp or stern expression of disapproval or a formal reprimand due to someone's behavior or actions. Both words serve as synonyms that describe the communication of criticism intended to correct or condemn a specific behavior.

Explanation

The word invaluable describes something that is extremely useful or precious, meaning its worth is so great that it cannot be measured in terms of money. In contrast, the word worthless refers to something that has no value, importance, or use at all. This makes worthless the direct antonym of invaluable, as it represents the complete absence of value compared to a value that is beyond estimation.