SSC CGL Tier 1 2017 English Comprehension Questions with Solutions

Explanation

According to the provided text, the black rhinoceros population in sub Saharan Africa possessed 64 different genetic lineages two centuries ago. The passage further notes that only 20 of these lineages remain today. The total number of lineages lost is calculated by subtracting the current number of lineages from the original count: 64 - 20 = 44. This decline is attributed to genetic erosion coinciding with colonial rule, big game hunting, and subsequent poaching for horns.

Explanation

According to the text, the black rhinoceros species is currently restricted to only five countries: South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania. The passage explicitly lists Nigeria, Chad, and Malawi among the nations where genetically unique populations once existed but have now disappeared. Since Tanzania is mentioned as one of the few remaining habitats where the species still persists, it is the country where the rhinoceros has not been lost.

Explanation

According to the passage, the dramatic depletion of the black rhinoceros population and its genetic diversity from the second half of the 20th century is specifically attributed to poaching for their horns. While the text notes that genetic erosion began earlier due to colonial rule and big game hunting, it distinguishes the modern decline, especially in Kenya and Tanzania, as being driven by the illegal trade in rhino horns during the latter part of the 1900s.

Explanation

The provided text explicitly states that genetic variation is the cornerstone of evolution and natural selection. It further clarifies this relationship by explaining that low genetic diversity decreases the ability of a species to survive and reproduce. In biological systems, genetic diversity provides the raw material for adaptation; a wider range of genetic lineages allows a population to better withstand environmental changes, diseases, and other survival challenges. Therefore, the capacity for survival and reproductive success is functionally proportional to the level of genetic variation present within the species.

Explanation

The error lies in the third part of the sentence where the word close is used without its required preposition. When the adjective close is used to indicate proximity or nearness to a specific location or object, it must be followed by the preposition to. In this context, the phrase should be close to the palace to correctly establish the spatial relationship between the little park and the palace. Without the preposition to, the construction is grammatically incomplete.

Explanation

The error is located in the third part of the sentence because overin is not a valid English word. In this context, the sentence describes the conductor shouting or announcing something as the vehicle stops, which requires the phrasal verb called out. To call out means to speak or shout loudly to get someone's attention or to make an announcement. The correct phrasing should be called out in a loud voice. The fusion of the preposition in with another word or the use of an incorrect prepositional form makes part 3 grammatically incorrect.

Explanation

The term eye-opening is a standard compound adjective in English used to describe an experience that provides new, surprising, and enlightening information or insight. It implies that a situation has caused someone to see things in a different way or to realize a truth they had not previously considered. In the context of the sentence, the move to the city acted as a revelatory experience that broadened the perspective of the country girl, making it the linguistically appropriate idiomatic fit for the hyphenated construction.

Explanation

In this context, the verb confirm is the most appropriate choice because it means to establish the truth, accuracy, or validity of something. A physician uses clinical evidence, such as a blood test, to verify a suspected condition. Therefore, confirming the pregnancy refers to the official medical validation of the woman's status based on the results of the diagnostic test.

Explanation

Exemption refers to the state of being free from an obligation, duty, or liability that others are typically subject to, such as a tax or a legal requirement. Immunity similarly denotes a condition where an individual or entity is protected or excused from a specific burden, penalty, or legal proceeding. In linguistic and legal contexts, both terms signify a release from a standard rule or consequence, making them synonymous in meaning.

Explanation

The word perverse refers to a person or action that is deliberately deviant, improper, or showing a persistent desire to behave in a way that is unreasonable or morally wrong. It characterizes a disposition that is contrary to what is considered right, good, or standard. Similarly, the word nefarious describes behavior or individuals that are wicked, villainous, or criminal in nature. Both terms share the core meaning of being morally corrupt or departing from acceptable standards of conduct.

Explanation

The word maneuver means to move skillfully or carefully, or to orchestrate a situation through deliberate action and strategic planning. It implies continuous activity, movement, or execution of a plan. The word cease means to bring to an end, stop, or halt an activity or process. Because maneuver represents the performance of skilled actions and cease represents the termination of action, they are opposite in meaning.

Explanation

To avert means to prevent or ward off an undesirable occurrence, effectively stopping it from happening or turning it away. In contrast, to aid means to provide support, help, or assistance to facilitate a process or action. While averting involves obstruction and avoidance, aiding involves encouragement and promotion, making them opposite in meaning.

Explanation

The idiom to go to somebody's head refers to the effect that alcohol has on a person, making them feel dizzy, lightheaded, or slightly intoxicated shortly after consumption. It characterizes the immediate physical and mental impact of a substance or a sudden sensation that impairs a person's normal sense of balance or clarity. While the phrase is also used figuratively to describe how success can make someone conceited, its core idiomatic meaning involves the sensation of becoming giddy or overwhelmed.

Explanation

The idiom to make amends means to compensate for a wrong, injury, or mistake one has committed. It involves taking corrective action or providing restitution to restore a situation or relationship to its proper state. The term is derived from the word amendment, signifying a change for the better or a rectification of a previous error or grievance through a compensatory gesture.

Explanation

In English grammar, modal auxiliary verbs such as should, can, must, may, and will are followed by the base form of the verb, also known as the bare infinitive. In the interrogative sentence Why should we bother?, the modal verb should acts as the auxiliary. According to the standard rule of verb conjugation with modals, the main verb must remain in its root or dictionary form regardless of the subject. Therefore, the base form bother is required to maintain grammatical accuracy in this construction.

Explanation

The sentence requires the base form of the verb because it follows the modal auxiliary verb must. Modal verbs such as must, can, should, and will are always followed by the bare infinitive form of the main verb without any tense or participle markings. Consequently, the past participle seen must be replaced by the base form see to maintain grammatical accuracy.

Explanation

Traverse means to travel across or through an area, often moving in a sideways, back-and-forth, or zigzag manner. It is frequently used in contexts such as navigation, surveying, and mountaineering to describe the action of crossing a path or a slope laterally rather than moving in a straight forward direction.

Explanation

Wreckage refers to the physical remains or debris of an object, vehicle, or building that has been severely damaged, destroyed, or broken into pieces. It is the standard term used to describe the fragments left behind after a catastrophic event such as a crash, collision, or natural disaster. The word specifically denotes the state of something that is no longer functional or whole due to significant structural ruin.

Explanation

The word mutineers is the correctly spelled plural noun referring to individuals, typically soldiers or sailors, who engage in a mutiny or open rebellion against lawful authority. It is formed by taking the root word mutiny, changing the final y to an i, and adding the suffix -eer. This suffix is used in English to denote a person who is concerned with, performs, or is characterized by a specific activity. The pluralization follows standard English conventions by adding an s to the singular form mutineer.

Explanation

The sentence follows a logical sequence where the speaker describes their location (on a hill), the person they are observing (a labourer), and the specific action and location of that person (striking with a sledge upon the railway). The sequence XYZ results in the coherent sentence: "Thus, I stand on a hill and watch a labourer upon the distant railway striking with his sledge."

Explanation

The given sentence is in the Simple Past tense (Subject + V₂ + Object). To convert a Simple Past active sentence into passive voice, the structure follows the formula: New Subject (original Object) + was/were + V₃ (Past Participle) + by + New Object (original Subject).

In this sentence, the object is the entire bungalow and the verb is painted. Since the entire bungalow is a singular noun, the auxiliary verb was is used followed by the third form of the verb, which remains painted. The original subject, the painter, is placed at the end of the sentence following the preposition by. This results in the construction: The entire bungalow was painted by the painter.

Explanation

When transforming direct speech into indirect speech, if the reporting verb is in the past tense, such as said, the tense of the verb in the reported speech must be shifted to its corresponding past form. In this case, the modal verb can is changed to could to maintain tense consistency. The conjunction that is used to connect the reporting verb with the reported clause, while the third-person pronoun nobody remains unchanged. Thus, the statement The teacher said, "Nobody can solve the problem" is correctly converted to The teacher said that nobody could solve the problem.

Explanation

The research conducted by the Acharya Jagdish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden explains that abandoned and torn kite strings serve as an excellent primary supporting platform for tender climbers or creepers. These strings provide a structural pathway that allows the creepers to easily reach the top of tall trees. By using the manja as a physical guide and support, the creepers can extend their lateral and accessory branches to cover the entire treetop. This mechanism allows the creepers to flourish and gain better access to sunlight, which they otherwise might struggle to reach without such a supporting framework. Consequently, the presence of these snapped strings in the canopy directly facilitates the growth and expansion of the creepers.

Explanation

The second paragraph of the passage explicitly states that a research paper by three scientists of the Acharya Jagdish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden illustrates how manja causes damage to trees. The text identifies this garden as the oldest botanical garden in the country and specifies the number of contributing researchers at the beginning of the detailed explanation regarding the interaction between kite strings and climbers.

Explanation

According to the research findings from the Acharya Jagdish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden, the manja strings provide a physical structure that allows climbers to reach the canopy of a tree. Once these creepers reach the top, they spread out and completely cover the treetop. This dense coverage inhibits the penetration of sunlight to the tree's leaves, effectively starving the tree of the light necessary for photosynthesis and eventually leading to its death.

Explanation

The passage identifies the country's oldest botanical garden as the Acharya Jagdish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden, located in the Howrah district of West Bengal. An acronym is formed by taking the initial letters of each significant word in a title. By extracting the first letter from each word of the name—A from Acharya, J from Jagdish, C from Chandra, B from Bose, I from Indian, B from Botanic, and G from Garden—the resulting abbreviation is AJCBIBG.

Explanation

The passage explicitly states that abandoned, torn kite strings act as an excellent primary supporting platform for tender climbers, giving them easy passage to reach the top of the trees. Since the text defines manja as the glass-coated string used for flying kites, it is this material that provides the structural support necessary for the climbers to ascend and eventually cover the treetop.

Explanation

The error lies in the third part of the sentence due to the incorrect use of the preposition up. When comparing the relative height or position of one person's head to others in a group, the preposition above should be used to indicate a higher level. The phrase should correctly read a foot above the others. While up denotes movement or direction toward a higher point, above is used to describe a static position that is higher than another object or person.

Explanation

The sentence contains a grammatical error in the second part due to the omission of a necessary preposition. To indicate the location of the car relative to the house, the compound preposition in front of should be used. The word front cannot function as a preposition of place on its own in this context; it requires the preceding preposition in to correctly form the spatial relationship. Therefore, the phrase should be corrected to car in front of the house.

Explanation

The verb advise means to offer suggestions or professional recommendations to someone about the best course of action. In the context of a school counsellor providing guidance, it is the grammatically correct transitive verb that takes the object me followed by the preposition on to indicate the subject matter of the guidance being provided.

Explanation

The word alike functions as an adverb meaning in the same manner or to a similar degree. In this sentence structure, it is used postpositively after two nouns joined by and to emphasize that the statement applies equally to both groups. This idiomatic construction signifies that boys and girls share the same preference for building blocks, highlighting a commonality between the two subjects in their enjoyment of the activity.

Explanation

The word fissure refers to a narrow opening, crack, or split, typically one made by breaking or parting, especially in a rock or the earth. Cleavage denotes the act of splitting or the state of being split, particularly along a natural line or plane of structural weakness. Both terms are used in geological and physical contexts to describe a division, separation, or a distinct line of breakage within a substance.

Explanation

The word morbid refers to an unhealthy interest in disturbing and unpleasant subjects, particularly death and decay, or something that is gruesome and grisly. It originates from the Latin word morbus, meaning disease. Similarly, ghastly describes something that causes great horror or fear, often because it is macabre, shockingly frightful, or resembles death. Both terms are used to characterize things that are suggestive of the tomb or an obsession with the dark and unpleasant aspects of existence, making them similar in meaning.

Explanation

Abeyance refers to a state of temporary disuse, suspension, or inactivity, often indicating that a process or rule has been set aside for a period of time. Continuation represents the act of carrying on or resuming an activity without interruption or cessation. Since abeyance signifies a pause or a halt in progress, continuation serves as its direct antonym by denoting the steady persistence and ongoing nature of an action or state.

Explanation

The word callow describes a person, usually young, who is immature and lacks experience or worldliness. Its direct antonym is sophisticated, which refers to someone who has a great deal of worldly experience, knowledge, and refinement. While a callow individual is seen as naive or undeveloped, a sophisticated person is characterized by maturity and a complex understanding of social or cultural nuances.

Explanation

The idiom get on the nerves is a common English expression used to describe someone or something that is persistently annoying, frustrating, or provoking. It suggests a situation where a person's patience is being worn thin by a repetitive or bothersome action. By functioning as a source of aggravation, the person or object in question acts as an irritant to others, which is the precise meaning of the phrase.

Explanation

The idiom keep under one's hat means to keep a piece of information confidential or secret. It alludes to the idea that if a person keeps something under their hat, they are keeping it inside their head and not sharing it with anyone else. This expression is commonly used when someone is entrusted with a private matter or a surprise and is being cautioned not to reveal it to others.

Explanation

The sentence requires the present perfect tense to express an action or state that has occurred at some point in the past and is relevant to the present. The present perfect is formed using the auxiliary verb has or have followed by the past participle of the main verb. In this context, the main verb is have, meaning to possess or to have conducted, and its past participle form is had. Since the subject she is third-person singular, it takes the auxiliary has. Therefore, the construction has had correctly indicates that she has completed four solo shows up to the current time.

Explanation

The modal verb must is always followed by the base form of a verb. To express a strong deduction or conclusion about a past situation or a state that has occurred, the perfect infinitive form have been is used. This follows the grammatical structure of modal verb + have + past participle (V3). In this sentence, the construction must have been indicates a logical certainty regarding the difficulty of the situation described.

Explanation

Sabotage is the intentional destruction, damage, or obstruction of equipment, infrastructure, or processes, typically carried out to weaken an enemy or opponent during a conflict or for military gain. The term historically relates to industrial or political subversion and is a standard military strategy used to disrupt the logistical or industrial capabilities of an adversary, often through clandestine operations. By damaging vital resources such as bridges, communication lines, or factories, the perpetrator gains a strategic advantage by hindering the enemy's ability to operate effectively.

Explanation

Vicinity is defined as the area near or surrounding a particular place. It originates from the Latin word vicinitas, which denotes nearness or neighborhood. In standard English usage, it refers specifically to the immediate surrounding region or the state of being close in proximity to a specific location.

Explanation

The word illicitly is the adverbial form of the adjective illicit, which describes an action that is illegal or disapproved of by society. Etymologically, it originates from the Latin illicitus, where the prefix il- (a variant of in-) denotes negation and licitus means allowed or lawful. Therefore, the word is constructed by combining the prefix il- with the root licit and the adverbial suffix -ly, necessitating the double l at the beginning and the specific sequence of vowels to form the correct spelling i-l-l-i-c-i-t-l-y.

Explanation

The word brutality is the correctly spelt noun form of the adjective brutal. It refers to the quality of being savage, cruel, or excessively violent in behavior. The spelling follows the standard English convention of adding the suffix ity to the adjective root brutal to denote a state or condition. Etymologically, it originates from the Late Latin brutalitas, passing through Middle French as brutalite before entering English usage. It contains a single l and the standard vowel sequence b-r-u-t-a-l-i-t-y.

Explanation

The sentence follows a logical descriptive progression of a sunrise. The adjective primrose modifies the noun light in segment X, creating the phrase primrose light. This light then transitions into golden bars, where the adjective golden at the end of segment X describes the noun bars at the beginning of segment Y. The phrase through which the dawn in segment Y introduces the subject of the final clause, which is followed by the verb phrase glided out across the desert in segment Z. This sequence XYZ creates a grammatically sound and semantically coherent description of the dawn moving across a landscape.

Explanation

The sentence structure follows a logical comparison using the "easier to conceive [X] than [Y]" format. Segment X introduces the first hypothetical scenario regarding the water level. Segment Y introduces the second scenario for comparison, starting with the conjunction than and the parallel that clause. Segment Z contains the adverbial phrase upward into its present position, which directly modifies the verb risen found at the end of segment Y. This creates a grammatically complete and logically coherent sequence describing historical geological theories.

Explanation

The sentence Gopal ran the marathon in record time is in the Simple Past tense. To convert a Simple Past active sentence into passive voice, the object the marathon becomes the subject, followed by the auxiliary verb was and the past participle of the main verb. Since the past participle of run is run (run-ran-run), the structure becomes Subject + was/were + V₃ + by + Object. This results in the construction where the marathon is correctly paired with was run to reflect the completed action in the past performed by Gopal.

Explanation

When the reporting verb is in the present tense, such as says, the tense of the verb in the reported speech does not change when converting from direct to indirect speech. Additionally, the statement Kashmir is the heaven on earth expresses a general truth or a geographic fact, which typically remains in the present tense regardless of the reporting verb. The transformation involves removing the inverted commas, using the conjunction that to connect the clauses, and maintaining the original present tense of both the reporting verb and the reported clause.

Explanation

The provided text indicates that Mary Zophres was expected to win for the retro-revival Technicolor clothes she designed for the film La La Land. However, it identifies Colleen Atwood as the eventual winner for the film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Since the comparison is made directly with the costume work of Zophres, it follows that Atwood won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design. This reflects the results of the 89th Academy Awards, where Atwood earned her fourth Oscar for her work on the Harry Potter spin-off.

Explanation

The provided passage describes La La Land as a celebration of creation and specifies the individual goals of its primary characters. It explicitly states that the heroine, who is the lead female actor, wants to make movies, while the hero wants to make jazz. This detail is used to explain why many expected the film to be highly favored by Oscar voters, who are predominantly actors.

Explanation

The provided text explicitly describes Arrival as a film about the inherent benignity of aliens. The word benignity refers to the quality of being kind, gentle, or harmless. The author further interprets this theme as a metaphorical commentary on immigrants, positioning the film as a narrative centered on the benevolent nature of extraterrestrial visitors.