SSC CGL Tier 1 2022 English Comprehension Questions with Solutions

Explanation

The idiom put one's foot down means to act with determination to stop something from happening or to be firm in refusing to change one's mind. It signifies using one's authority to take a resolute stand against a request or a situation. In the context of the sentence, the person used their authority to remain firm and refused to yield to the request for reconsideration.

Explanation

Care refers to the provision of what is necessary for the health, welfare, maintenance, and protection of someone or something, often involving serious attention or consideration. Disregard signifies the action of paying no attention to something or treating it as unworthy of notice. Because disregard represents the state of ignoring or neglecting something, it is the direct antonym of care.

Explanation

The passage discusses child marriage as a form of human rights exploitation. In the context of the sentence, the blank refers to the legal act being discussed throughout the text, which is marriage. Legally, in most jurisdictions, an individual must reach a specific age threshold, typically 18 years, to enter into a matrimonial union. Using the word marry completes the logic of the sentence by stating that because one must be 18 to marry in practically all areas, doing so earlier is a violation of the child's rights.

Explanation

The phrase age of consent is a standard legal and social expression referring to the age at which a person is legally recognized as being capable of giving valid and informed agreement to marriage or sexual activity. Within the context of the passage, which discusses the exploitation of children's rights through early marriage, the text highlights that marriage should only occur when an individual has reached the legal threshold of maturity. Since the first sentence establishes that a child must be at least 18 years old, the second sentence uses this idiomatic phrase to explain that marrying before this milestone violates the individual's right to provide legal authorization for their own life decisions.

Explanation

The term custom refers to a traditional and widely accepted way of behaving or a long-established practice within a particular society. In the context of the passage, child marriage is described as a practice that has persisted over time due to social norms and traditions. The phrase long-standing custom accurately describes a social ritual or habit that is passed down through generations, which aligns with the explanation that elders continue the practice to maintain family lineage and social positions.

Explanation

The term extension is used in this context to denote the continuation and expansion of the family lineage. In traditional social structures, elders often view marriage as a strategic tool to ensure the growth of the family tree and the preservation of their heritage through future generations. By arranging marriages for the younger members, the family unit is lengthened and its social reach is widened, which helps in establishing a more robust position within the community. This choice logically fits the idea of planning for the long-term size and reach of the kinship group.

Explanation

The words slaughter, cropping, and trafficking are all spelled correctly. Tyrannica is a misspelling of the adjective tyrannical, which requires an l at the end.

Explanation

The sentence discusses various financial and social burdens that lead poor individuals to resort to child marriage. Debts, taxes, and dowries are all specific examples of binding duties or legal and financial commitments that a person is required to fulfill. The word obligations correctly categorizes these items as mandatory responsibilities or debts that the families are attempting to discharge or settle through the marriage of their children.

Explanation

The idiom in cold blood refers to an action, particularly a killing, that is committed in a cruel and calculated manner without any emotion, mercy, or heat of passion. It implies that the act was not a result of a sudden provocation or an accident but was instead a premeditated and intentional deed performed with total self-control and a lack of feeling. Consequently, it is used to describe events that are carried out deliberately.

Explanation

The sentence requires a word that describes eyes reflecting or emitting light in the darkness. The word gleaming is the present participle of the verb gleam, which means to shine brightly, especially with reflected light. In the context of seeing eyes in the dark, gleaming is the semantically and orthographically correct choice to describe the bright, reflective appearance often seen in nocturnal animals or in suspenseful descriptions.

Explanation

In astronomy, the movement of a celestial body in an orbit around another object is specifically termed revolution. The planets follow elliptical orbits around the Sun due to gravitational pull, making revolving the most scientifically accurate and linguistically appropriate verb for this context. This term distinguishes the orbital motion from rotation, which describes a body spinning on its own internal axis.

Explanation

The sentence follows the standard rules of English grammar for the past continuous tense. The subject The child is singular and is correctly paired with the singular auxiliary verb was. The main verb gazing is the present participle form, which combines with the auxiliary to indicate an ongoing action in the past. The adverb longingly is correctly used to modify the verb gazing, describing the manner of the action. Furthermore, the verb gaze is intransitive and requires the preposition at to connect to its object, the toy. Since all components of the sentence including subject-verb agreement, tense consistency, adverbial usage, and prepositional placement are accurate, there is no grammatical error.

Explanation

In the context of health and nutrition, the word moderate means kept within reasonable limits or not excessive. When planning to lose weight, the primary goal is to maintain a calorie deficit or avoid overconsumption of calories. Advising someone to keep their snacking moderate suggests a balanced approach where one eats small, controlled portions rather than abstaining entirely or overindulging. This aligns with standard dietary recommendations for sustainable weight management, where regulating the frequency and quantity of food intake is essential.

Explanation

The sentence defines the fundamental nature of the Novel by comparing it to History. The word essentially is used to emphasize the basic, intrinsic, or fundamental character of something. In this context, the author is asserting that the core identity of the Novel is the history of manners adapted into a narrative and dramatic form. This adverb effectively bridges the definition, suggesting that at its heart, the literary genre serves a purpose identical to historical documentation.

Explanation

The passage establishes a comparison between the Novel and History, suggesting they are fundamentally similar in their study of manners. The second sentence introduces a specific point of divergence between the two forms. The phrase and there is no other difference than this followed by a colon is a standard rhetorical structure used to introduce the single distinguishing factor between two otherwise similar concepts. In this context, the text proceeds to explain how the Novel uses invented characters while History uses real names, which confirms that the blank must identify the variation or distinction between them.

Explanation

The word frugal describes a person who is cautious, sparing, or careful in the spending of money and the use of resources to avoid waste. It characterizes a lifestyle or choice aimed at being prudent with finances. Economical is the most appropriate synonym as it specifically refers to using money or resources in a way that avoids waste and ensures efficiency, directly matching the intended meaning of the sentence.

Explanation

The paragraph begins with sentence B, which introduces the primary subject, the Rio carnival, and establishes the general context of when it is celebrated. Sentence A follows by using the pronoun It to refer back to the Rio carnival, providing a qualifying statement about its global status as the largest carnival event. Sentence C then transitions from a general description to specific elements of the celebration, introducing the Samba schools. Finally, sentence D provides a detail regarding the schools mentioned in the previous sentence, focusing on the specific orders they must follow for their parade entries. This structure creates a logical flow from a broad introduction to specific descriptive details.

Explanation

The word is misspelled because it is missing the letter a after the r. The correct spelling is Laparoscopy, which refers to a surgical procedure in which a fiber-optic instrument is inserted through the abdominal wall to view the organs in the abdomen or permit small-scale surgery. The term is derived from the Greek word lapara, meaning flank or loin, and skopein, meaning to look at or examine.

Explanation

The segment was been operated by some readers is grammatically incorrect because the auxiliary verb was cannot be followed by been in any standard English tense or passive construction. To express an ongoing action in the past within the passive voice, the correct structure is was/were + being + past participle. In this context, the sentence describes a market that was in the process of functioning at the moment the readers arrived, necessitating the past continuous passive form was being operated. The use of been is reserved for perfect tenses, such as had been operated, but it cannot be paired directly with was.

Explanation

The phrase under the disguise of is a standard idiomatic expression used to indicate that something is being hidden or masked by a particular appearance or persona. In this context, the passage describes how the Novel hides or cloaks the depiction of real social manners beneath the covering of fictional characters. The preposition under appropriately conveys the relationship between the hidden reality and the surface appearance used to conceal it.

Explanation

The noun chances, when used to describe the probability or likelihood of a specific outcome, idiomaticially collocates with the adjective high. In English usage, high chances indicates a strong or significant probability that an event, such as winning a match, will occur. This pairing is a standard linguistic convention used to quantify the degree of likelihood in a formal or semi-formal context.

Explanation

The word calamity refers to an event that causes sudden and great distress or damage, such as a natural disaster or a tragic mishap. In the context of the sentence, it describes a severe environmental event that impacted a town unexpectedly. The term catastrophe is a direct synonym as it specifically denotes an event causing great and often sudden damage or suffering, aligning with the scale and impact implied by calamity. Both terms are used to describe large-scale disasters or significant misfortunes that occur abruptly.

Explanation

The term credible is derived from the Latin word credere, which means to believe. It refers to something that is convincing, reliable, or capable of being believed. When a statement, piece of evidence, or a person is described as credible, it implies they possess the qualities necessary to be accepted as true or trustworthy.

Explanation

The sentence is in the Present Continuous tense (is following). To convert a sentence in the Present Continuous tense from active to passive voice, the structure Subject + is/am/are + Verb-ing + Object changes to Object + is/am/are + being + Past Participle (V3) + by + Subject. In this case, the object us becomes the subject We, which requires the plural auxiliary verb are. Combining this with being and the past participle followed results in the passive construction We're being followed by somebody.

Explanation

Sentence R introduces the central topic by identifying Wladimir Köppen and the development of his climate classification system during the late 19th century. Sentence S follows by providing a fundamental detail about the structure of this system, stating that it divides the world into five climate zones. Sentence P elaborates on the methodology of the division mentioned in sentence S, explaining that it was primarily based on temperature and its effect on vegetation. Sentence Q concludes the sequence by describing the final visual application of the system, noting how Köppen’s map used colors and shades to represent the different climate zones defined in the preceding sentences.

Explanation

The idiom fair-weather friend refers to a person who is a friend only when circumstances are pleasant and profitable. It uses the metaphor of weather to suggest that such individuals are present during the sunshine of prosperity but disappear during the storms of adversity. Because their loyalty depends on your success or ease of life, they are considered unreliable and cannot be counted on for support when you face genuine difficulties or crises.

Explanation

The original sentences are in the simple past tense, identified by the main verbs broke and threw. In active voice, the simple past follows the structure: Subject + V2 + Object. To convert this to passive voice, the structure used is: Object + was/were + V3 (past participle) + by + Subject.

In the first sentence, the object many toys in the shop is plural, which necessitates the auxiliary verb were followed by the past participle broken. In the second sentence, the object the paintings is also plural, requiring the auxiliary verb were followed by the past participle thrown. The adverb even is positioned appropriately to maintain the emphasis of the original statement. This transformation correctly shifts the focus to the objects while preserving the simple past tense of the source text.

Explanation

The idiom to get cold feet means to suddenly become too nervous or frightened to do something that was planned, such as a job interview, a wedding, or a performance. It describes a loss of confidence or courage at a critical moment. In this sentence, the expression is used figuratively to explain that Ranita was not selected because her anxiety or lack of confidence prevented her from performing well or proceeding with the recruitment process.

Explanation

The given sentence is in indirect speech, featuring a reporting verb in the past tense (said) and the past perfect tense (had performed) in the reported clause. According to the rules of narration, the past perfect tense in indirect speech is most commonly converted from the present perfect tense (have/has + past participle) in direct speech. Furthermore, the third-person plural pronouns they and their in the indirect speech indicate that the speaker was referring to themselves in the first person. Therefore, they becomes We and their becomes our in the direct form to maintain the original meaning.

Explanation

The word demolish means to pull down, knock down, or completely destroy a structure, system, or idea. It refers to the act of breaking something down into pieces or bringing it to an end. Similarly, ruin means to destroy or severely damage something until it is no longer usable, functional, or in its original state. Both words share the core meaning of causing total destruction or devastating an object or entity, making them effective synonyms in the context of dismantling or wrecking something.

Explanation

The passage establishes a contrast between the Novel and History regarding how they present the "history of manners." While the Novel is described as cloaking these manners in the "disguise of invented characters," History is presented as the factual counterpart. The verb "provides" logically completes the comparison by indicating that History supplies or presents specific, real-world identifiers like "names and addresses" to document its accounts, unlike the fictionalized elements used in a novel.

Explanation

The word abundant is used to describe something that exists in large quantities or is more than sufficient. Its antonym must represent a lack of quantity or the smallest possible amount. Minimal refers to a quantity that is the least possible or very small in size or amount, providing a direct contrast to the idea of plenty or overflow expressed by abundant.

Explanation

The error in this segment is a lack of subject-verb agreement. The subject children is a plural noun, the plural of child. According to the rules of English grammar, a plural subject requires a plural verb form. In the simple present tense, the plural form of a verb does not include an -s or -es suffix. Consequently, the singular verb form listens must be replaced with the plural form listen to correctly correspond with the plural subject.

Explanation

The sentence begins with the introductory phrase "The issue of", which is logically followed by the noun phrase "compulsory vaccination is difficult" in part P to establish the subject. The adjective "difficult" creates a need for an explanation, which is provided by the causal conjunction "because" starting part R. Within part R, the verb "consider" requires an object, which is found in part Q as "multiple interests all protected by human". Finally, the word "human" functions as an attributive adjective for "rights law" at the start of part S, allowing the sentence to conclude with the logical requirement to "strike a fair balance between them".

Explanation

In the context of the sentence, the word required is piece, which refers to a portion, fragment, or a single unit of a material. When referring to a single sheet or a bit of paper, the correct spelling is piece. The original word used in the sentence, peace, is a homophone that signifies a state of tranquility or the absence of conflict, which is semantically incorrect when describing a physical object like paper. Therefore, piece is the correct spelling to denote the item being handed over for evaluation.

Explanation

The word crowing is used to describe someone expressing great pride or triumph, typically in a noisy or boastful manner. A cackle is defined as a shrill, broken sound of laughter that is inherently audible and sharp. In the context of a witch performing a dramatic and malevolent act like transforming a person into a beast, the laughter is characterized by its high volume and intense nature. Therefore, loud is the most appropriate descriptor to match the triumphant and piercing tone established by the verb crowing and the noun cackle.

Explanation

The sentence follows a logical and grammatical sequence describing a scientific investigation. Part P introduces the primary object of the search, "strong relationships at locations in the", which requires a noun to complete the prepositional phrase. Part Q provides that noun, "genome", and initiates a relative clause "that are not well studied in". Part R completes this clause by identifying the specific subject, "apple", and uses the conjunction "and" to introduce a parallel action, "looked for which compounds we". Part S completes the modal verb phrase "could identify" and adds the final descriptive detail "and which had nutritional value". This arrangement ensures that each segment transitions naturally into the next, maintaining the parallel structure of the verb phrase "looked for".

Explanation

The word heap refers to an untidy collection or pile of objects that have been thrown together. In the context of the passage, Swaminathan's belongings—including his coat, cap, slate, and books—are described as being thrown together on a table in a messy or jumbled manner. The phrase confused heap accurately describes this lack of organization where various items are piled on top of each other without any specific structure. This imagery of a disorganized pile is consistent with the rest of the text, which later refers to the character's tasks as a heap of work.

Explanation

The context of the passage describes Swaminathan attempting to remember the specific school assignments he needs to complete for the day. To recollect means to call something such as a fact, incident, or task back to one's mind from memory. Since the tasks like Arithmetic problems in Profit and Loss, copying an English lesson, and Geography were already assigned to him, he is performing a mental act of retrieval to list them, making recollect the most appropriate fit for the blank.

Explanation

In the context of educational subjects like Arithmetic, the term puzzles is frequently used to describe mathematical problems, sums, or exercises that require logical reasoning and calculation to solve. In R.K. Narayan's writing style, specifically in Swami and Friends, school assignments are often referred to as puzzles to reflect the perspective of a student who views these tasks as challenging mental riddles. Within the passage, Swaminathan is quantifying his workload in the Profit and Loss section of his math studies, making puzzles the most linguistically appropriate term for the five specific problems he must complete before heading to school.

Explanation

The sentence describes Swaminathan reviewing his school assignments, specifically his English homework which involves copying a page and finding dictionary meanings. In an academic context, students are typically required to look up the definitions of words that are challenging or unfamiliar. The term difficult words is the standard colocation used to describe vocabulary that requires clarification or explanation from a dictionary, fitting the context of a student preparing for his lessons.

Explanation

In the context of the passage, the author compares the analytical depth of the Novel with that of History. The verb probe means to search into or examine something thoroughly and deeply. By stating that the Novel probes much deeper than History, the author suggests that while History focuses on external facts such as names and addresses, the Novel investigates the underlying complexities of human nature and manners with greater intensity. This choice logically completes the comparison by emphasizing the investigative and exploratory nature of literary fiction.

Explanation

The phrase get ready is a common idiomatic expression in English that means to prepare oneself for an event, activity, or departure. In the context of the passage, Swaminathan is calculating the time required to complete a significant amount of schoolwork while also needing to perform the necessary preparations—such as dressing or gathering his materials—to be prepared to leave for his classes. The word ready perfectly captures the state of being fully prepared and equipped for the school day ahead.

Explanation

The original sentence is in the past continuous tense, which follows the active voice structure of Subject + was/were + V1 + ing + Object. To convert this into the passive voice, the structure changes to New Subject (the original object) + was/were + being + V3 (past participle) + by + New Object (the original subject). In this sentence, the meal is the object and Mary is the subject. Since the meal is a singular noun, it is paired with the singular auxiliary verb was. Following the rule for continuous tenses, being is added before the past participle form of cook, which is cooked. This results in the construction: The meal was being cooked by Mary.

Explanation

Animosity refers to a powerful and deep-seated feeling of dislike, ill will, or active enmity. It describes a state of strong hostility between individuals or groups, often resulting from long-standing grievances or conflicting interests. The term is derived from the Latin word animositas, which originally meant spirit or courage but evolved in English to specifically denote a spirited or intense hatred. Thus, it perfectly encapsulates the meaning of the given group of words.

Explanation

The sentence follows a chronological and logical progression. It begins by describing the historical status of American alligators as being once threatened by extinction (R). The conjunction but introduces the turning point, which was their placement on the endangered species (S) list in 1967 (Q). This intervention led to a recovery where their population increased, culminating in the final statement that the species is now classified as least concern (P). The sequence RSQP ensures that compound terms like endangered species list are correctly formed and that the cause-and-effect relationship between conservation efforts and population growth is clear.

Explanation

The word amateur is correctly spelled as a-m-a-t-e-u-r. It is derived from the French word amateur and the Latin amator, both signifying a lover or one who pursues an activity for the love of it rather than for financial gain. In English, the term refers to a person who engages in a pursuit, such as an art or sport, on an unpaid basis or for personal satisfaction rather than as a professional. The spelling concludes with the -eur suffix, which is a standard feature of nouns borrowed from French that describe a person associated with a specific activity, such as chauffeur or entrepreneur. Maintaining the specific sequence of vowels in this suffix is essential for the correct orthography of the word.

Explanation

The word Quever is an incorrect spelling of the word Quiver. The correct spelling uses the vowel i instead of the first e. As a noun, a quiver refers to a portable case for holding arrows or a slight trembling movement. As a verb, it describes the act of shaking or vibrating slightly, typically due to strong emotion, cold, or physical frailty.

Explanation

The idiom to be up against it means to be in a difficult situation or to face serious problems, especially involving a lack of money or resources. In the context of the sentence, the speaker describes a precarious financial situation where the loss of a job would lead to severe hardship. Therefore, the phrase up against it is the correct idiomatic expression to describe facing such adversity.

Explanation

The word chary is an adjective used to describe someone who is feeling or showing caution about doing something. It implies a sense of wariness, hesitation, or being guardedly reluctant to take a risk. In the context of a foreign company considering investment, being chary means they are exercising prudence and are watchful of potential pitfalls, which directly aligns with the meaning of cautious.