SSC CGL Tier 1 2022 English Comprehension Questions with Solutions

Explanation

Exemplary refers to something that is of such high quality or excellence that it serves as a perfect model or desirable example for others to follow. It implies a standard of perfection or commendability. Unsatisfactory serves as the antonym because it describes something that is not good enough, fails to meet required standards, or is inadequate in quality. While exemplary represents the peak of performance or character, unsatisfactory represents a failure to reach even an acceptable level.

Explanation

The word keen is defined as being highly interested, eager, or intense in one's desire to do something. It often describes a state of readiness or a sharp intellectual interest in a particular subject or activity. Enthusiastic is a synonym because it also denotes a person who shows intense and eager enjoyment, interest, or approval. Both terms characterize a positive and energetic attitude toward an engagement, making them synonymous in the context of describing a person's level of interest or zeal.

Explanation

The word is misspelled because it lacks a second letter s at the end. The correct spelling is Access, which refers to the right or opportunity to use or benefit from something, or the ability to enter a place. In English orthography, this noun and verb form always requires the double consonant ending.

Explanation

A constellation is defined as a group or cluster of stars that form a recognizable pattern or configuration in the night sky. In both astronomical and common usage, it refers to a specific arrangement of stars that are often perceived to represent a mythological figure, an animal, or an object. When observing the sky to find a sequence or series of stars that hold meaning or identifiable shapes, the term constellation is the appropriate one-word substitution.

Explanation

The term amateur is derived from the Latin word amator, meaning lover. It refers to a person who engages in a specific activity, study, or sport primarily for the love of the craft and personal satisfaction rather than for financial compensation or as a career. In various fields, an amateur is characterized by their involvement in a pursuit as a pastime or hobby.

Explanation

The word polite describes behavior that is respectful, well-mannered, and considerate of others. In the given sentence, the word rude is the most appropriate antonym because it signifies a lack of manners, discourtesy, or offensive behavior. While polite represents social grace and civility, rude represents the opposite quality of being ill-bred or insolent in conduct.

Explanation

Adversity refers to a state of hardship, misfortune, or distress, typically characterized by difficult circumstances or unfavorable conditions. Fortune signifies good luck, prosperity, success, or a favorable outcome in one's life. Because adversity represents a lack of success and the presence of suffering, while fortune represents the presence of wealth and auspicious events, it serves as the direct opposite in meaning.

Explanation

The sentence Let the farewell be bidden to our seniors is in the passive voice, following the structure Let + object + be + past participle (V3). This form is commonly used for imperative sentences or suggestions. To convert this into the active voice, the structure is changed to Let + us/agent + verb (base form) + object. In this context, the phrase bid farewell is the active verb form and our seniors is the object of the action. By introducing the first-person plural pronoun us as the implied subject, the active sentence becomes Let us bid farewell to our seniors, which maintains the original meaning and mood of the command.

Explanation

The sentence structure follows a logical progression from the subject's physical description to its functional attributes. The introductory phrase "The nanostructures on the" is completed by part Q, which identifies the "surface made of nickel selenide." Part P provides necessary chemical details about this surface, explaining it contains "added, or 'doped,' iron and phosphor." This combined subject then connects to the predicate in part R, where the verb "offers" introduces the specific benefits of "high performance and stability." The sentence concludes with part S, a relative clause "that are needed for industrial-scale electrolysis," which modifies the performance and stability mentioned in the previous part to explain their practical significance. This sequence Q-P-R-S ensures that the modifiers and the main verb are placed correctly to create a coherent scientific statement.

Explanation

The word rapt is the standard English collocation for attention, meaning to be completely fascinated or absorbed in what one is hearing. Options like hefty, massive, and vast are not used idiomaticlly to describe attention.

Explanation

The error lies in the prepositional phrase used with the adjective rich. In English grammar, when describing a substance that contains a large amount of a particular nutrient, mineral, or component, the idiomatic expression is rich in rather than rich with. The adjective rich is followed by the preposition in to indicate the presence of a high concentration of a specific quality or ingredient. Consequently, the sentence should correctly read Amla juice is rich in Vitamin C.

Explanation

When converting direct speech to indirect speech, the reporting verb said to is changed to told when it is followed by an object. The conjunction that is used to connect the reporting clause with the reported clause. The first-person pronoun I is changed to the third-person pronoun she to correspond with the subject Kavya. Additionally, since the reporting verb is in the past tense, the simple present tense don't mind in the direct speech must be changed to the simple past tense did not mind in the indirect speech.

Explanation

The paragraph follows a logical progression from a general definition to specific details. Sentence Q introduces the subject by defining what a Nobel Prize is and its purpose. Sentence P follows naturally by providing historical context regarding the origin of the award's name, Alfred Nobel. Sentence R then transitions the discussion from the general award to its specific structure, noting that there are six categories and highlighting medicine as one. Finally, sentence S concludes the paragraph by providing a specific recent example of winners within the medicine category mentioned in the previous sentence.

Explanation

The idiom move the needle means to make a noticeable difference or generate a significant, measurable effect on a situation. It originates from the visual of a needle on a gauge or meter moving to indicate progress or change. In a business context, it is frequently used to describe efforts that successfully impact key performance indicators like sales or revenue. Therefore, stating that her strategies failed to move the needle correctly indicates that they did not result in the desired increase in sales performance.

Explanation

In the context of the passage, the sentence describes the emotional consequence of failing to achieve results. Among the given options, anxiety is the only term that represents an internal emotional state or feeling that one can experience about oneself. The other options (obstacles, actions, and achievements) do not logically complete the phrase "feel [blank] about ourselves" in this context.

Explanation

The passage focuses on the psychological link between an individual's sense of self-worth and their external accomplishments. The sentence containing the blank explains how people attempt to prove their importance through tangible results. The word achievements serves as a synonymous pair with successes, maintaining the thematic consistency established in the opening sentence which mentions the value of our accomplishments. In this context, individuals who identify as over-achievers use these achievements to validate their existence and create a sense of value that they otherwise feel they lack.

Explanation

The verb tend is used to express a person's inclination or predisposition toward a particular behavior or state. In this context, it forms the phrasal structure tend to, which indicates that when individuals possess a great desire for perfection, they have a natural frequency or habit of setting unrealistic goals. This usage establishes a cause-and-effect relationship between an internal psychological drive and a resulting behavioral pattern. The author uses this same construction earlier in the passage to describe how people are likely to feel about themselves when they fail to achieve results, maintaining stylistic consistency throughout the text.

Explanation

The passage describes a psychological cycle where individuals tie their self-worth to their achievements and successes. Within this context, the sentence explores the consequence of failing to meet the unrealistic goals and unreasonable demands mentioned earlier. If a person sets high expectations and fails to reach them, the natural emotional response is one of sadness or dissatisfaction. The term disappointed fits this logical flow, as it characterizes the feeling of letdown that occurs when hopes or expectations are not realized, especially after the intense effort described in the preceding lines.

Explanation

The passage describes a psychological cycle where individuals tie their self-worth to external achievements and perfectionism. When these unrealistic expectations are not met, or when external success fails to provide genuine internal validation, the person experiences a sense of hollowness. In this context, feeling empty inside accurately captures the lack of fulfillment and the persistent void of self-worth that remains despite the individual's efforts to prove their value through accomplishments.

Explanation

Perseverance is defined as the quality of continuing to do something or to try to achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition. It represents persistence and determination over a long period. Steadfastness refers to the quality of being fixed in direction, resolution, or purpose, and remaining firm and unwavering in one's loyalty or commitment. Both terms are synonyms as they describe a persistent adherence to a course of action or belief without being swayed by obstacles or delay.

Explanation

The word native refers to a person, animal, or plant that is indigenous to a specific place or was born there. In contrast, foreign describes something originating from a different country or place, outside of one's own local environment. Therefore, foreign serves as the direct antonym by representing what is external rather than inherent to a specific location.

Explanation

The term veteran refers to a person who has had long experience in a particular field or occupation. Derived from the Latin word veteranus, meaning old, it signifies someone who has developed significant expertise and wisdom through years of dedicated service or practice in their profession. While frequently used in a military context to describe former members of the armed forces, it is universally applied in the English language to any individual with an extensive and seasoned background in their career or trade.

Explanation

The sentence construction follows a logical progression starting with the description of jobseekers. The fragment S directly follows the opening phrase "Jobseekers are not" by providing the adjective fatalistic and the contrasting action reapply themselves. The adverb relentlessly and the prepositional phrase to a pilgrimage of in R provide the necessary detail for how and where they reapply themselves. This pilgrimage is then defined in Q as being of self-purification, which further introduces a relative clause starting with where the difficulties of. Segment P completes this clause by identifying being unemployed as the source of difficulties and concluding with the predicate are a test of faith. The resulting sequence SRQP forms a coherent and grammatically sound sentence.

Explanation

The sentence begins with the imperative command Don't disturb, which indicates that an action is currently taking place at the moment of speaking. In English grammar, the present continuous tense, formed by using the appropriate form of the verb to be followed by the present participle, is used to describe an activity in progress. Therefore, the simple present verb prepares must be replaced with the present continuous form is preparing to accurately reflect that the boy's study session is happening right now, providing the justification for why he should not be interrupted.

Explanation

The phrase in advance is an idiomatic expression meaning beforehand or ahead of time. In the context of purchasing or reserving tickets for a show, it indicates that the action was completed prior to the event taking place. This is a standard colocation used to describe the timing of a booking to ensure availability.

Explanation

The idiom Bob's your uncle is a popular British expression used to conclude a set of simple instructions, meaning and there you have it or it is as simple as that. It indicates that once a specific task or step is completed, the desired result will be achieved easily, quickly, and without further complication. In the given sentence, it suggests that adding cheese is the final, straightforward step needed to make the pasta perfect.

Explanation

The idiom beating about the bush signifies the act of avoiding the main topic or failing to address a question directly. It describes a manner of speaking where an individual uses indirect, vague, or evasive language to delay discussing the most important or relevant point. In a legal context, such as an interrogation by a District Attorney, this behavior indicates that the speaker is intentionally being non-committal or confusing to avoid providing a straightforward answer or revealing specific details about a situation.

Explanation

The word Innocense is misspelled because the correct English spelling is Innocence. It follows the common pattern where nouns denoting a state or quality derived from adjectives ending in -ent use the suffix -ence. In this case, the adjective innocent leads to the noun innocence, spelled with a c rather than an s. Other examples of this linguistic pattern include patience from patient and intelligence from intelligent.

Explanation

The sentence is in the passive voice of the Simple Past tense, identified by the structure was/were + past participle (V₃). To convert it to the active voice, the agent of the action, the movie, becomes the subject, and the verb is changed to its simple past form, V₂, which is fascinated. The pronoun I transitions from the subject position to the object position, changing to its objective form, me. The resulting active structure follows the standard Subject + V₂ + Object pattern.

Explanation

The word ancient refers to something belonging to a very remote period in history or having existed for many years. In the context of medical treatments, it suggests traditional or archaic practices originating from the distant past. The word modern serves as the direct antonym because it relates to the present or recent times, characterized by up-to-date techniques, contemporary knowledge, and current technology. Since the sentence discusses types of treatment methods, shifting from the historical past to the present requires the use of modern.

Explanation

The word consent signifies an agreement to a proposal, the act of giving permission, or reaching a common consensus. Its direct antonym is dissent, which refers to a disagreement, the holding of an opposing opinion, or the formal withholding of approval. While consent indicates harmony and acceptance, dissent indicates a lack of such agreement and a move towards opposition.

Explanation

The segment contains errors in both verb tense and prepositional usage. The sentence establishes a past timeframe using the past perfect tense I had walked. To maintain grammatical parallelism and temporal consistency, the subsequent verb following the coordinator and then must also reflect the past. The present tense get is incorrect and should be replaced with the past tense got or the past participle gotten. Additionally, the preposition by is used incorrectly to indicate a destination. When referring to the destination of a vehicle or a journey, the correct preposition is to or for, resulting in the phrase the train to Mumbai or the train for Mumbai.

Explanation

The sentence requires the simple present tense to inquire about a current desire or preference. In English grammar, interrogative sentences in the simple present tense for the second-person pronoun you are constructed using the auxiliary verb do followed by the subject and the base form of the main verb. The correct structure follows the pattern: Do + subject (you) + base verb (want). This formulation correctly asks for the listener's present wish regarding the dentist visit.

Explanation

The phrase rough idea is a standard English collocation used to describe a general, vague, or approximate understanding of a situation. In this sentence, the conjunction although establishes a contrast between the fact that the plans were not revealed clearly and the speaker's ability to still grasp the basic outline of those plans. A rough idea implies that the listener has enough information to understand the general concept without knowing the specific details or precise arrangements.

Explanation

The sentence is in the present continuous tense, following the structure: Subject + is/am/are + V1-ing + Object. To convert this into passive voice, the object becomes the new subject, and the structure changes to: New Subject + is/am/are + being + V3 (past participle) + by + Agent. In this case, the object farewell becomes the subject. Since farewell is singular, it takes the auxiliary verb is followed by being and the past participle of bid, which remains bid in this context. Therefore, the passive form is Farewell is being bid to their seniors by the first-year students.

Explanation

The error lies in the prepositional phrase "in heart." In English, the standard idiomatic expression is "to take something to heart," which means to consider something seriously, to be deeply affected by it, or to take criticism personally. The preposition "in" is incorrect in this context and must be replaced with "to" to satisfy the requirements of the fixed idiom. Therefore, the phrase should correctly read as "took their criticism to heart."

Explanation

Sentence R introduces the subject, Jason, and establishes his age and physical presence, making it the most logical opening sentence. Sentence S follows R by elaborating on his demeanor, explaining that his quiet presence translates to a reserved nature and a tendency to speak very little. Sentence P shifts the focus from his personality to his ecological context, describing his awareness of his community's contribution to the health of Shivasgar Lake. Sentence Q uses the contrastive conjunction However to juxtapose the positive role mentioned in P with the potential threat posed by urban conservation ideologies. This creates a logical flow from a personal introduction to a specific socioeconomic and environmental conflict.

Explanation

When converting direct speech to indirect speech, the modal verb can is changed to could to match the past tense of the reporting verb told. The first-person pronoun I is changed to she to correspond with the subject Priya. Additionally, the time expression tonight is transformed into that night to reflect the shift in perspective from the original moment of speaking. The reporting verb assured me is appropriately rendered as told me followed by the conjunction that.

Explanation

The verb inflict is the most appropriate choice as it means to cause something unpleasant or painful to be suffered by someone or something. In English grammar, the term is frequently used in the collocation inflict damage upon or inflict harm on. In the context of the passage, the four social media platforms are described as the agents causing harm to the mental health of young individuals. The sentence structure requires a base form verb to agree with the plural subject Four of the most popular forms, and inflict perfectly completes the idiomatic expression describing the imposition of negative consequences.

Explanation

The word exacerbate means to make a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling worse or more intense. In the context of the passage, it describes how social media platforms intensify children's and young people's body image worries. This verb aligns with the overall negative tone of the sentence and parallels the subsequent verb worsen, which characterizes the increased severity of bullying, anxiety, and depression associated with these platforms.

Explanation

The word concern is the most appropriate fit in this context because it refers to a state of anxiety or worry regarding a specific issue. In English, the phrase growing concern among is a standard idiomatic expression used to describe an increasing level of apprehension felt by a collective group—such as politicians, health bodies, doctors, and parents—about a detrimental social or health trend. The passage discusses the rising alarm surrounding the harmful effects of social media on the mental well-being of young people, making concern the logically and grammatically correct noun to follow the adjective growing.

Explanation

The blank requires a present participle to maintain grammatical parallelism with other phrases in the sentence, such as young people suffering harm and leading them to commit suicide. Reinforcing means to strengthen or support an existing feeling, idea, or habit. In this context, social media acts as a catalyst that intensifies and solidifies pre-existing negative emotions like self-loathing among young people. The word accurately describes the process by which constant exposure to idealized images or negative interactions on these platforms makes destructive internal feelings more deep-seated and persistent.

Explanation

The sentence uses the transition word "However" to introduce a viewpoint that contradicts the earlier statements about the negative impacts of social media. The psychiatrist describes the findings as "too simplistic," suggesting that they ignore the "complex reasons" behind mental health issues. In this context, the word "unfairly" is the most appropriate adverb to describe the act of blaming social media, as it indicates that the blame is being placed disproportionately or without considering the full range of contributing factors.

Explanation

The sentence requires tense consistency between its clauses to maintain logical and grammatical flow. The second part of the sentence uses the past tense phrase did not see, which establishes that the event occurred in the past. Consequently, the first part of the sentence must also be in the past tense to align with this timeframe. The present tense verb are in the segment There are some monkeys creates a temporal conflict and should be replaced with the past tense were to correctly indicate that the monkeys were present on the roof at the time Madhav failed to notice them.

Explanation

The word amend means to make changes to something, such as a piece of legislation, a statement, or a document, in order to improve it, correct errors, or make it more accurate. It implies the process of refining or altering a situation for the better. Rectify means to put something right or to correct a mistake or a problem. Both terms describe the action of fixing or improving a condition by addressing flaws, making them synonymous in the context of correction and improvement.

Explanation

The sentence represents a third conditional construction, which is used to describe a hypothetical situation in the past and its imaginary result. In such structures, the main clause (the result clause) requires the modal verb would followed by have and the past participle of the main verb (V3). This indicates an action that did not happen in the past because a specific condition was not met. Using would never have correctly conveys the intended meaning that Rita's departure from her job was a result of her not being promoted, and she would have remained in the position had the promotion occurred.

Explanation

The word harassment is misspelled in the given sentence as harrassment. The correct and standard spelling is harassment, which features a single r followed by a double s. This is a common orthographic error where the r is doubled mistakenly due to phonetic emphasis, but the English word consistently uses only one r.

Explanation

The idiom ins and outs refers to the full details, intricate points, or complicated facts of a situation or process. In this context, the trainee seeks a comprehensive and detailed understanding of the course's components and requirements to accurately evaluate how it aligns with future career opportunities. Knowing the specific workings and all aspects of the curriculum allows for a better assessment of job prospects.

Explanation

The adjective informative is most commonly followed by the preposition about when it is used to describe providing or conveying knowledge regarding a specific subject or topic. In this sentence, the drama serves as the source of knowledge concerning the specific topic of life in Roman times, making about the grammatically correct choice to link the quality of being informative to its subject matter.

Explanation

The phrase blessed with is a standard English collocation used to describe the birth of a child as a fortunate or divine gift. In the context of a long-awaited event, such as a couple having a child after eighteen years of marriage, this expression conveys a sense of gratitude and happiness. It is the conventional idiomatic way to express that someone has been granted a specific favor or joy, fitting the emotional and formal tone required by the sentence structure.