SSC CHSL Tier 1 2010 English Comprehension Questions with Solutions

Explanation

The verb await is a transitive verb that directly takes an object, meaning it does not require the preposition for. The correct usage is either awaiting the chief guest or waiting for the chief guest. Therefore, the preposition for after awaiting in part (2) is grammatically incorrect and redundant.

Explanation

The verb "think" (when used in the sense of "consider") does not take the adverb or conjunction "as" before its object complement. Using "as" with verbs such as "think", "consider", "appoint", "elect", "choose", and "call" is grammatically incorrect and redundant.

To make the sentence grammatically correct, the word "as" should be removed, resulting in: "He thinks himself a great scholar." Alternatively, the preposition "of" can be added after "thinks", resulting in: "He thinks of himself as a great scholar." Thus, the error lies in part (3).

Explanation

In conditional clauses introduced by conjunctions such as unless, if, or until, the simple present tense is used to refer to future possibilities instead of the simple future tense. Therefore, the auxiliary verb will must be omitted, and the clause should correctly read unless you study hard.

Explanation

The noun poetry is an uncountable mass noun in English, which means it does not have a plural form. Using poetries is grammatically incorrect. To make the sentence correct, poetries must be replaced with either the singular collective noun poetry or the countable plural noun poems.

Explanation

The use of the preposition "on" before "last Sunday" is grammatically incorrect. Prepositions of time such as "on", "in", or "at" are omitted before time expressions that begin with words like "last", "next", "this", "every", or "each". Therefore, the sentence should correctly begin with "Last Sunday" instead of "On last Sunday".

Explanation

The sentence uses an adverbial clause of place introduced by the conjunction where. Since a dog is classified as a pet, it is semantically coherent and logical to state that you can bring your dog to places where pets are allowed. This completes the sentence in a grammatically correct and contextually appropriate manner.

Explanation

The term chef refers to a professional cook who is responsible for preparing food in a restaurant or kitchen. Therefore, wondering what to prepare for an important dinner is directly relevant to the professional duties and responsibilities associated with a chef.

Explanation

The preposition "for" is used to introduce the subject of an infinitive phrase. In this sentence, "you" is the subject of the infinitive verb phrase "to examine", which describes the purpose for which the books were brought. This standard grammatical structure "for + noun/pronoun + to-infinitive" establishes the intended recipient or performer of the action.

Explanation

The phrase went on followed by a gerund indicates continuing a particular action. The sentence describes a speaker who failed to properly distribute or space out the content of his speech. Instead of covering multiple topics evenly, he continuously emphasized or highlighted a single point. The word stressing means giving special importance or emphasis to something, which accurately completes the sentence to show that the speaker kept focusing on and emphasizing just one point.

Explanation

An usher is a person employed to guide, direct, or escort people to their designated seats in a theater, cinema, church, or during a wedding ceremony. Therefore, showing people where to sit is the primary responsibility of an usher, making this the most contextually appropriate and logical completion of the sentence.

Explanation

The word autocratic refers to a style of governance or leadership characterized by absolute power, where a single individual makes all decisions with unlimited authority and without taking into account the wishes or opinions of others. The word dictatorial is synonymous because it directly describes a ruler or system possessing total, overbearing control and demanding absolute obedience.

Explanation

The word daring refers to the quality of being bold, brave, and willing to take risks in the face of danger or difficulty. Similarly, courageous describes a person who shows courage, bravery, and fearlessness, making it the most appropriate synonym that best expresses the meaning of the given word.

Explanation

The word demonstrate means to clearly show, display, or exhibit the existence, truth, or operation of something by giving proof, examples, or a practical explanation. Therefore, show is the word that best expresses the given meaning.

Explanation

The word deliberate refers to an action done consciously and with full awareness, meaning it is planned or done on purpose rather than by accident. Similarly, the word intentional describes an act performed with a clear purpose or design, making it the closest synonym in meaning.

Explanation

The word defer means to put off an action or event to a later time. Therefore, postpone is the most accurate synonym as it also means to arrange for something to take place at a time later than that first planned.

Explanation

The word abundance is a noun that represents a very large quantity or an overflowing fullness of something. Its direct grammatical and semantic opposite is scarcity, which is also a noun and denotes the state of being in short supply or experiencing a severe shortage of resources.

Explanation

Unanimity refers to a state of complete agreement or consensus among all members of a group. The direct opposite of this state of total agreement is disagreement, which denotes a lack of consensus, a conflict of opinion, or a failure to agree.

Explanation

The word vice refers to a moral fault, bad habit, or wicked behavior. Its direct opposite is virtue, which represents moral excellence, goodness, and behavior showing high moral standards.

Explanation

The word renowned is an adjective used to describe someone or something that is widely known, highly acclaimed, or famous. The direct opposite of being celebrated or famous is being unknown, which refers to a person, place, or thing that is not widely recognized, familiar, or distinguished.

Explanation

The word provoke means to stimulate, stir up, or arouse a strong and often angry reaction in someone. Its direct antonym is soothe, which means to calm, pacify, or reduce pain, anger, or agitation.

Explanation

Correct Answer: D

The idiom "a man of letters" is used to describe a scholar, writer, or intellectual who is highly proficient in literature and the literary arts. Rabindranath Tagore, as an illustrious poet, novelist, playwright, and Nobel laureate in Literature, perfectly matches this description through his exceptional mastery of and contributions to literary art.

Explanation

The idiom "to pay off old scores" means to take revenge, avenge a past injury, or settle a long-standing grudge. The phrase historically originates from the practice of keeping a written tally or score of debts, where paying off the score represents settling a past grievance to get even with someone.

Explanation

The idiom "wear one's heart on one's sleeve" means to make one's feelings and emotions obvious to others rather than hiding them. When someone wears their heart on their sleeve, they show their true emotions openly, making it easy for others to know exactly how they feel. This aligns with the description of an innocent person who does not disguise or conceal their feelings.

Explanation

The idiom red letter day refers to a pleasantly memorable, highly significant, or joyful day. This expression originates from the medieval custom of highlighting important ecclesiastical festivals, saints' days, and holy days in red ink on calendars, while standard days were printed in black. Over time, this practice of using red lettering was adopted for modern calendars to mark public holidays and Sundays, leading to the phrase being used figuratively to describe any day of great happiness, success, or historical importance.

Explanation

The term scapegoat refers to a person who is blamed, punished, or made to suffer for the mistakes, faults, or misdeeds of others. In organizational or social setups, superiors often pass the blame for their own failures onto their subordinates to protect themselves from consequences, resulting in those subordinates being punished for the misdeeds of others.

Explanation

The clause beginning with "when" refers to a specific point or state in the past. To express a person's age at a particular time in the past, the simple past tense of the verb "to be" is used, which is "was" for the third-person singular subject "she". The past perfect tense "had been" is incorrect because it is reserved for an action or state that was completed before another past action. Therefore, "was" is the grammatically correct replacement to indicate her age.

Explanation

The sentence Children like to eat sweets is a positive statement in the simple present tense. In English grammar, a positive statement is followed by a negative question tag. Since the subject Children is a plural noun, the corresponding personal pronoun is they. The simple present tense verb like requires the auxiliary verb do, which becomes don't in its negative form. Therefore, the correct question tag is Don't they?.

Explanation

The idiomatic phrase "take advantage of" means to make use of an opportunity or to exploit a situation for one's own benefit, often in an unfair or dishonest manner. In this context, cheating people by exploiting the situation aligns perfectly with this idiom, making "advantage" the correct replacement.

Explanation

The correct pronoun to use for two entities (knees) is "each other", whereas "one another" is used for more than two. Therefore, the phrase "on another" should be replaced with "each other" to make the sentence grammatically correct.

Explanation

In standard English, students or candidates take, sit, or write a test or exam, whereas teachers or examiners give, set, or administer it. Since the subject of the sentence is all the candidates, the correct idiomatic verb to use in this context is take.

Explanation

An addict is a person who has a physical or psychological dependence on a habit-forming substance, such as drugs, alcohol, or medication, and is unable to stop taking it without experiencing adverse physiological or psychological effects.

Explanation

A posthumous child is a child born after the death of their father. This term is derived from the Latin word posthumus, which literally translates to coming after death, and is also used to describe a book published after the author's death or an award given to someone after they have passed away.

Explanation

A gesture is a movement of a part of the body, particularly the hands, arms, or head, used to express or emphasize an idea, sentiment, or attitude. It is a fundamental component of nonverbal communication that helps convey meaning, intent, or emotion alongside or in place of spoken language.

Explanation

A mortgage is a legal agreement by which a bank or other creditor lends money at interest in exchange for taking the title of the debtor's property, with the condition that the conveyance of title becomes void upon the payment of the debt. It is the standard financial instrument used by individuals and businesses to purchase real estate, such as a house or land, without paying the entire value upfront. The property itself serves as security or collateral for the loan, giving the lender the right to take possession of the property if the borrower fails to make the agreed payments.

Explanation

Dereliction refers to the deliberate neglect or failure to perform one's duty, obligations, or responsibilities. It is most frequently encountered in the legal or professional phrase "dereliction of duty," which directly denotes the act of abandoning or failing to execute the functions expected of a specific role or position.

Explanation

The word academic is the most appropriate fit for blank 86, as a seminar is classically defined as a form of academic instruction or interaction held either at an academy or a professional organization. Other options like informal or social do not capture the educational and professional nature of a seminar.

Explanation

In this context, the passage describes the types of organizations or venues where a seminar is typically held. The phrase refers to a place of learning, which is a division of educational or academic organizations. An institution is defined as an organization or society founded for a religious, educational, professional, or social purpose. Therefore, institution is the only word that logically and grammatically fits the blank to complete the phrase describing an educational establishment.

Explanation

The passage describes the various environments where a seminar can take place. It contrasts academic settings with other entities, referring to them as commercial or professional organizations. A professional organization is a standard term for an association of individuals in a specific career or field of work, which frequently conducts seminars for training, research, and collaborative discussion. Therefore, professional is the most contextually appropriate word to complete the phrase.

Explanation

The phrasal verb bringing together means to gather, assemble, or cause people to meet. In this context, the sentence describes the primary purpose of a seminar, which is to gather or assemble small groups of people for meetings and academic or professional discussions.

Explanation

In the context of academic or professional settings, a seminar series consists of sessions that take place periodically or at regular intervals. The word recurring precisely describes events that occur repeatedly over time. It fits the blank perfectly to denote meetings that are scheduled to happen repeatedly on an ongoing basis.

Explanation

In the context of the passage, a seminar involves group meetings where participants focus on a specific topic or theme during each session. The word "particular" correctly serves as an adjective to describe this specific, individual subject chosen for discussion, ensuring that the seminar remains focused and structured.

Explanation

In the context of a seminar, which is an interactive form of academic instruction or discussion, the goal is to promote active involvement from all attendees. The passive construction is encouraged to participate fits semantically because a seminar relies on prompting, motivating, and inviting everyone present to contribute to the dialogue. Therefore, encouraged is the most suitable word to describe how participants are urged to take part.

Explanation

The context of the passage details the structure and interactive process of a seminar. The sentence describes how this process of active student participation is achieved. The word accomplished means successfully completed, carried out, or achieved. In this passive construction (is often accomplished), it indicates that the objective or format of the seminar is successfully realized through an ongoing dialogue between the participants and the instructor.

Explanation

In the context of the sentence, the blank is paired with "or instructor" to describe the person who guides the ongoing dialogue in a seminar. A seminar is facilitated by a seminar leader or instructor who directs the discussion and interaction among the participants, making leader the grammatically and contextually correct choice.

Explanation

The context of a seminar involves active, collaborative participation and ongoing intellectual dialogue. For discussions on specific subjects to be productive, participants must already have some fundamental knowledge or prior background in the topic. Therefore, participants should not be beginners, as a certain level of familiarity with the field is necessary to meaningfully contribute to the seminar.

Explanation

The passage explicitly states that despite India having the world's highest per-capita incidence of water-borne diseases, the concern for safe drinking water is still abysmally low even among educated Indians, which directly corresponds to being very low.

Explanation

According to the passage, the survey revealed that over 73% of all households in the highest income categories (SECA and B) drink tap water without boiling it. Since 73% is very close to 75%, which represents three-fourths, this corresponds to nearly three-fourths of the households.

Explanation

According to the passage, during the monsoon season, which corresponds to the rainy season, the contamination of drinking water is very high. It is therefore doubly important during these months to ensure that drinking water is adequately sanitised to eliminate disease-causing organisms.

Explanation

The passage explicitly states in the second paragraph that the high level of indifference to boiling water will come as a surprise to many. This indifference is further supported by the survey findings mentioned in the first paragraph, which reveal that a large majority of households, even in the highest income categories, drink tap water without boiling it first.

Explanation

According to the second paragraph of the passage, every school child knows that unboiled tap water contains unseen disease-causing germs and is unsafe to drink. This direct statement from the text confirms that unboiled tap water contains germs.