SSC CHSL Tier 1 2015 English Comprehension Questions with Solutions

Explanation

The verb ponder means to think about or consider something deeply and thoroughly. When used with a preposition to describe reflecting deeply on a topic, situation, or problem over a period of time, it is standard English usage to use ponder over. In this context, pondering over the misfortunes of life correctly conveys the act of dwelling on or contemplating life's difficulties.

Explanation

The phrase "brings people together" is a standard idiomatic expression in English meaning to unite people or establish friendly relations among them. In this sentence, the conjunction "whereas" introduces a direct contrast between the unifying effect of laughter and the isolating effect of keeping to oneself ("whereas keeping to oneself distances people"). The verb "bring" collocates naturally with "together" to convey this sense of social cohesion and mutual connection, which perfectly fits the context of building friendships and making the world a happier place.

Explanation

In the context of the passage, the blank requires an adjective with a negative connotation to describe a person who does not smile or mix with others, complementing the term self-centered. The word glum, which means gloomy, silent, and morose, perfectly fits this description as people generally avoid interacting with gloomy and self-centered individuals.

Explanation

The correct phrasal verb to fill blank (vi) is "laugh away". To "laugh away" means to dismiss, cope with, or minimize the importance of problems and miseries by laughing or maintaining a cheerful attitude.

Explanation

The sentence contrasts how people react to self-centered individuals versus how they react to friendly, sociable individuals. Gregarious and outgoing people are warm, social, and willing to share both joys and sorrows, which makes them highly appealing. Therefore, people naturally like such individuals, making the verb like the most appropriate and contextually fitting choice for blank (iv).

Explanation

The idiomatic expression "keep to oneself" means to avoid social interaction and remain private or isolated. In this context, "If we keep to ourselves and do not mix with others..." requires the preposition "to" to accompany the reflexive pronoun "ourselves" to correctly convey the act of staying aloof or unsocial.

Explanation

The singular noun "friendship" is the subject of the clause in blank (x). It requires a singular verb to maintain subject-verb agreement. In English, "grows" is the most natural collocation to describe the expansion and strengthening of friendship over time, indicating a positive development that aligns with making the world a happier place.

Explanation

The correct option is A. The phrase "come together" is the most appropriate and idiomatic fit for the context, meaning to meet or associate with others, which naturally leads to expanding one's circle of acquaintance and friendship.

Explanation

The word resist means to withstand, strive against, or oppose a force, influence, or pressure. Conversely, yield means to surrender, give way, or submit under pressure or influence, making it the direct opposite in meaning.

Explanation

The word elementary refers to something that is basic, simple, or relates to the fundamental aspects of a subject. Its direct antonym is complex, which refers to something that is intricate, complicated, and consists of many interconnected parts rather than being straightforward or simple.

Explanation

The word accumulate means to gather, collect, or amass things together over a period of time. The word disperse means to scatter, distribute, or spread things over a wide area, making it the direct opposite in meaning.

Explanation

The word concur is a verb that means to agree, to be of the same opinion, or to coincide in agreement. Therefore, the antonym (opposite in meaning) of concur is disagree, which means to hold a different opinion or to fail to agree.

Explanation

Embezzlement is defined as the fraudulent misappropriation of funds or property by a person to whom those assets have been entrusted. It specifically denotes the act of secretly taking or using money belonging to an employer, cooperative, or public entity, which the perpetrator was responsible for managing or safeguarding.

Explanation

The word infallible describes a person, method, or system that is incapable of making an error, failing, or being wrong. It is derived from the Latin prefix in- meaning not and fallere meaning to deceive or mistake, making it the precise English term for someone who cannot make any mistake.

Explanation

A curator is a professional keeper or custodian who is in charge of a museum, art gallery, library, or archive. Their primary responsibilities include managing, organizing, preserving, and displaying collections of cultural, historical, artistic, or scientific value. They are also responsible for selecting new acquisitions, conducting research on objects within the collection, and organizing exhibitions for public viewing.

Explanation

The term premiere refers specifically to the very first public presentation, performance, or screening of a theatrical production, musical work, or motion picture. Originating from the French word premiere, meaning first, it denotes the official opening night or initial showing of a creative project to an audience, often accompanied by formal events and media coverage.

Explanation

The given sentence is in the passive voice of the simple past tense, which follows the structure: Object + was/were + past participle (V3) + by + Subject. When converting this structure into the active voice, the past tense helper verb (was) is removed, the main verb is used in its simple past form (V2), and the positions of the subject and the object are interchanged. Thus, the active voice structure becomes: Subject (An advisory board) + V2 (drafted) + Object (the agreement between the management and the workers).

Explanation

The given sentence is an imperative sentence expressing a command. The active voice structure of an imperative sentence is Verb + Object. When converting an imperative sentence into passive voice, the standard structure is Let + Subject + be + Past Participle form of the verb.

In this sentence, "put up" is the verb and "the tent" is the object. Since the past participle of the verb "put" is also "put", applying the rule yields Let the tent be put up.

Explanation

The subject The Narmada Dam Project in sentence 1 requires a verb to complete the main clause, which is provided in part R with the verb phrase "will displace some people".

The noun phrase "some people" at the end of part R is qualified by the relative clause starting in part P with "many of whom", where "whom" acts as the relative pronoun referring back to "people".

Part S, "happen to belong to some of", grammatically continues the relative clause as the predicate for the plural subject "many of whom".

The prepositional phrase ending with "some of" in part S requires a plural noun phrase to complete it, which is provided by part Q, "the most deprived sections".

Part Q then naturally connects to sentence 6, "of Indian society", to complete the entire sentence. The fully assembled sentence reads: "The Narmada Dam Project will displace some people many of whom happen to belong to some of the most deprived sections of Indian society." This establishes the sequence as RPSQ.

Explanation

The complete and grammatically coherent sentence is:

Television, one of the marvels of modern science, has become the most powerful medium of mass communication today.

In this structure: The subject is television (1). The noun phrase in apposition describing television is one of the marvels (R) of modern science (S). The verb phrase that follows is has become (P) the most powerful medium (Q). This is completed by the prepositional phrase of mass communication today (6).

This sequence perfectly aligns with the order RSPQ.

Explanation

The sentence begins with the subordinating conjunction "While" in part 1, which introduces a dependent time clause. This is logically followed by the past continuous action "I was walking" in part P. The prepositional phrase "with my brother" in part Q specifies who accompanied the speaker, and the adverbial phrase of place "in the field" in part S describes the location where the walking occurred. The main clause begins in part R with "I met a monk", which sets up the final part 6, "who was from Nepal", where the relative pronoun "who" correctly modifies the noun "monk". This makes the sequence PQSR grammatically correct and coherent.

Explanation

The correct arrangement of the parts to construct a grammatically accurate and coherent sentence is SQPR.

Segment 1, "All religions show us the path", is directly followed by segment S, "which leads to God", which functions as a relative clause modifying the noun "path".

Segment Q, "and wisemen", serves as a coordinating conjunction that connects "All religions" and "wisemen" to form a compound subject.

Segment P, "know that", functions as the plural verb phrase that agrees with the compound subject.

Segment R, "God is one", acts as the noun clause serving as the direct object of the verb "know".

Finally, segment 6, "but the paths are different", completes the sentence by providing a contrasting concluding clause.

When arranged in the sequence SQPR, the sentence reads: "All religions show us the path which leads to God, and wisemen know that God is one, but the paths are different."

Explanation

In the original sentence, Being a wet day is a participle clause that lacks a proper subject. This creates a dangling participle because the subject of the main clause (he) is incorrectly implied to be the subject of the participle (being), which is grammatically incorrect and illogical. Replacing the participle clause with an adverbial clause introduces the necessary subject. Substituting Being with As it was provides the subject (it) and the verb (was) to create a grammatically correct dependent clause, resulting in: As it was a wet day, he stayed at home.

Explanation

The sentence is grammatically correct as it stands. In sentences containing an adverbial clause of time that refers to the future, the main clause uses the simple future tense, while the subordinate clause introduced by a time conjunction such as "when" uses the simple present tense. In this sentence, the main clause "I shall write to you" correctly employs the simple future tense using "shall" with the first-person pronoun "I" to express a future action, and the subordinate clause "when I reach Agra" correctly uses the simple present tense verb "reach" to denote a future occurrence.

Explanation

In English grammar, when multiple adjectives are used before a noun, they must follow a specific hierarchical order. The standard sequence of cumulative adjectives is Opinion, Size, Physical Quality, Shape, Age, Color, Origin, Material, Type, and Purpose.

In this sentence, the adjective big represents size, and new represents age. Since size precedes age in the standard order, the adjective big must come before new, making big new house the grammatically correct sequence to modify the noun house.

Explanation

Under Article 75 of the Constitution of India, before a Minister enters upon their office, the President administers to them the oaths of office and secrecy according to the forms set out for the purpose in the Third Schedule. The expression "administers the oath of office" is the standard, constitutionally accurate, and grammatically correct phrasing to describe this official duty.

Explanation

The phrase "take care of" is a standard idiomatic expression in English meaning to look after, attend to, or protect someone or something. In this context, it refers to attending to or looking after one's physical well-being or health, making the preposition "of" the grammatically correct choice to complete the sentence.

Explanation

The phrasal verb knock down means to strike someone with a vehicle, causing them to fall to the ground or sustaining injuries. In this sentence, the context involves a speeding car hitting a pedestrian, making this the most appropriate and idiomatic phrase to describe the incident.

Explanation

The phrasal verb blow up means to destroy or damage something by using an explosion or bomb. In the context of terrorists targeting a structure like a bridge, blow up is the grammatically and contextually correct term to indicate their attempt to destroy it using explosives.

Explanation

The correct word to fill in the blank is resort, completing the well-known adage: Politics is the last resort of scoundrels. This expression is a common variation of Samuel Johnson's famous 18th-century quote, Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel. In the English language, a last resort refers to a final course of action or option that is turned to when all other avenues of success or survival have failed. In this context, the proverb suggests that unprincipled individuals ultimately turn to political life as their final opportunity to secure power, wealth, or self-preservation.

Explanation

The idiom "hold water" means to be valid, sound, reasonable, or logically consistent. When used in the context of an argument or a statement, it indicates that the reasoning is robust and can withstand critical examination. Therefore, saying an argument holds water means it seems logical and coherent.

Explanation

The idiom "cock-and-bull story" refers to a highly improbable, far-fetched, and fabricated explanation or excuse. It describes a narrative that lacks credibility and is entirely absurd and unbelievable, typically invented to deceive someone or to escape punishment.

Explanation

The idiom "in the nick of time" means happening at the last possible moment, or just in time to prevent something bad from happening. It indicates arriving or doing something at the very end of the available period, leaving no margin for delay. Therefore, Rohini reaching the examination hall in the nick of time means she reached just in time.

Explanation

The idiom "down to earth" is used to describe a person who is practical, sensible, and realistic. Such a person is humble, straightforward, and deals with situations in a reasonable, matter-of-fact way rather than being idealistic, pretentious, or lost in impractical thoughts.

Explanation

The error lies in the grammatical parallel structure of the phrase. The conjunction "and" connects two modifiers describing the noun "life". Since "comfortable" is an adjective, the word paired with it must also function as an adjective. The verb "settle" should therefore be changed to its past participle form "settled", which acts as an adjective, to make the phrase grammatically correct.

Explanation

The indefinite pronoun "one" is singular and requires a corresponding singular possessive pronoun to maintain pronoun-antecedent agreement. In formal standard English, the possessive pronoun that refers back to "one" is "one's". Using the plural possessive pronoun "their" is grammatically incorrect in this context. To correct the sentence, "their" must be replaced with "one's", making the proper phrasing "One should have one's teeth checked every six months." This is why the error lies in the segment containing "their".

Explanation

The indefinite article a is incorrectly used before the word honest. Since the letter h in honest is silent, the word begins with a vowel sound. The indefinite article an must be used before words that begin with a vowel sound, making the correct phrasing an honest person.

Explanation

The error lies in the usage of the verb saw after the preposition to. The infinitive marker to must be followed by the base form of the verb. In this context, the base verb say should be used instead of the past tense verb saw. Correcting the phrase to to say makes the sentence grammatically correct.

Explanation

When converting direct speech into indirect speech, an exclamatory sentence expressing joy with the interjection "hurrah" is reported using the phrase "exclaimed joyfully" or "exclaimed with joy". The conjunction "that" is used to introduce the reported clause. The first-person pronoun "I" is changed to the third-person pronoun "he" to match the subject "Robin". Additionally, the present perfect tense "have topped" in the direct speech is changed to the past perfect tense "had topped" because the reporting verb "said" is in the past tense. This transforms the sentence into "Robin exclaimed joyfully that he had topped again".

Explanation

When converting a direct speech question into indirect speech, if the reporting verb is in the past tense (asked), the tense of the verb in the reported speech changes accordingly. Specifically, the present perfect tense (Have you seen) changes to the past perfect tense (had seen). Furthermore, the second-person pronoun (you) changes to the first-person pronoun (I) to agree with the object of the reporting verb (me). For yes/no questions, the conjunction (if) or (whether) is introduced to connect the reporting clause and the reported clause, and the interrogative sentence structure is converted into an assertive statement. Applying these rules, the sentence is correctly converted to: Ravi asked me if I had seen the Taj Mahal.

Explanation

The word mistake is defined as an act, assertion, or belief that unintentionally deviates from what is correct, right, or true. The word error is a direct synonym that similarly refers to a slip, inaccuracy, or deviation from accuracy or correctness. Both terms represent an incorrect action or judgment.

Explanation

The word acquire means to obtain, gain, or come into possession of something, typically through effort, action, or purchase. Similarly, procure means to obtain or secure something, especially with care or effort. Therefore, procure is the synonym that best expresses the meaning of acquire.

Explanation

The word filthy means extremely dirty, nasty, or soiled. Therefore, dirty is the closest synonym that best expresses its meaning, as both words describe something that is unclean or contaminated.

Explanation

The word annoy means to irritate, bother, or make someone slightly angry. The word offend means to cause displeasure, resentment, or anger in another person. Both words describe actions that result in a negative emotional reaction or displeasure, making them close synonyms in this context.

Explanation

The word alkali is a noun in chemistry that refers to a basic, ionic salt of an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal chemical element. The word originates from the Arabic term al-qaly, which means the ashes of plants. The standard and correct spelling of this word is alkali.

Explanation

The word decisive is the correct spelling of the adjective that means having the power or quality of deciding, putting an end to controversy, or showing determination. It is derived from the verb decide, following standard English phonetic and spelling patterns where the suffix -ive is added to the root stem, resulting in the spelling d-e-c-i-s-i-v-e.

Explanation

The correct spelling is amateur, which refers to a person who engages in an activity, sport, or study for pleasure rather than for financial benefit or professional reasons. The word is borrowed from French, which ultimately derives from the Latin word amator, meaning lover or admirer.

Explanation

The word millennium is correctly spelled with a double l and a double n. It originates from the Latin words mille, which means thousand, and annus, which means year. Combining these roots results in the double consonant structure of the word, which refers to a span of one thousand years.