SSC CHSL Tier 1 2016 English Comprehension Questions with Solutions

Explanation

The word engulf means to sweep over something so as to surround, cover, or submerge it completely. It is commonly used to describe situations where a powerful force, such as fire, water, or waves, rapidly spreads and completely encloses or overwhelms an object or area.

Explanation

The time phrase "for the past year" indicates a duration that started in the past and continues up to the present moment. To express an ongoing state or action that began in the past and is still continuing in the present, the present perfect tense is required. Since the subject "Venezuelans" is plural, the plural present perfect passive form "have been" is the grammatically correct choice to indicate that this deprivation has been happening over the specified period of time up to now.

Explanation

The idiom "turn a blind eye" means to deliberately ignore or pretend not to notice something, especially an ongoing wrongdoing, misbehavior, or a problem that one is fully aware of. It refers to a conscious decision to look away or avoid taking action despite being aware of the situation.

Explanation

When converting direct speech into indirect speech for interrogative sentences, the reporting verb said to changes to asked. The question word where is retained to connect the clauses, and the interrogative word order of verb before subject (is the film studio) changes to the assertive word order of subject before verb (the film studio was). Additionally, because the reporting verb is in the past tense, the simple present verb is changes to the simple past verb was. This results in the grammatically correct form where the film studio was.

Explanation

A sheath is a close-fitting protective cover, casing, or outer layer that envelops an object. Similarly, a coat refers to an outer layer, covering, or protective casing applied to or surrounding an object. Both words share the core meaning of an external protective covering, making them synonyms.

Explanation

The word primed means prepared, equipped, or made ready for a specific purpose or action. Since its core meaning describes a state of readiness, the direct opposite is unready, which means not prepared or not in a fit state for immediate use or action.

Explanation

The sentence begins with the plural subject "Aggregate levels of under nutrition in India", which correctly connects to the plural verb "remain" in part P. Part P ends with the adjective "impressive", which logically modifies the noun "reduction" at the beginning of part R. Finally, the preposition "in" at the end of part R links to the noun phrase "stunting in the last decade" in part Q to specify what has decreased. This sequential arrangement yields a grammatically sound and coherent sentence.

Explanation

The active voice sentence uses the modal construction "had to stop", which in the passive voice correctly becomes "had to be stopped". Option A is the only choice that maintains this correct tense and passive structure.

Explanation

A pilferer is a person who steals, typically committing petty theft or taking items of low value. The antonym of a thief or lawbreaker is someone who upholds the law, prevents crime, and maintains public order, which is the role of the police.

Explanation

The verb whisk specifically means to take, carry, or move someone or something to another place suddenly and rapidly. It is commonly used in contexts where a person is quickly escorted, swept away, or transported from one location to another, capturing the exact essence of sudden and swift movement described in the phrase.

Explanation

The phrase Imagine the government sets up a hypothetical situation, which is followed by the subjunctive verb phrase in part P (were an investor). The noun investor is then described by the modifying participle phrase in part Q (trying to maximize India's long-run). The compound adjective long-run in part Q directly modifies the noun phrase economic growth in part R. Therefore, the parts connect logically and grammatically in the sequence P-Q-R to form a coherent sentence.

Explanation

The word genre refers to a style, class, or category of artistic, musical, or literary composition characterized by a particular form, style, or content. It denotes a class or division of things regarded as having shared characteristics, making category its direct synonym.

Explanation

The idiom "up a blind alley" refers to following a course of action, direction, or investigation that leads to no progress, a dead end, or an undesirable and fruitless outcome. This expression comes from the literal meaning of a blind alley, which is a street or path closed at one end, meaning any movement down it will eventually be blocked and yield no results. Hence, pursuing something that is up a blind alley means wasting effort on a path that is certain to lead to an unsuccessful or undesirable conclusion.

Explanation

The word tapestry is spelled correctly. It is a noun that refers to a heavy piece of textile fabric with decorative designs woven or embroidered into it, typically used as a wall hanging or furniture covering. The correct alphabetical sequence for this word is t-a-p-e-s-t-r-y.

Explanation

The noun emulation means the effort to match or surpass a person's achievements or actions, typically through imitation. The phrase worthy of emulation is a standard English idiom used to describe exemplary behavior, achievements, or success that is highly commendable and deserves to be admired and copied by others.

Explanation

The error lies in part (C) because the word then is used to indicate time, sequence, or consequence. For comparisons, the conjunction than must be used. Therefore, then me should be corrected to than me (or than I) to properly complete the comparison with much smarter.

Explanation

The error lies in part C of the sentence. The phrase "on your face" is an incorrect literal translation of a colloquial expression; the correct idiom is "to your face," which means in your presence or directly to you.

Explanation

The standard English idiomatic phrase is "Not so long ago", which is used to refer to a time in the recent past. In this context, it introduces the idea that until recently, it was widely expected that British voters would choose to remain in the European Union.

Explanation

The sentence describes the widespread expectation and assurance before the Brexit referendum that the United Kingdom would vote to remain in the European Union. The adjective confident is the most appropriate word to express this state of feeling certain or assured about a future outcome, especially when followed by the clause introduced by that. In this context, virtually everyone seemed confident that voters would reaffirm their faith in a united Europe, highlighting the contrast with the actual, unexpected outcome of the referendum.

Explanation

The sentence is written in the past tense as indicated by the verb seemed in the main clause. Therefore, the past form of the modal auxiliary verb, would, must be used in the subordinate clause to express a future action from a past perspective.

Explanation

The phrase grim reality is a standard English collocation used to describe an unpleasant or unwelcome truth, which fits the negative context of the passage. The original text of the article uses the word grim to describe the reality of the referendum outcome.

Explanation

The plural noun phrase "voters" following "majority of" requires a plural verb, and the present perfect tense "have opted" correctly aligns with the present perfect tense "has actually become" used in the preceding sentence.

Explanation

The verb to spurn means to reject with disdain, contempt, or scorn, representing a strong and dismissive refusal of an offer, person, or idea. The direct antonym of this action is to accept, which means to receive or take something offered willingly, representing the exact opposite of rejection and disdain.

Explanation

When converting the sentence from direct to indirect speech, standard rules of tense and pronoun transformation apply. The first statement, I am off to the games, is an assertive sentence in the present tense, which changes to the past tense, becoming that he was off to the games. The second part is an interrogative sentence in the present continuous tense, Where are you going?. This is joined using and wanted to know, and the question is changed into an assertive structure in the past continuous tense, where I was going. Combining these transformations results in the correct indirect speech form.

Explanation

The idiom familiarity breeds contempt is used to express the idea that close or long-standing association with a person, place, or thing can lead to a loss of respect or appreciation. When we become highly familiar with someone, their flaws and shortcomings become more apparent, and the initial sense of novelty or esteem wears off, leading to a decline in respect.

Explanation

A totem is a natural object, animal, or plant that is revered as a sacred symbol and serves as an emblem of a family, clan, lineage, or tribe, representing their common ancestry and collective identity.

Explanation

The verb to neglect is the antonym of to conceive because to conceive means to form, formulate, or devise an idea, plan, or concept in the mind, which requires active mental attention and creation. Conversely, to neglect means to disregard, ignore, or fail to care for something, representing a complete lack of attention, oversight, or abandonment of thought.

Explanation

The term parole refers to the temporary release of a prisoner before the completion of their sentence, typically granted under specific conditions or for compassionate reasons. Allowing a convict temporary leave to care for or spend time with an ailing family member is officially and legally described as being released on parole.

Explanation

The sentence compares the required speed of computers with their current speed. The comparative degree of the adjective "fast" is "faster", and the conjunction "than" is correctly used to introduce the second term of comparison. Thus, the phrase "faster than" is grammatically correct and requires no improvement.

Explanation

The passive verb phrase can be is naturally followed by an adverb and a past participle to complete the verbal structure, which is provided by easily swayed by false in part P. The adjective false at the end of part P requires a noun to modify, which is logically provided by propaganda at the beginning of part Q. The clause as is being done in part Q is then naturally completed by the adverbial modifier of time and place right now across the country in part R. Connecting these parts in the sequence P-Q-R forms the grammatically correct and coherent sentence: Their judgment can be easily swayed by false propaganda, as is being done right now across the country.

Explanation

The word closeted is spelled correctly as c-l-o-s-e-t-e-d. It functions as an adjective in English, derived from the noun closet, and means to be kept secret, private, or not publicly expressed. It is most commonly used to describe individuals who conceal a significant aspect of their personal life or identity from the public.

Explanation

A rendezvous is a meeting at an agreed time and place, often between two or more people. Similarly, a tryst is an appointed meeting or agreement to meet, traditionally used to describe a private, secret, or romantic encounter between people. Both terms share the central meaning of a pre-arranged meeting or gathering, making them close synonyms in the English language.

Explanation

The active voice sentence is in the simple past tense, as indicated by the verb read. To convert a simple past active sentence into passive voice, the structure follows: Subject (originally the object) + was/were + past participle of the verb (V₃) + by + Object (originally the subject).

Here, the object of the active sentence is the story, which is singular and takes the auxiliary verb was, followed by the past participle read. The subject I changes to its objective pronoun form me. This results in the construction: The story was read by me in one night.

Explanation

The verb ask functions as a ditransitive verb, which takes both an indirect object (the person being asked) and a direct object (the thing being asked). The standard grammatical pattern for this construction is ask + indirect object + direct object. In this sentence, Rinky is the indirect object and any questions is the direct object. Placing the recipient of the question directly after the verb without a preposition creates the grammatically correct structure ask Rinky any questions.

Explanation

The word "usefully" is the correct adverbial form of the adjective "useful", which is derived from the noun "use". It is formed by adding the suffix "-ly" to the base word "useful", maintaining the double "l" in the suffix to mean in a way that is beneficial, advantageous, or helpful.

Explanation

The sentence is grammatically correct. The opening participle clause "Being occupied with work" correctly modifies the subject "father" in the main clause, which avoids any dangling modifier. The subsequent clause "father had no time to see us" is structurally sound and free of grammatical errors. Therefore, the sentence requires no correction.

Explanation

The word indifferent means having no interest, concern, or sympathy, or remaining completely unaffected. In the context of the sentence, the employee has reached a state of mind where neither the manager's positive feedback in the form of praise nor negative feedback in the form of reprimand evokes any reaction or has any impact on them. This makes indifferent the most suitable and grammatically correct fit for the blank.

Explanation

The verb defuse means to reduce the tension, danger, or potential hostility in a difficult situation, thereby making it calmer and safer. Similarly, alleviate means to make a problem, pain, or difficult state less severe, intense, or burdensome. Both terms share the central meaning of mitigating, easing, or lessening the intensity of a negative or stressful condition, which makes them synonymous in contexts involving the reduction of severity or tension.

Explanation

The adjective convincing requires a noun to modify, which is provided by the plural noun arguments at the beginning of part P. This establishes the initial segment as Although no convincing arguments were made against. The preposition against at the end of part P requires an object, which is supplied by the noun phrase the amendment in part R, creating the transition from P to R. The pronoun there at the end of part R serves as an existential subject that must be followed by a verb and a noun phrase, which is fulfilled by was commotion in the House in part Q. Combining these parts in the order PRQ forms the grammatically correct and meaningful sentence: Although no convincing arguments were made against the amendment, there was commotion in the House.

Explanation

The word decamp means to depart suddenly, secretly, or unexpectedly, typically to avoid detection, prosecution, or an unwanted situation. Historically originating from the military term for packing up a camp to move elsewhere, it is commonly used in modern English to describe any rapid or stealthy departure from a place.

Explanation

The word cursory means hasty and superficial, performed with minimal attention to detail or thoroughness. In this context, describing the court's evaluation as a "one-paragraph dismissal" implies that the legal claim was dismissed in a brief and passing manner without detailed discussion or deep analytical engagement. Therefore, cursory is the most appropriate adjective to characterize the superficial and hasty nature of this legal treatment.

Explanation

The term criminal defamation is a well-established legal concept referring to the offense of damaging someone's reputation, which in this context acts as the singular noun subject for the singular verb creates. Using the singular noun defamation completes the noun phrase grammatically and contextually, aligning with the discussion on the legal and constitutional challenges surrounding laws that penalize speech.

Explanation

The grammatical structure of adjective + to-infinitive is standard in English when describing how easy, difficult, or impossible an action is to perform on the subject of the clause. In this sentence, the adjective easy is followed by the infinitive verb phrase to make to indicate that the action of making such proclamations is simple from a highly secure and insulated position. This complete construction smoothly connects the adjective to the action being described.

Explanation

In legal contexts, especially concerning freedom of speech and journalism, the term frivolous is used to describe lawsuits or cases that have no serious purpose, value, or legal merit. Journalists and media outlets often face hundreds of such groundless legal cases, which are filed primarily to harass, intimidate, or exhaust their financial resources. This phenomenon, which contributes directly to the chilling effect on free speech mentioned in the passage, makes frivolous the most suitable word to describe these cases.

Explanation

In the cleft sentence construction "It is [subject] who/that [verb phrase]", the relative pronoun functions as the subject of the relative clause "have to deal with...". Since the main antecedent includes "journalists" (people acting as the subject), the subjective relative pronoun "who" is grammatically correct to connect the human subjects to their action.

Explanation

The presence of the conjunction than in the sentence requires the correlative conjunction no sooner at the beginning of the sentence, as as soon as cannot be paired with than. When a sentence begins with a negative adverbial phrase like no sooner, grammatical inversion must take place, meaning the auxiliary verb is placed before the subject. The standard construction for this is No sooner + did + subject + base form of the verb + than + second clause. This structure is perfectly satisfied by No sooner did I see.

Explanation

The introductory clause "It is a good sign" is naturally followed by the noun clause starting with "that", which is part P. Part P ends with the preposition "despite", which requires a noun phrase as its object. This object is provided by part Q, "the revenue base coming down because". Finally, the word "because" at the end of part Q combines with "of" at the beginning of part R to form the prepositional phrase "because of", followed by its object "increased devolution to States". This completes the sentence in a grammatically correct and logically coherent sequence as PQR.

Explanation

The subject in the clause is the gerund phrase driving vehicles. A gerund phrase always takes a singular verb. Therefore, the plural verb require must be replaced with the singular verb requires to maintain correct subject-verb agreement.

Explanation

To brood means to think deeply or dwell anxiously on a subject, giving it close and continuous attention. In contrast, to ignore means to deliberately pay no attention to something or to disregard it entirely, making it the direct antonym.

Explanation

The given active sentence is in the simple past tense, following the structure of Subject (The cricket ball) + V₂ (struck) + Object (me). To convert a simple past active sentence into passive voice, the structure used is Subject + was/were + V₃ (past participle) + by + Object.

Applying this rule, the object "me" changes to the subject pronoun "I". The singular subject "I" takes the auxiliary verb "was", followed by the third form of the verb "struck", which is "struck". The original subject "the cricket ball" becomes the agent introduced by the preposition "by", while the prepositional phrase "on the head" maintains its position. This gives the grammatically correct passive sentence.