SSC CHSL Tier 1 2016 English Comprehension Questions with Solutions

Explanation

The idiom "through thick and thin" means to support or stay with someone under all circumstances, through both good and bad times, no matter how difficult or challenging they may be. Originating from the historical English phrase "through thicket and thin wood," which referred to navigating through both dense vegetation and sparse woods, it has evolved to represent steadfast loyalty and perseverance in relationships or endeavors during prosperity and adversity alike.

Explanation

The adjective short requires the preposition of to complete its meaning, making part P the immediate continuation of the opening clause, forming India is extremely short of water. Part P ends with there will be even less, which naturally connects to the phrase of it as groundwater in part R to specify the substance being referred to. Finally, part R ends with the noun groundwater, which functions as the subject for the passive verb phrase is taken out in part Q. Combining these parts in the sequence P-R-Q yields the grammatically complete and logically coherent sentence: India is extremely short of water, and there will be even less of it as groundwater is taken out.

Explanation

The idiom thumb one's nose originates from a physical gesture of placing the thumb on the nose with fingers spread out to mock or show contempt. Figuratively, to thumb one's nose at someone or something means to display a blatant lack of respect, defy authority, or treat a person, rule, or belief with contempt. This directly aligns with the meaning of expressing scorn.

Explanation

The direct speech is a yes/no question in the present perfect tense, which changes to the past perfect tense in indirect speech, using whether or if as the conjunction without that. Option A correctly uses whether and the past perfect tense had come (since come is the past participle of come).

Explanation

The word crown refers to the topmost part, peak, or summit of something, such as a hill, a structure, or the head. Similarly, the apex is defined as the highest point, vertex, or tip of an object, making it a direct synonym of crown in this context.

Explanation

The word incensed means to make someone extremely angry or infuriated. In the context of the sentence, the unruly and disruptive behavior of the parliamentarians would naturally anger the speaker of the house, making incensed the most appropriate verb to describe the speaker's reaction.

Explanation

The idiom cut a sorry figure is a standard English expression that means to present oneself in a poor, awkward, or unfavorable manner, or to make a poor impression through one's performance or appearance. In the context of the sentence, it accurately describes how the kid made a poor impression during his first performance on the stage. Since the idiom is used correctly in its standard form and fits the context perfectly, no improvement is needed.

Explanation

The verb launched means to initiate, set in motion, or introduce a new project, scheme, or public campaign. In the context of the sentence, the municipality initiated a new plan of securing dedicated lanes for buses to improve the overall public transport system. Thus, launched is the most appropriate word to fill in the blank to complete the sentence grammatically and contextually.

Explanation

The word essences is spelled correctly. It is the plural form of the noun essence, which refers to the intrinsic nature or indispensable quality of something that determines its character.

Explanation

An evangelist is a person who preaches the gospel, especially a Protestant minister or missionary who conducts public religious meetings. Because both terms refer to individuals who publicly deliver religious sermons, teach moral principles, and spread spiritual doctrines, evangelist is a direct synonym for preacher.

Explanation

Etiquette represents the established code of polite behavior and social decorum that individuals are expected to follow within a community, social class, or professional organization. Derived from French, it outlines the conventional rules of personal conduct, manners, and ceremonial procedures that help ensure respectful, orderly, and harmonious interactions among people in both public and private life.

Explanation

The word fiddling is the correct spelling of the present participle of the verb fiddle, which means to touch or fidget with something in a restless or nervous way, or to play the fiddle. According to standard English spelling rules, when a verb ends in a silent e, the e is dropped before adding the suffix -ing, resulting in the correct spelling fiddling.

Explanation

The sentence is grammatically correct and free from any error. The subordinating conjunction although is correctly used to introduce a clause of concession, establishing a contrast between his hard work in the past (studied very hard) and his inability to pass the exam (could not pass). The tenses are consistent, as both clauses use past-tense verbs (studied and could). The comma is properly placed after the introductory dependent clause to separate it from the main clause.

Explanation

Veracity refers to the quality of being truthful, honest, and conforming to facts. Deceit represents the act of misleading, dishonesty, or concealing the truth, making it the direct antonym of veracity.

Explanation

The term consistency refers to the physical nature of a substance, specifically representing how thick, viscous, or firm it is, or the degree of density with which its parts hold together.

Explanation

The phrasal verb settle for means to accept something that is not entirely satisfactory or is not one's first choice, typically because it is easier to obtain or is the only option available. In this sentence, the phrase settle for easy options correctly expresses the political willingness to accept less challenging or less comprehensive solutions instead of pursuing more effective ones.

Explanation

The sentence presents a contrast between the grand, broad declarations made at the summits and the actual narrowed focus of their outcomes. The preposition "Despite" is used to introduce a statement of contrast or concession, meaning "notwithstanding" or "in spite of", and is directly followed by a noun phrase ("the expansive declarations..."). This makes "Despite" grammatically and contextually correct to introduce the concessive clause.

Explanation

The relative pronoun "which" is used here to introduce a non-defining relative clause. This clause is separated from the main sentence by a comma and provides additional, non-essential information about the preceding noun phrase, "all nuclear materials". In standard English grammar, "which" is the appropriate relative pronoun to refer to non-human entities and things in non-defining relative clauses.

Explanation

The idiomatic phrase to narrow one's focus means to restrict or concentrate attention, effort, or interest onto a more specific and limited subject. In the context of the passage, the summits moved from expansive declarations about all nuclear materials to restricting their concentrated attention specifically to civilian holdings, making focus the most grammatically and contextually appropriate fit.

Explanation

The preposition "in" is grammatically correct and idiomatic to indicate the location or possession of the "civilian holdings" within the specified territories or nations. The sentence describes nuclear materials located inside "non-nuclear weapon states", making "in" the appropriate choice to show this containment and geographic relationship.

Explanation

The phrasal verb bear with means to tolerate, endure, or remain patient through a difficult, uncomfortable, or annoying situation. In this context, living in a crowded part of the city requires a person to be patient and tolerate the persistent loudness, making bear with the appropriate expression to use.

Explanation

Couscous is a traditional North African staple food made of small, steamed granules of rolled durum wheat semolina. The spelling c-o-u-s-c-o-u-s is correct and universally accepted in standard English dictionaries.

Explanation

The term arbitrary refers to an action, decision, or ruling that is made solely on the basis of random choice, individual discretion, or personal whim, rather than being determined by any systematic rule, reason, logic, or established law.

Explanation

The idiom wild goose chase refers to a hopeless, frustrating, or foolish search for something that is unattainable or does not exist. It describes an undertaking that is destined to fail because the objective is unreachable, much like trying to pursue and catch a wild goose in an open field.

Explanation

The subject of the sentence is The NSG, which requires a verb to complete the main clause. Part R introduces the verb phrase has already made its rules and naturally follows the subject. The noun rules is further described by the participle phrase in part Q, covering every aspect, which sets up a prepositional relation. This prepositional phrase is completed by part P, of nuclear trade, spelt out in its guidelines and trigger- lists, where of nuclear trade directly links to every aspect. Therefore, the logical and grammatical sequence is RQP.

Explanation

The entire sentence is grammatically correct and structurally sound. The singular subject "the cost of living" correctly agrees with the singular verb "is". The correlative conjunction "so... that" is used appropriately to connect the high cost of living with its consequence. Additionally, the idiomatic expression "make ends meet", meaning to earn enough money to cover basic expenses, is used in its correct form and context.

Explanation

The idiomatic phrase you bet is used as an informal expression to emphasize a statement, show strong agreement, or give confirmation. It is synonymous with certainly, of course, or you can be sure of it, indicating absolute certainty about a particular situation or response.

Explanation

In the active voice sentence, the subject is the workers, the verb is expected, and the object is the infinitive phrase to finish the job. To convert this sentence into the passive voice, the infinitive phrase is expanded into a subordinate noun clause that they would finish the job. The dummy subject it is introduced to initiate the passive construction. The simple past tense verb expected is changed to its passive form was expected, and the original subject is introduced with the preposition by, resulting in the passive construction: It was expected by the workers that they would finish the job.

Explanation

The error lies in part C of the sentence. The preposition since is used to denote a specific point in time when an action started. In contrast, the preposition for is used to denote a duration or period of time. Because seven days represents a duration of time, since must be replaced with for to make the sentence grammatically correct.

Explanation

The term spank specifically refers to the action of striking or slapping someone with an open hand or a flat object, typically on the buttocks, often as a form of discipline or punishment.

Explanation

The term deployment refers to the act of positioning, distributing, or organizing military forces, resources, or equipment in a specific area for active service or strategic use. Stationing directly corresponds to this definition, as it means assigning a specific station, post, or base to personnel or equipment for a particular purpose.

Explanation

To sue means to initiate legal proceedings against a person or organization to hold them liable for a wrong or to demand damages. In contrast, to absolve means to officially declare someone free from guilt, blame, responsibility, or obligation. This makes it the direct antonym, as it represents the act of releasing someone from the very liability or accusation that a lawsuit seeks to establish.

Explanation

The word facade refers to an outward appearance, illusion, or superficial front that is maintained to conceal a less pleasant or different state of affairs. In contrast, reality represents the actual state of things as they exist in fact, free from any deceptive appearance, making it the direct antonym.

Explanation

The word manifestations means the clear appearances, bodily forms, or concrete expressions of an abstract theory, concept, or system. In sociological and formal contexts, crimes and observable social evils are described as the physical or real-world manifestations of underlying, abstract structural issues like patriarchy. Therefore, crimes against women are the active, visible expressions or manifestations of the deep-rooted patriarchal systems of our society.

Explanation

In English collocations and journalistic writing, the verb bag is widely and idiomatically used to mean winning, securing, or capturing something highly desirable, such as a prize, medal, or award. The phrase bagged awards perfectly completes the sentence, accurately conveying that the Indian ad agencies won awards at the international competition.

Explanation

The word schemata is the correctly spelled plural form of the noun schema, which refers to a cognitive framework or mental concept that helps organize and interpret information.

Explanation

When converting direct speech into indirect speech, if the reporting verb is in the past tense, the verb in the reported speech changes from the present tense to the corresponding past tense. In this sentence, the reporting verb is answered, which is in the past tense, so the present tense verb are in the reported speech changes to the past tense were. Additionally, the conjunction that is used to connect the reporting verb with the reported clause, resulting in Sarah answered that the photographs were under the drawer.

Explanation

The word banquet refers to a large, elaborate, and formal meal, typically held to honor a person or celebrate a specific occasion. The term feast shares this exact meaning, representing a plentiful and celebratory meal prepared for a large group of guests, making it the direct synonym.

Explanation

The phrase to begin with is a standard idiomatic expression in English used to introduce the first point in a discussion, explanation, or argument. In this context, it functions as an introductory phrase meaning first of all or as a starting point to initiate the inquiry into whether Bengaluru ever deserved its positive appellation.

Explanation

The word connotations refers to the ideas, feelings, or cultural associations that a word, phrase, or appellation carries in addition to its literal or primary meaning. In the context of the passage, the author is discussing a specific title or appellation given to Bengaluru, noting that this label is assumed to carry only positive implications or associated meanings. Therefore, connotations is the most linguistically accurate and idiomatic fit for the blank to describe the positive attributes associated with the appellation.

Explanation

The noun risk is idiomatically followed by the preposition of when indicating the specific danger or negative consequence that is being ventured. The standard prepositional phrase used before a gerund like earning is at the risk of.

Explanation

The sentence discusses the mythicized and remembered history of Bengaluru. The term nostalgia means a sentimental longing or wistful affection for a period in the past. When placed in the phrase nostalgia for a peaceful past apart, it perfectly conveys the idea of setting aside the sentimental yearning or romanticized memory of the city's peaceful past to analyze its actual historical tolerance of differences.

Explanation

The active voice sentence is in the past perfect tense, which follows the structure: Subject + had + past participle verb (V3) + Object. To convert a past perfect active voice sentence into passive voice, the grammatical rule dictates using the structure: Subject (the original object) + had been + past participle verb (V3) + by + Object (the original subject). Applying this rule, the subject Ravi and the object a mistake swap places, and the auxiliary verb structure changes from had committed to had been committed, resulting in the correct passive form.

Explanation

The word adhesive is spelled correctly. It is a commonly used English word that functions as both a noun and an adjective, referring to a substance like glue or tape that is capable of bonding surfaces together, or describing something that has the property of sticking or adhering to a surface.

Explanation

The word endeavour means to make a concerted, active effort or to strive earnestly towards a goal, which implies purposeful action, determination, and exertion. The word passive, in contrast, describes a state of inactivity, submissiveness, or letting things happen without taking any active role or initiative. Thus, passive represents the opposite of the energetic action denoted by endeavour, making it the correct antonym.

Explanation

The sentence refers to the wave-particle duality of light, which is a fundamental concept in physics and electromagnetism. Light exhibits both wave-like properties, such as interference and diffraction, and particle-like properties, as demonstrated by the photoelectric effect. This characteristic is scientifically and standardly referred to as the dual nature of light.

Explanation

The idiom "to put the cat among the pigeons" means to do or say something that is likely to cause trouble, controversy, or anger in a group of people. This is derived from the literal image of the chaos, panic, and disturbance that would be created if a cat were suddenly introduced into a flock of pigeons.

Explanation

The opening phrase "He spent a third" requires a prepositional phrase starting with "of" to complete its grammatical and logical meaning, which is directly provided by part R ("of the time describing his tax proposals, but"). The coordinating conjunction "but" at the end of part R sets up a contrast and connects this clause to the next actions, which are introduced by the verb in part Q ("made sure that none of them"). Finally, the pronoun phrase "none of them" in part Q serves as the subject for the singular verb phrase in part P ("was of any consequence"), completing the sentence structure in a meaningful and coherent manner.

Explanation

The sentence is grammatically correct and free from any error.

The use of the indefinite article "a" in "a hundred yards" is correct. Quantifiers such as "hundred", "thousand", or "million" must be preceded by an article (such as "a") or a numeral (such as "one") when they are used in the singular form to describe a specific quantity. Therefore, "a hundred yards" is the grammatically correct phrasing, while omitting the article would be incorrect.

Additionally, the preposition "from" is appropriately used here to indicate the point of reference from which the distance is measured. While "of" is also commonly used in expressions like "within a hundred yards of my house", the preposition "from" is equally acceptable to denote starting measurements or distance from an origin.

Explanation

The verb to moan means to make a low, mournful sound expressing physical or mental pain, grief, or unhappiness. Similarly, to sigh means to emit a long, deep, audible breath expressing sadness, weariness, or grief. Both words are closely related vocal expressions associated with sorrow, distress, or discontent.