SSC CHSL Tier 1 2016 English Comprehension Questions with Solutions

Explanation

The noun ease is the correct fit here because it forms a standard collocated prepositional phrase with with. To do something with ease means to do it effortlessly, without any difficulty. In the structure of the sentence, the relative clause with which she manages the task modifies the noun ease, originating from the base clause she manages the task with ease. This perfectly conveys the meaning that the effortless manner in which she handles the task is extraordinary and worthy of attention.

Explanation

When converting an optative sentence expressing a prayer or wish into indirect speech, the reporting verb said is changed to prayed or wished. The conjunction that is introduced to link the reporting clause with the reported speech. The optative word order of the reported speech is changed to an assertive word order, placing the subject God before the helping verb. Additionally, because the reporting verb is in the past tense, the modal verb may is converted to its past equivalent would or might to maintain tense consistency. This results in the correct indirect statement: The preacher prayed that God would grant peace to the departed.

Explanation

Ingestion refers to the process of taking food, drink, or other substances into the body by swallowing or absorbing it. Conversely, excrete means to separate and expel waste matter from the body. Because ingestion is the act of taking substances in, and excreting is the act of discharging waste substances out, they function as direct opposites or antonyms.

Explanation

The introductory clause "Today, however, when one in four rural Indians" sets up a subject that requires a parallel structure. Part R ("and one in six urban Indians") seamlessly connects to this to complete the compound subject.

Part Q ("is poor, our chances of being wrong") follows next, providing the singular verb "is" to match the singular "one" from the subject clauses, and initiating the main independent clause with the plural subject "our chances of being wrong".

Part P ("in identifying the poor are far greater") completes the thought by specifying what we are wrong about ("in identifying the poor") and providing the plural verb "are" to agree with the subject "chances".

When combined in the sequence RQP, the parts form a coherent, grammatically sound sentence: "Today, however, when one in four rural Indians and one in six urban Indians is poor, our chances of being wrong in identifying the poor are far greater."

Explanation

The present perfect continuous tense is used to denote an action that began in the past and is still continuing into the present. The time prepositional phrase since early morning indicates that the action of queuing started in the morning and continues up to the present moment. Since the subject Fans is plural, it requires the plural auxiliary verb have followed by been and the present participle form of the phrasal verb queue up, which is queuing up, to denote standing in a line while waiting.

Explanation

The word manifest means to show, display, or become apparent, particularly in a clinical or medical context where a disease or condition reveals its presence through the development of noticeable physical or psychological symptoms.

Explanation

A splinter refers to a small, thin, sharp piece of wood, glass, or other material broken off from a larger piece. Similarly, a chip refers to a small piece of wood, stone, or other material that has been broken, cut, or sliced off from a larger object. Since both words represent a small fragment broken off from a larger whole, they function as synonyms.

Explanation

The introductory clause In that case requires a subject and a verb to complete the sentence. Part R introduces the subject a Uniform Civil Code along with the auxiliary verb would simply. The auxiliary verb would requires a base form main verb to follow it, which is provided by the verb put at the start of Part P. The phrase put together the best gender-just in Part P ends with an adjective that requires a noun to modify. This noun is provided by practices at the beginning of Part Q. Connecting these segments in the order R-P-Q forms the grammatically correct and coherent sentence In that case, a Uniform Civil Code would simply put together the best gender-just practices from all Personal Laws.

Explanation

The idiom "wear your heart on your sleeve" means to display your emotions and feelings openly rather than hiding them, making your emotional state completely apparent to everyone around you. This phrase has historical roots dating back to the Middle Ages, where knights would tie a favor, ribbon, or token from a lady to the sleeve of their armor during jousting tournaments to publicly show their affection and allegiance.

Explanation

Coolants is the correctly spelled plural form of the noun coolant. A coolant is a fluid, typically liquid or gas, used to prevent a system from overheating by absorbing and transferring heat away from the components, such as in car engines, industrial machinery, or nuclear reactors.

Explanation

The word spartan relates to the ancient Greek city-state of Sparta, renowned for its militaristic culture, rigorous discipline, and fearsome warriors. Beyond describing a simple or austere lifestyle, spartan is historically used to describe a person possessing exceptional courage, fortitude, and resolve. Therefore, it serves as a direct synonym for brave, representing an undaunted and fearless character in the face of adversity.

Explanation

The word rationale means the fundamental reason, justification, or logical basis for a course of action or a belief. In this sentence, it refers to the underlying reasoning or logic that led to the decision to suspend the manager, which the Directors failed to comprehend. The phrase rationale behind a decision is a standard, precise collocation in formal English used to describe the explanation or motive for an official administrative action.

Explanation

The idiom "when it rains, it pours" is used to describe a situation where several problems or difficult events occur in quick succession or all at the same time. It suggests that once a misfortune begins, multiple other complications or bad things tend to follow immediately after, magnifying the trouble rather than happening as a single, isolated event.

Explanation

The given active sentence is in the present perfect tense, which follows the structure: Subject + has/have + past participle (V3) + Object.

To convert this sentence into the passive voice, the grammatical structure is: Object + has/have + been + past participle (V3) + by + Subject.

In this sentence, the object is "The evening sky" (which is singular and thus takes "has"), and the subject is "dark clouds". The verb "overcast" is an irregular verb whose past participle form (V3) remains "overcast".

Applying these rules, the correct passive voice construction is: "The evening sky has been overcast by the dark clouds."

Explanation

The word horrify means to fill someone with horror, shock, or intense fear and distress. In contrast, soothe means to calm, pacify, or bring comfort and peace to someone who is distressed or excited. Since horrifying someone induces a state of extreme agitation and terror, soothing them does the exact opposite by restoring tranquility and ease, making it the antonym of horrify.

Explanation

The word "pillages" is the correctly spelled third-person singular present form of the verb "pillage" (or the plural form of the noun "pillage"). It refers to the act of plundering, looting, or robbing a place using violence, especially during a time of war or civil unrest. The correct spelling consists of a double "l" followed by a single "g".

Explanation

The context of the passage discusses how words create reality, giving it colour, depth, and form through subtle variations. The phrase twenty shades of grey refers to a spectrum of fine gradations and subtle differences. The noun nuance represents a subtle distinction or variation in meaning, expression, or colour, making it the perfect fit to describe how some words offer highly detailed, subtle shades of reality.

Explanation

In the given sentence, the adverb just is used to mean merely or simply. The sentence establishes a contrast between the passive function of words and their active, creative power. By stating that words do not just describe reality, they create it, the author emphasizes that describing reality is not the sole or limited function of words; rather, their influence goes much deeper by actively shaping and constructing reality.

Explanation

The blank requires a coordinating conjunction that introduces a contrast or a shift in focus from the general discussion to a specific point. In the preceding sentences, the author discusses how words in general give reality to life and create color, depth, and form. The author then narrows the scope to focus specifically on one particular word. The conjunction "But" perfectly transitions this shift in focus, setting up the phrase "But all I am really interested in here is talking about just one word...".

Explanation

The idiomatic phrase a great deal is a standard English expression meaning a large quantity, a lot, or a significant amount. In the context of the sentence, revealing a great deal about India means uncovering a significant amount of depth, insight, or information regarding the country's nature, culture, and social dynamics. This collocation fits grammatically and semantically to convey that the single word carries profound meaning about the nation.

Explanation

The adverb "No" is used at the beginning of the sentence to preemptively address and dismiss an expected assumption or guess from the reader. In the context of discussing a single word that uniquely captures India's politics, society, and communities, the word "jugaad" is highly likely to come to a reader's mind. Starting the sentence with "No" directly refutes this anticipation before introducing the actual word being discussed, which is "matlabi".

Explanation

The idiom "to get over it" means to recover from an unpleasant or difficult emotional experience, such as an illness, a disappointment, or a broken relationship, by accepting the situation and moving on with one's life.

Explanation

The sentence uses the subjunctive mood with "wish" to express a regret or an unreal situation in the present. When expressing a wish about a present situation, the verb immediately following the subject in the dependent clause must be in the simple past tense (knew). The subordinate clause "what was wrong" maintains proper tense agreement with this past subjunctive verb. Since the sentence is grammatically correct as written, no improvement is needed.

Explanation

Distress is defined as a state of extreme anxiety, sorrow, or pain. It represents acute physical or mental suffering, trouble, or strain that heavily burdens an individual. The term is commonly used to describe severe emotional agony or physical discomfort caused by adversity, misfortune, or intense pressure, perfectly matching the definition of deep sorrow and anxiety.

Explanation

The sentence begins with the introductory phrase "Accepting that one form", which requires a prepositional phrase to complete its meaning. Part P ("of price discrimination is okay opens") naturally follows, specifying the subject "one form of price discrimination" and introducing the verb "opens". The transitive verb "opens" requires an object, which is successfully provided by Part Q ("the door to all other forms"). Finally, Part R ("of discrimination as well") functions as a prepositional phrase that modifies "other forms" in Part Q, completing the sentence logically and grammatically. This logical flow results in the complete, coherent sentence: "Accepting that one form of price discrimination is okay opens the door to all other forms of discrimination as well."

Explanation

The verb dare means to challenge or provoke someone to do something that requires courage or boldness. Similarly, the verb taunt means to provoke, challenge, or mock someone in order to goad them into taking action. Because both words share the central meaning of challenging or provoking someone to perform an action, they function as synonyms in this context.

Explanation

The correct arrangement must form a grammatically coherent and meaningful sentence. The phrase "a clutch" in part P requires a prepositional object starting with "of" to complete its meaning, which is found in part R as "of essays", establishing the sequence PR. The prepositional phrase in part Q, "for the post- World War II British journal Polemic", then modifies the action of writing these essays, logically following part R. Thus, the complete and meaningful sequence is PRQ, which reads: "Seven decades ago, Orwell wrote a clutch of essays for the post- World War II British journal Polemic."

Explanation

A contusion is the medical term for a bruise, which occurs when an impact or injury damages or ruptures blood capillaries beneath the skin, causing blood to leak into the surrounding interstitial tissue while the overlying skin remains intact.

Explanation

The idiom to get up on the wrong side of the bed is used to describe someone who starts their day in an irritable, grumpy, or bad mood, with their negative disposition persisting throughout the entire day. The origin of the phrase is often traced back to ancient Roman superstition, which held that getting out of bed on the left side, considered the wrong or sinister side, would bring bad luck and ruin one's disposition for the rest of the day. In modern English, it serves as a common colloquial expression to characterize someone who is uncharacteristically cranky or easily annoyed from the moment they wake up.

Explanation

A snag refers to an unexpected obstacle, difficulty, or drawback that hinders progress or causes a problem. Conversely, a boon is a timely benefit, blessing, or something highly advantageous that helps or makes life easier. Because their meanings are directly opposed, one representing a hindrance and the other a helpful benefit, they function as antonyms.

Explanation

To delude means to impose a misleading belief upon someone or to deceive them. Similarly, to hoodwink means to deceive, trick, or dupe someone by misrepresenting the truth. Both verbs share the primary meaning of misleading another person through deceit or trickery.

Explanation

The active voice sentence is in the present continuous tense, which follows the structure: Subject + is/am/are + verb-ing + Object. When converting a present continuous sentence into the passive voice, the structure changes to: Object + is/am/are + being + past participle (V3) of the verb + by + Subject.

Applying this rule, "an essay" becomes the subject of the passive sentence. Since "an essay" is singular, it is followed by "is being". The past participle of "write" is "written". This gives the correct passive structure: "An essay is being written by the candidates."

Explanation

When converting direct speech into indirect speech, the reporting verb "said" is followed by the conjunction "that" to connect the clauses. The first-person pronoun "I" changes to the third-person pronoun "he" to agree with the subject "Bunty", and the possessive pronoun "my" changes to "his". Since the reporting verb "said" is in the past tense, the tense of the reported speech changes from the present perfect "have done" to the past perfect "had done". This results in the sentence: Bunty said that he had done his class work.

Explanation

The sentence represents a mixed conditional structure where a hypothetical present state or ongoing condition has an effect on a past event. The if-clause uses the past subjunctive (had) to denote a hypothetical condition of possessing money, while the main clause uses the perfect conditional (would have bought) to show the hypothetical past result. This makes the simple past form "had" the grammatically correct replacement for the bracketed part.

Explanation

Diligence refers to persistent, careful, and industrious effort in one's work or duties. Lethargy represents the opposite state of being, which is characterized by drowsiness, sluggishness, laziness, and a complete lack of energy or enthusiasm to make any effort.

Explanation

The word boon refers to a timely benefit, blessing, or something that is highly helpful and advantageous. Relocating a major facility like a car factory to a struggling town brings significant positive developments such as job creation, increased business activity, and overall financial growth. The phrase economic boon is a standard collocation used to describe such a highly beneficial event that boosts an economy.

Explanation

The word "squashed" is the correct spelling. It is the past tense and past participle form of the verb "squash," which means to crush, squeeze, or flatten something. It is formed by appending the standard past-tense suffix "-ed" directly to the base word "squash."

Explanation

The error lies in part C of the sentence due to the omission of the preposition "in". The correct prepositional phrase is "in front of", which means directly ahead of someone or something. Therefore, "stopped front of her" must be corrected to "stopped in front of her" to make the sentence grammatically complete and correct.

Explanation

The sentence is grammatically correct and coherent in its structure. The singular subject "He" correctly agrees with the singular present tense verb "plays". The placement of the adverb "only" before the verb "plays" is a standard and widely accepted construction in English to modify the action and its following object. Additionally, the prepositional phrases "in the management" and "of this organization" are used correctly to establish the relationships between the nouns. Because there are no grammatical, syntactical, or tense-related errors in any part of the sentence, it is completely correct as written.

Explanation

The word brisk is a standard English adjective used to describe a quick, energetic, and active speed, particularly in the context of walking or physical exercise. A brisk pace refers to walking at a fast and lively rate that helps raise the heart rate, which perfectly fits the context of an exercise regime.

Explanation

The word immersed is the correctly spelled past participle of the verb immerse, which means to dip or submerge completely in a liquid, or to involve oneself deeply in a particular activity or interest. Its standard English spelling is i-m-m-e-r-s-e-d, utilizing a double m, a single r, a single s, and the regular past tense suffix ed.

Explanation

The word "Each" is a distributive determiner used with singular countable nouns to refer to all members of a group individually. In this context, it emphasizes that every single reader individually has the potential to contribute to the list and to the possibilities of a new ethical and moral politics.

Explanation

The blank requires a relative pronoun to introduce the relative clause and act as the grammatical subject for the verb "requires". The antecedent being referred to is "a new ethical and moral politics", which is an abstract concept. The relative pronoun "which" is used to refer back to non-human nouns and abstract concepts to define or describe them in a subordinate clause. This creates a grammatically complete and coherent sentence where the clause explains what the specific politics necessitates.

Explanation

The noun caveat refers to a warning, caution, or qualification of a specific condition or limitation. In the context of the passage, the author uses it to introduce a cautionary qualification before explaining that the rituals of apology, justice, reconciliation, and ethical repair are highly complex and not easy. This fits grammatically after the indefinite article a and matches the reflective, cautionary tone of the text.

Explanation

The preposition of is used to connect a noun with another noun phrase to show possession, origin, association, or relation. In this sentence, the preposition of links the noun inventiveness with the noun phrase ethical thinking, indicating that the inventiveness belongs to or is characterized by ethical thinking. Therefore, inventiveness of ethical thinking is grammatically and contextually correct.

Explanation

The sentence uses the standard English idiomatic phrase "to cast aspersions on", which means to make derogatory, defamatory, or damaging remarks about someone's character or reputation. The noun "aspersions" fits perfectly with the verb "cast" and the preposition "on" to express the act of unfairly criticizing the character of a pure woman.

Explanation

The word seagulls is the correct spelling for the plural form of the noun seagull, which refers to a web-footed sea bird belonging to the family Laridae, characterized by its long wings and typically grey and white feathers.

Explanation

The word "variably" is the correct spelling of the adverb which means in a way that is changeable or inconsistent. It is formed by taking the adjective "variable" and replacing the final "-le" with the adverbial suffix "-ly".

Explanation

The word homogeneous refers to something that is of the same kind, structure, or nature throughout, consisting of parts that are all similar. The word disparate describes things that are essentially different in kind, completely distinct, or unequal, containing elements that are very unlike one another. This makes disparate the direct antonym of homogeneous.

Explanation

The phrase suspended animation is a standard English idiom that refers to a temporary cessation or slowing down of vital bodily functions, resembling a state of unconsciousness or deep coma, from which the person can eventually be revived. In the context of a comatose patient, their physiological systems are in this dormant state, making animation the grammatically and contextually correct word to complete the sentence.