SSC CHSL Tier 1 2016 English Comprehension Questions with Solutions

Explanation

The active voice sentence is in the simple future tense, which follows the structure: Subject + will + base form of verb + Object.

When converting a simple future tense sentence into passive voice, the structure becomes: Object + will be + past participle of verb (V3) + by + Subject.

Applying this rule, the active verb "will bake" changes to "will be baked" in the passive voice, and the object "a dozen cakes" becomes the new subject. The adverbial phrase "for the fair" is positioned at the beginning of the sentence, resulting in the correct passive construction.

Explanation

The noun mischief is uncountable and represents abstract behavior or conduct. Because it is uncountable, it cannot be quantified using count-related determiners. Instead, it must be paired with quantifiers suitable for uncountable nouns, such as much. Thus, the correct phrase is much mischief, which properly denotes a large amount of uncountable mischief.

Explanation

The verb embarrass means to cause someone to feel self-conscious, awkward, or self-conscious in a social situation. Showing childhood or baby pictures to other people is a classic, universally understood scenario where parents make their children feel this specific kind of mild self-consciousness, making this the most contextually and socially appropriate word for the blank.

Explanation

The word agonising refers to something that causes extreme physical or mental pain, distress, or acute discomfort. In contrast, cordial describes someone or something that is warm, friendly, pleasant, and comforting. Because cordial represents a state of pleasantness and ease rather than pain or distress, it serves as the antonym.

Explanation

The word plummet is correctly spelled. It functions as a verb meaning to fall or drop straight down at high speed, or as a noun referring to a steep and rapid fall or a plumb line.

Explanation

The phrasal verb woke on is incorrect in this context. The correct preposition to use after the verb woke is up, making it woke up, which means to emerge from sleep. Therefore, on must be replaced with up to make the sentence grammatically correct.

Explanation

The verb to jeopardise means to put someone or something into a situation where there is a danger of loss, harm, or failure. Similarly, to imperil means to put at risk of being harmed, injured, or destroyed. Both words share the exact meaning of placing something in danger or hazard, making them synonyms.

Explanation

The verb proliferate means to grow, multiply, or increase rapidly in number or quantity. It is commonly used in both biological contexts, such as cells or organisms reproducing quickly, and general contexts to describe a rapid expansion or spread of things.

Explanation

The idiomatic phrase is to take something to heart, which means to grieve over something, or to take criticism or advice very seriously and personally. In the given sentence, the transitive verb take requires a direct object to refer back to what grandfather said. The pronoun it functions as this direct object. Inserting it to completes the idiom as take it to heart, making the clause grammatically sound and conveying the intended meaning.

Explanation

The sentence begins with the subject and verb phrase "India has already made", which requires a direct object to complete its meaning. Part P, "substantial concessions", perfectly serves as this direct object. This is followed by the infinitive phrase of purpose in part Q, "to enable a consensus", which explains the reason behind making those concessions. Finally, part R, "for the Paris pact", is a prepositional phrase that naturally modifies "consensus", specifying the target of the agreement. This logical and grammatical flow establishes the sequence P-Q-R.

Explanation

The idiomatic phrase taken aback means to be shocked, surprised, or startled by something unexpected. In this sentence, the speaker experienced sudden shock and disbelief due to the server's rude comment, which fits the meaning of this phrasal verb perfectly.

Explanation

When converting an interrogative sentence starting with a question word like "where" from direct to indirect speech, the reporting verb "said" is changed to "asked". The conjunction "that" is not used before the question word. The interrogative structure of the reported speech is changed into an assertive sentence, which means the subject "she" comes before the verb. Since the reporting verb is in the past tense, the present continuous tense "is she going" is converted to the past continuous tense "she was going".

Explanation

The word evicted means to force someone to leave a property or place, typically by legal process. Similarly, the word ousted means to drive out or expel someone from a position, place, or property. Both words share the central meaning of forcing someone out of a location, status, or role they previously held.

Explanation

Pliable refers to something that is easily bent, flexible, supple, or easily influenced. It describes materials, substances, or minds that can be molded, folded, or flexed without breaking or resisting.

Explanation

The sentence uses a second conditional structure to describe a hypothetical situation. In this conditional construction, the main clause requires the modal verb "would" instead of "could" to express willingness or expected behavior under the hypothetical condition "if I went there again." While "could" denotes capability or possibility, "would" is the appropriate modal verb here to indicate how they would predictably act. Therefore, "could" should be replaced with "would" in part B.

Explanation

The idiom to chew someone out means to scold or reprimand someone harshly and severely. This expression has its origins in American military slang from the early to mid-20th century, where a superior officer would deliver a fierce verbal reprimand to a subordinate, metaphorically chewing them up or grinding them down with angry words.

Explanation

The idiom to have a chip on one's shoulder refers to a person who maintains an angry, resentful, or combative attitude, usually because they feel they have been treated unfairly or are constantly looking for a conflict. This phrase originated from a physical practice in nineteenth-century America, where a young man would place a literal chip of wood on his shoulder and dare someone to knock it off, which served as an open challenge to a fight. Over time, it transitioned into a figurative expression meaning to harbor a persistent grudge or grievance that easily provokes an altercation.

Explanation

The word flooring is spelled correctly. It refers to the material used to construct or cover a floor, or the act of constructing a floor.

Explanation

The compound adjective self-serving describes actions or behaviors that are motivated solely by one's own personal interest, profit, or promotion, often at the expense of others or ethical principles. In the context of the passage, self-serving demagoguery refers to manipulative political rhetoric used to exploit public emotions for personal or political gain, which stands in direct contrast to the selfless duty required by an act of responsible citizenship.

Explanation

The phrase "hard to tell" is an idiomatic expression where "tell" is used to mean "to distinguish, perceive, or recognize a difference". In the given context, the sentence indicates that distinguishing between "an act of responsible citizenship" and "self-demagoguery" is difficult. Therefore, "tell" is the correct verb to complete the blank.

Explanation

The sentence expresses a contrast between the ability of emotive symbols to enhance or multiply the force of arguments and their inability to act as a substitute for those arguments. The subordinating conjunction "though" is used to connect these two contrasting ideas, indicating a concession or qualification. Placing "though" in the blank makes the sentence grammatically correct and logically coherent, emphasizing that while symbols can strengthen an argument, they cannot replace the actual substance of the argument itself.

Explanation

Correct Answer: D

The correct pronoun to fill in the blank is "themselves". In this sentence, the pronoun functions as an intensive pronoun emphasizing the plural noun "arguments". Emotive symbols can multiply the force of arguments, but they cannot replace the actual "arguments themselves". Therefore, the reflexive/intensive pronoun "themselves" is grammatically appropriate to refer back to the plural noun "arguments".

Explanation

The context of the passage contrasts emotive symbols with logical arguments that can be discussed using reason. The adverb rationally means in a logical, sensible, or reasonable manner, which perfectly aligns with the concept of principled persuasion and intellectual debate. Discussing arguments rationally ensures that the discussion is based on logic and evidence rather than raw emotion.

Explanation

The idiom feeding frenzy is derived from the aggressive and chaotic behavior of predatory animals, such as sharks, when they gather to devour a source of food. Metaphorically, the term describes a situation of intense, frantic, or aggressive competition among a group of people striving to acquire or capitalize on something of high value or interest, such as news stories, financial assets, or consumer goods.

Explanation

The sentence is grammatically correct in its entirety. The idiomatic phrase "might as well" is used to suggest an action when there is no preferable alternative, and it is correctly followed by the bare infinitive verb "read". Additionally, the prepositional phrase "instead of" is appropriately followed by the gerund "staring" as its object. Since there are no errors in syntax, tense, or word choice, the sentence is free of error.

Explanation

The word cerebrum is spelled correctly. It is a noun that refers to the largest part of the brain, located in the anterior and upper part of the cranial cavity. It consists of two hemispheres and is responsible for initiating and coordinating voluntary activities, as well as higher cognitive functions such as thought, memory, reasoning, emotion, and sensory processing.

Explanation

The sentence uses the present perfect tense in "has just finished", which refers to an action completed in the immediate past that has a direct impact on the present. To maintain temporal consistency, the second clause correctly employs the present tense "is" along with the adverb "now" to describe the current state of the pet resulting from the completed action. The original construction is grammatically accurate and semantically precise.

Explanation

When converting an interrogative sentence from direct to indirect speech, several specific rules apply:

The reporting verb "said to" is changed to "asked" because it is a question.

For questions beginning with a question word like "what", no conjunction such as "that" is used to connect the reporting clause with the reported speech. The question word itself serves as the connector.

The tense of the verb in the reported speech changes from the present perfect tense "have done" to the past perfect tense "had done" because the reporting verb "said" is in the past tense.

The first-person pronoun "I" changes to the third-person pronoun "he" to refer back to the subject "Ajit".

The interrogative word order "have I done" changes to the assertive word order "he had done" in indirect speech, ending with a full stop instead of a question mark.

Explanation

The sentence starts with the introductory clause "One will need to watch what". To make grammatical sense, the relative pronoun "what" must be followed by a verb, which is provided in part P ("happens in the United States"). Part R ("after the forthcoming") contains the adjective "forthcoming" that naturally requires a noun to modify, which is found in part Q ("presidential elections"). Joining these parts in the sequence PRQ forms the complete, coherent sentence: "One will need to watch what happens in the United States after the forthcoming presidential elections."

Explanation

The active voice sentence is in the simple past tense, as indicated by the past tense verb carried. To convert a simple past tense sentence from active to passive voice, the grammatical structure used is: Subject (formerly object) + was/were + past participle (V3) + by + Object (formerly subject).

In the given sentence, the kangaroo is the subject, her baby is the object, and carried is the verb. When converting to passive voice, the object the baby becomes the new singular subject, which takes the auxiliary verb was, followed by the past participle carried, and the agent by the kangaroo, retaining the prepositional phrase in her pouch. This forms the correct passive sentence: The baby was carried by the kangaroo in her pouch.

Explanation

The error lies in part C of the sentence. The prepositional phrase "in front of" is grammatically incomplete because the preposition "in" has been omitted. To correctly indicate the relative spatial position of the other car, the phrase must be written as "the one in front of her" rather than "the one front of her".

Explanation

The word catastrophic is defined as involving or causing sudden great damage or suffering. It is the adjective form of catastrophe, which refers to an event causing great and often sudden damage or suffering, such as a major disaster.

Explanation

The preposition of is used to indicate the contents of a container. In English, a cup of coffee is the standard idiomatic expression to denote a cup that contains coffee as a beverage, making the sentence concise and grammatically natural.

Explanation

The verb concoct means to devise, fabricate, or make up a plan, story, or scheme, often by using skill, cleverness, or ingenuity. Similarly, to contrive means to deliberately plan, design, or bring about a situation or plan, typically by using cleverness or artifice. Both terms share the core meaning of inventing or creating something through mental effort and design.

Explanation

The word vivid means strikingly bright, intense, or colorful. In the context of clothing, wearing vivid outfits means choosing highly vibrant and eye-catching garments, which directly explains how the wearer ensures she is noticed everywhere she goes.

Explanation

The verb to exile means to officially banish or expel someone from their native country or home, effectively casting them out or forcing them away. Conversely, to usher means to guide, escort, or welcome someone into a place, or to lead them in. Because to usher involves bringing someone in rather than expelling them, it serves as the antonym to to exile.

Explanation

The sentence begins with the subject and modal auxiliary verb "Three examples will". The auxiliary verb "will" must be followed by a base form verb, which is "suffice" in part P. The noun "evidence" is then naturally followed by the prepositional phrase in part Q starting with "of" to explain what the evidence represents. Finally, the gerund "backsliding" is followed by the preposition "on" in part R to indicate the area of backsliding. This creates a logical and grammatically complete sentence.

Explanation

The word zenith refers to the highest point or peak of state, power, or success. In the context of a professional life, being at the zenith of one's career is a standard idiomatic expression that signifies reaching the absolute pinnacle or highest level of achievement and success. Mayur's rapid promotions within a short span of eleven months indicate that he has reached this peak of his professional journey.

Explanation

The verb to envisage means to contemplate, imagine, or conceive of something as a future possibility, which involves active foresight, mindfulness, and mental awareness. Conversely, oblivious describes being completely unaware, unmindful, or unconscious of one's surroundings or future prospects. Because being oblivious denotes a total lack of awareness or consideration, it represents the opposite state of active anticipation and visualization.

Explanation

The phrase excuse my French, also spoken as pardon my French, is a common colloquial idiom used to apologize for using offensive language, profanity, or swear words. The expression dates back to the nineteenth century, when English speakers frequently used French phrases in their conversation and would apologize in case the listener did not understand the language. Over time, this apology was humorously adapted as a polite way to excuse oneself after uttering a vulgarity or swearing.

Explanation

A blimp is a non-rigid airship or dirigible that relies entirely on the internal pressure of its lifting gas to maintain its shape, unlike rigid airships which have an internal structural framework. These airships have historically been employed primarily for observation, naval patrol, and advertising purposes due to their ability to hover and remain airborne for extended periods.

Explanation

The word eccentric refers to a person or behavior that is unconventional, irregular, or odd. Similarly, whimsical describes someone or something that is playful, capricious, fanciful, or unusual in a quirky and lighthearted way. Both words share the common meaning of deviating from ordinary, predictable patterns of behavior in a peculiar or fanciful manner, making them synonyms.

Explanation

The word chorused is the correctly spelled past tense and past participle form of the verb chorus, which means to sing, speak, or utter simultaneously or in unison. It follows standard English spelling rules where the final single s is not doubled when adding the -ed suffix because the stress is on the first syllable (cho-rus).

Explanation

The phrase look the other way is an established English idiom meaning to deliberately ignore or disregard an action, especially something wrong, illegal, or unjust. In the context of the passage, it describes how representatives cynically choose to ignore matters of justice. This makes way the correct and idiomatic choice to complete the sentence.

Explanation

The passage is highly critical of the representatives, describing their disregard for justice, their sole focus on a "will to power", and their desire to join a corrupt and greedy ruling class. In this negative context, the word "exploitative" fits perfectly as it describes an elite that uses its power to unfairly abuse and take advantage of others for personal gain, aligning with the themes of greed and struggle presented in the text.

Explanation

The coordinating conjunction "But" is used to introduce a contrasting idea or a counter-statement to what has previously been mentioned. The preceding sentence describes the representatives as having only a will to power and a desire to be part of a new elite. The transition to the next sentence presents a contradiction to this assumption of permanent power, reminding them of the reality they overlook. Therefore, "But" is the most appropriate word to introduce this contrasting truth that they forget the history of struggle is the future of struggle.

Explanation

The phrase form of correctly completes the sentence to read extreme form of struggle. In political and historical contexts, Maoism is understood as a specific methodology and ideology of revolutionary warfare and social mobilization. Inserting form of accurately categorizes Maoism as one distinct manifestation or variety of struggle among several others, which aligns with the concluding clause of the sentence stating there are others.

Explanation

The noun struggle is commonly followed by the preposition against when expressing opposition, resistance, or conflict directed toward an adversary, oppressor, or hostile group. In the given sentence, Maoism is characterized as a radical movement fighting in opposition to corrupt, exploitative, and greedy elites. Using against correctly completes the phrase to convey this conflict.

Explanation

The noun disgrace refers to a loss of reputation, respect, or honor as the result of a dishonorable action. A corrupt officer engages in illegal or unethical behavior, which brings shame and dishonor to the department they represent. Therefore, disgrace fits both the grammatical structure and the contextual meaning of the sentence perfectly.

Explanation

To condemn means to express strong disapproval, censure, or criticize someone or something severely. Its exact antonym is to laud, which means to praise highly, commend, or extol, representing the opposite action of expressing approval and admiration.