SSC CHSL Tier 1 2016 English Comprehension Questions with Solutions

Explanation

The word adamant is used to describe someone who is utterly unyielding in attitude or opinion in spite of all appeals or persuasion. The sentence specifies that the person's beliefs are so firm that "no one can change his mind", which directly matches the definition of being adamant in one's convictions.

Explanation

The idiom "fixed in one's ways" refers to someone who is set in their habits and completely unwilling to change their behavior, opinions, or the manner in which they do things. It describes a person who prefers established routines and resists adopting new methods or ideas.

Explanation

The active sentence uses the simple future tense in the main clause, structured as Subject + will + base verb + Object. When converting this structure into the passive voice, the object of the active sentence becomes the new subject, and the verb form changes to will be + past participle (V3).

Here, the direct object is "your laboratory reports" and the past participle of "send" is "sent". Changing the main clause into the passive voice yields "Your laboratory reports will be sent to you". The subordinate temporal clause "as soon as they are ready" remains in its original form to preserve the correct tense and meaning, resulting in the complete passive sentence: "Your laboratory reports will be sent to you as soon as they are ready."

Explanation

The verb to procure means to obtain, acquire, or gain possession of something, typically through effort or special means. Conversely, the verb to forfeit means to lose, surrender, or give up possession of something, often as a consequence of an error, fine, or rule violation. Because obtaining or acquiring is the opposite of losing or giving up, these two terms function as direct antonyms.

Explanation

The word impassive refers to someone who does not show or feel emotion, remaining calm, expressionless, and reserved. Similarly, reticent describes a person who is reserved, quiet, and not inclined to readily reveal their thoughts or feelings. Both terms convey a strong sense of emotional restraint and detachment, making them close synonyms.

Explanation

The idiomatic phrase "out of sorts" is used to describe someone who is feeling slightly unwell, unhappy, or irritable. In the given sentence, the incorrect preposition "for" is used instead of "of" inside the idiom. Substituting "out for sorts" with the correct idiom "out of sorts" makes the sentence grammatically and idiomatically correct.

Explanation

When converting an interrogative sentence in the present continuous tense ("Are you coming") from direct to indirect speech, the reporting verb "asked" is kept and the conjunction "if" or "whether" is used to introduce the reported clause. The pronoun "you" changes to "she" to refer to Nisha, and "us" changes to "them" to refer to the speakers. Additionally, the verb "come" changes to "go" to indicate a shift in the speaker's perspective, and the tense shifts from present continuous to past continuous. This transforms "are coming" into "was going", resulting in the correct indirect statement: "Isha asked Nisha if she was going with them."

Explanation

The verb revamp means to restructure, renovate, or improve the appearance or function of something. Similarly, to overhaul means to thoroughly examine, repair, and reconstruct a system or structure to restore it to a working or improved condition. Both terms share the central meaning of making major renovations or improvements to something that is outdated or in disrepair.

Explanation

The word obituary is spelled correctly as o-b-i-t-u-a-r-y. It is a noun that refers to a notice of a death, typically published in a newspaper, which often includes a brief biographical account of the deceased person.

Explanation

The verb to stumble means to trip or momentarily lose one's balance while walking, running, or moving, which often results in almost falling down.

Explanation

The subject of the sentence is the singular noun phrase "An increase", rather than the plural noun "incidents". Since the subject is singular, it requires a singular verb, making "has" grammatically correct. Additionally, the present perfect tense "has been reported" is appropriate because the adverb "recently" is used to describe an action that occurred in the near past and has a connection to the present. Therefore, the bracketed phrase is grammatically correct and requires no improvement.

Explanation

The error lies in part C of the sentence. The correct prepositional phrase is "in spite of", which means "regardless of" or "despite". The word "off" with a double 'f' is incorrect in this context and must be replaced with "of" to make the sentence grammatically correct.

Explanation

The phrase "acknowledge receipt" is a standard and widely used idiomatic expression in formal and professional correspondence. It means to confirm that a message, document, or letter has been received. In the context of the sentence, the speaker is promising to confirm that they have received the email, even if they do not have the time to provide a detailed response immediately.

Explanation

The sentence begins with the phrase "It may not be a simple", which grammatically requires a noun phrase to complete its meaning. Part R begins with the noun "case" ("case of 'divide and rule', but"), making it the correct continuation. The coordinating conjunction "but" at the end of part R must then connect to a new clause, which is provided by part P ("someone does stand to gain"). Part Q ("by keeping farmers divided") acts as an adverbial phrase that naturally completes the idea by explaining how someone stands to gain. Arranging the parts in the sequence RPQ forms the grammatically complete and coherent sentence: "It may not be a simple case of 'divide and rule', but someone does stand to gain by keeping farmers divided."

Explanation

The sentence begins with the introductory phrase "Rewarding an encroacher on public". The adjective "public" naturally modifies the noun "land" in part R. Part R ends with the adjective "alternative", which directly qualifies the noun "site" at the beginning of part Q, creating the compound phrase "alternative site". Part Q then concludes with the words "is like giving a", which requires a direct object, leading logically into the noun phrase "reward to a pickpocket" in part P. Arranging the parts in the sequence R-Q-P forms the grammatically correct and meaningful sentence: "Rewarding an encroacher on public land with free alternative site is like giving a reward to a pickpocket."

Explanation

Homogony is a correctly spelled noun in English. In botany, it refers to the state of having all flowers on a plant identical in the structure and proportion of their reproductive organs, particularly with stamens and pistils of uniform length, which prevents self-incompatibility.

Explanation

The idiom flash in the pan refers to a sudden, brief success that is not repeated or does not lead to any lasting results. This expression originates from the era of flintlock firearms, where gunpowder in the priming pan would sometimes ignite and create a bright flash of light without actually firing the bullet. This sudden burst of energy yielded no substantial result, which is why the phrase is used to describe a person or thing that shows great promise or achieves short-lived fame but fails to sustain it.

Explanation

The adverb rarely is used to indicate that something happens very seldom or infrequently. In this context, the passage criticizes the lack of critical scrutiny and oversight in newsrooms regarding anonymous sources. Because reporters almost never challenge or question the underlying justification for granting anonymity and confidentiality, it opens the door to professional misuse. This meaning of a lack of questioning is supported by the subsequent parallel clause in the sentence, which states that confidential deals are also rarely monitored and supervised properly.

Explanation

The sentence requires a past participle to modify the noun phrase "the deals" in a passive sense. The past participle of the verb "strike" is "struck", making Option D the grammatically correct choice.

Explanation

The noun status refers to the official standing, position, or classification given to someone or something. In the context of journalism and media ethics, reporters negotiate agreements with sources to officially grant them a confidential status. This designation legally or ethically protects their identities, ensuring that their names are not disclosed to the public. Thus, the phrase confidential status correctly fits the grammatical and contextual requirements of the sentence.

Explanation

The sentence compares two problematic situations in journalism: the misuse of sources by journalists, and the misuse of journalists by privileged sources. To emphasize that the second situation is worse or more severe than the first, an appropriate comparative modifier is required.

The adverbial phrase "even more" acts as an intensifier for the comparative adjective "damaging". This construction grammatically and semantically connects the two clauses, indicating that while the first issue is harmful, the second issue is of an even higher degree of severity.

Explanation

The subject of the clause is a compound subject consisting of two parts joined by the conjunction and: the misuse of sources by journalists and the misuse of journalists and the news media by privileged sources. Since a compound subject joined by and requires a plural verb, a plural verb form must be used.

The present perfect tense have assumed is grammatically correct here because it describes an ongoing state or trend that has developed over time and is highly relevant to the present situation. The verb pair fits the idiomatic expression to assume epidemic proportions, which correctly indicates that this misuse has grown to reach a widespread, epidemic-like scale.

Explanation

In insurance terminology, a beneficiary is the designated individual or entity who is legally named by the policyholder to receive the death benefit or payout from a life insurance policy when the insured person passes away.

Explanation

The active voice sentence is in the simple present tense, following the structure: Subject (They) + Verb in simple present (lock) + Object (the door) + Adverbial (every night).

To transform a simple present active sentence into the passive voice, the structure used is: Subject + is/am/are + past participle of the verb (V3) + by + Agent.

The active object "the door" is singular and becomes the passive subject, which takes the auxiliary verb "is" followed by the past participle "locked". This correctly yields the passive sentence: "The door is locked every night by them."

Explanation

The word vile describes someone or something that is morally despicable, wicked, or depraved. Its direct antonym is virtuous, which characterizes a person or action possessing or showing high moral standards, righteousness, and ethical excellence.

Explanation

The verb fabricate means to invent, concoct, or construct a story, lie, or document, typically with the intention of deceiving someone.

Explanation

The word nifty is an informal adjective used to describe something that is particularly good, effective, stylish, or skillful. Similarly, dandy is a colloquial term that means excellent, first-rate, or highly pleasing. Because both words share the meaning of being exceptionally good or fine, they are synonyms.

Explanation

The idiom "to foam at the mouth" means to be extremely angry, furious, or enraged. It originates from the physical reaction of animals, such as rabid dogs, that salivate or foam at the mouth when they are highly agitated or aggressive. In a figurative sense, it is used to describe a person who is exhibiting uncontrollable and intense rage.

Explanation

The sentence is grammatically sound in all aspects. The introductory clause in Part A correctly uses since to establish a cause or reason, and the phrasal adjective dressed up is correctly modified by all. Part B maintains tense consistency in the past tense with she assumed, followed by a noun clause where the relative pronoun that is optionally omitted. Part C correctly uses the past continuous tense were going to church together, where going to church is a standard idiomatic expression meaning attending a religious service, thus requiring no article. Since there are no grammatical, syntactical, or punctuation errors, the sentence is free of errors.

Explanation

The verb ruffle specifically means to disorder or disarrange someone's hair or feathers, typically by running one's hands through it or by the action of the wind.

Explanation

The term fuddy-duddy refers to a person who is highly conservative, fussy, and old-fashioned. Such individuals typically resist modern ideas, trends, or changes, and are often perceived as boring, traditionalist, and somewhat pompous due to their rigid adherence to outdated customs and behaviors.

Explanation

The word actuator is spelled correctly. An actuator is a mechanical or electro-mechanical device that converts energy, such as electricity, air pressure, or hydraulic pressure, into physical force and motion. This motion is then used to control or operate a mechanism or system, such as opening a valve or moving a robotic arm.

Explanation

Saddlers is the plural form of the noun saddler, which refers to a person who makes, repairs, or sells saddles and other leather equipment for horses. This word is spelled correctly according to standard English dictionaries.

Explanation

The idiomatic phrase "cannot help" (or "could not help" in the past tense) must be followed by a gerund (the -ing form of a verb) or by "but" and a bare infinitive. Therefore, "couldn't help smile" is grammatically incorrect and should be corrected to "couldn't help smiling" or "couldn't help but smile".

Explanation

The word belated is used to describe something that happens or is sent later than it should have been. Since the speaker forgot Jeetu's birthday last week and is sending the greeting today, the greeting is delayed, making belated the most appropriate term for this context.

Explanation

The introductory phrase "The question" acts as the subject of the sentence and requires a linking verb, which is provided by Q ("is whether we"). The pronoun "we" at the end of Q then serves as the subject for the subsequent clause, which connects to the verb phrase in P ("are on the right path"). Finally, the prepositional phrase in R ("to the goal") logically describes the direction of the "path" mentioned in P. Putting these together in the sequence Q-P-R creates the grammatically complete and meaningful sentence: "The question is whether we are on the right path to the goal."

Explanation

To amputate means to cut off, remove, or surgically separate a limb or part of the body, which is an act of detachment. In contrast, to fasten means to attach, join, connect, or secure things together firmly. Because fastening involves binding or bringing parts together while amputating involves cutting them apart, to fasten serves as the antonym.

Explanation

The sentence begins with the opening phrase Ensuring security. This phrase is naturally followed by the prepositional modifier in part Q, of data, information, and, which specifies what security is being ensured. The conjunction and at the end of part Q connects to the final noun in the series, communication, which starts part R. Part R continues with the verb phrase is considerably, which requires a comparative adjective to complete its meaning. This comparative adjective is provided by part P, harder than hacking into a system. Combining these parts in the order QRP forms the grammatically correct and coherent sentence: Ensuring security of data, information, and communication is considerably harder than hacking into a system.

Explanation

When converting an interrogative sentence from direct to indirect speech, the reporting verb "said to" is changed to "asked". For yes/no questions, the conjunction "if" or "whether" is introduced to connect the reporting clause and the reported clause. The second-person pronoun "you" refers to the plural "children" and is changed to "they". Since the reporting verb is in the past tense, the tense of the reported speech changes from present perfect ("have prepared") to past perfect ("had prepared").

Explanation

The noun knowledge is the most appropriate and grammatically correct word to use in this context. It refers to the information, understanding, and facts that a person has acquired through experience or education. In this sentence, the guide possesses information about the monument's history, which is correctly represented by the phrase knowledge of. This usage is idiomatic and structurally sound, requiring no changes.

Explanation

To visualise means to form a mental image, picture, or concept of something, especially a future possibility. Similarly, to anticipate means to foresee, expect, or look forward to a future event, which involves forming a mental representation of that event before it occurs. Thus, both terms share the central meaning of mentally projecting a scenario or outcome.

Explanation

In this context, the phrase "going beyond" means to transcend, look past, or exceed the immediate scope of a topic. The passage aims to move past the superficial political events—such as defections and attempts to topple or establish governments—in order to address a much deeper and more fundamental question about the relationship between federalism, states, representative democracy, and justice. Thus, "beyond" is the grammatically and contextually appropriate preposition to complete the sentence.

Explanation

In the given passage, the sentence seeks to inquire about the nature of the connection between federalism, States, representative democracy, and justice. The standard and grammatically correct interrogative pronoun used to ask about the identity or nature of a connection or association between multiple entities is what. Using it forms the standard English expression, what is the relationship between, making it the most appropriate fit for the blank.

Explanation

The passage discusses elections, elected representatives, federalism, and the governance of states, which are all fundamental characteristics of a democratic system. In political science, representative democracy is an established term that describes a system of government where citizens elect representatives to make laws and govern on their behalf. The subsequent mention of people who have elected representatives in the text confirms that democracy is the correct fit to complete the collocation representative democracy.

Explanation

The subordinating conjunction "when" combines with the adverb "only" to form the phrase "only when," which establishes a necessary condition or a specific circumstance under which an event occurs. In this sentence, justice is described as a result that occurs solely under the condition that the needs and desires of the electing citizens are addressed, making "when" the grammatically and semantically correct choice to complete the clause.

Explanation

The sentence discusses the principle that elected representatives must acknowledge that their authority and status are not absolute but rather derivative, meaning their power is handed down to them by the citizens who voted for them. The verb recognise is the most suitable word here because it means to accept, realize, or acknowledge the truth or existence of a fact, highlighting that representatives need to be fully aware of the source of their power to ensure justice is served.

Explanation

The term ambiguous describes language, a statement, or a situation that can be understood in more than one way, having a double or obscure meaning. It is derived from the Latin word ambiguus, which combines ambi- meaning both ways and agere meaning to drive, signifying something that is wavering or uncertain due to having multiple possible interpretations.

Explanation

Deviance is spelled correctly. It refers to the state, condition, or process of departing from usual or accepted social standards or behavior.

Explanation

The word vibrant means full of energy, life, and bright, striking color. The correct antonym is drab, which means lacking in brightness, color, and vitality, or being characteristically dull, cheerless, and monotonous.

Explanation

The sentence requires a verb in its past participle form to complete the passive voice construction "will be + past participle". The term "confiscated" is the past participle of "confiscate", which means to officially seize or take away someone's property as a punishment or penalty. Since using a calculator during an exam violates the rules, the exam authorities will officially seize it, making this the grammatically and contextually correct choice.