SSC CHSL Tier 1 2021 English Comprehension Questions with Solutions

Explanation

The sentence uses the time expression since yesterday, which indicates an action that began in the past and is still continuing in the present. For such actions, the present perfect continuous tense must be used instead of the present continuous tense. Therefore, the segment Elina is must be changed to Elina has been to make the sentence grammatically correct as Elina has been travelling since yesterday.

Explanation

The word Previlege is misspelled. The correct spelling is privilege, which refers to a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group. It is spelled with an i in the first syllable, not an e.

Explanation

Correct Answer: B

Philanthropy is derived from the Greek words philos, meaning loving, and anthropos, meaning human or mankind. It literally translates to the love of humanity or mankind, and refers to the desire to promote the welfare of others, typically expressed by the generous donation of money or resources to good causes.

Explanation

The sentence "His business gives him cash in prodigious amounts" contains no spelling errors. The word "business" is correctly spelled as b-u-s-i-n-e-s-s, and "prodigious", which means remarkably or impressively great in extent, size, or degree, is correctly spelled as p-r-o-d-i-g-i-o-u-s. All other common words in this sentence, including "gives", "cash", and "amounts", are also spelled correctly.

Explanation

Correct Answer: D

The idiom read between the lines means to perceive or understand a hidden, implied, or unexpressed meaning in someone's words or actions. It is used when one deciphers the true intention or message that is not stated directly or explicitly.

Explanation

The verb frolicking means to play about cheerfully and energetically. The phrase were playing in the garden is the most semantically accurate and grammatically complete improvement, as it directly conveys the action of enjoying playful activities in an outdoor space.

Explanation

The idiom "a kick in the teeth" refers to a grave setback, an unexpected blow, or a major disappointment. It is used metaphorically to describe a situation where someone is treated harshly or unfairly, particularly when they expected support, encouragement, or a positive outcome. This sudden and harsh discouragement leads to a feeling of great disappointment.

Explanation

The word pace refers to the speed at which someone or something moves, walks, runs, or develops. Therefore, speed is the direct and most appropriate synonym of pace.

Explanation

The active voice sentence "My father teaches students" is in the simple present tense.

To convert a simple present tense active sentence into passive voice, the structure is: Passive Subject + is/am/are + V3 (past participle) + by + Passive Object

Here, the plural object "students" becomes the subject of the passive sentence, which requires the plural auxiliary verb "are". The past participle form of the verb "teach" is "taught", and the active subject "My father" becomes the agent introduced by the preposition "by". Applying these rules yields the structure: Students are taught by my father.

Explanation

The sentence structure employs the subjunctive mood, which is triggered by the reporting verb proposed followed by the conjunction that. In this subjunctive clause, the passive voice is required because the subject, an international health organization, is receiving the action. The passive subjunctive is constructed using the base form of the auxiliary verb be followed by the past participle of the main verb. Therefore, the past participle established correctly completes the passive construction to show that the organization was to be created.

Explanation

In official and administrative contexts, the verb convene is the standard and grammatically appropriate term used to mean summoning, calling together, or assembling individuals for a formal meeting or conference. The preceding sentence in the passage already establishes this context by mentioning a conference to frame its constitution convened. Thus, instructing the Secretary-General to convene such a conference aligns with both the established vocabulary of the text and standard English collocation for organizing formal diplomatic assemblies.

Explanation

The phrasal verb drew up means to prepare, draft, or write a formal document, plan, or proposal. In this context, the Technical Preparatory Committee drafted and prepared the proposals for the Constitution of the World Health Organization, making drew up the most appropriate fit for the blank.

Explanation

The conjunction "and" is used to connect the two specific dates, 19 June and 22 July 1946. The preposition "between" is grammatically paired with "and" to denote the time period spanning from the first date to the second. This accurately indicates the duration during which the International Health Conference took place in New York City.

Explanation

In the context of legislative and diplomatic proceedings, a constitution, treaty, or formal document is first drafted and then officially accepted and approved. The verb adopted is the standard legal and historical term used to describe this process of formal acceptance by a governing body or conference. Thus, the International Health Conference drafted and adopted the Constitution of the World Health Organization before it was signed by the representatives.

Explanation

Correct Answer: B

The given sentence "The car was being washed by me" is in the passive voice of the past continuous tense. The structure for the passive voice in this tense is: Subject + was/were + being + past participle + by + Agent.

To convert this sentence into the active voice, the agent "me" becomes the subject "I", and the passive verb phrase "was being washed" changes to the past continuous active form "was washing". The passive subject "the car" becomes the direct object in the active sentence. This results in the active voice structure: Subject + was/were + present participle (-ing) + Object, which translates to "I was washing the car."

Explanation

The segment contains a grammatical error in preposition usage. The standard idiomatic expression in English for traveling by walking is on foot, not by foot. While the preposition by is used for vehicles or modes of transportation such as by car, by bus, or by train, on is used when referring to walking. Therefore, the phrase should be corrected to he travels on foot.

Explanation

The idiom "lion's share" refers to the major portion or the largest part of something. This phrase originates from Aesop's fables, where a lion goes hunting with several other animals and ultimately claims the majority of the prey for himself through his superior power and dominance. Over time, it has become a standard expression used to describe the biggest or most substantial share of any resource, task, or reward when it is divided among group members.

Explanation

The sentence follows the structure of the third conditional, which is used to express a hypothetical situation in the past and its imaginary result. The grammatical formula for the third conditional is:

If + Past Perfect, ... would have + Past Participle

In this sentence, the conditional clause "If you had consulted me" uses the past perfect tense. The main clause "I would have ______ you" therefore requires the past participle form of the verb. The past participle of the verb "advise" is "advised", which perfectly completes this conditional construction.

Explanation

The given sentence is in the passive voice in the simple past tense, following the structure: Object + was/were + past participle (V₃) + by + Subject.

To convert this into the active voice, the structure is changed to: Subject + simple past verb (V₂) + Object.

Here, the passive agent "the cyclone" becomes the active subject, the passive verb "were destroyed" becomes the simple past verb "destroyed", and the passive subject "all the electric poles in the suburbs" becomes the active object. Placing these elements together along with the time adverbial "last year" gives the active voice sentence: "The cyclone destroyed all the electric poles in the suburbs last year."

Explanation

The paragraph describes a logical sequence of performing an experiment using a manometer. Sentence D introduces the initial action of applying pressure on the rubber film with the palm, which creates a difference in the water level in the manometer. Sentence B immediately follows, as the demonstrative phrase "This difference" directly refers to the difference created by the palm in sentence D. Sentence C then transitions to a new step, immersing the funnel in a bucket of water, where you will "again" see a difference in the water level. Sentence A concludes the sequence by describing the effect of this immersion, stating that the deeper "it" (the funnel) is immersed, the greater the difference in the water level will be. This establishes a coherent flow of DBCA.

Explanation

The sentence requires the possessive form of the noun neighbour to indicate that the children belong to the neighbour. The correct spelling of the word in standard British English is neighbour, and its possessive singular form is written with an apostrophe followed by s, resulting in neighbour’s.

Explanation

The word candid refers to someone or something that is completely honest, frank, and straightforward in expression, showing no bias or intent to mislead. The appropriate antonym for candid is deceitful, which describes actions or speech designed to mislead, cheat, or deliberately misrepresent the truth.

Explanation

Decipher means to convert coded text into normal language, or to succeed in understanding, interpreting, or identifying something that is difficult to make out. Interpret means to explain the meaning of information or actions, or to translate and understand something in a particular way. Both words share the core meaning of making sense of and explaining something obscure, complex, or hard to understand.

Explanation

The passive sentence is in the present perfect tense, structured as: Subject + have/has + been + past participle. When converting this to the active voice, a generic subject like "Someone" is introduced. The corresponding active voice structure for the present perfect tense is: Subject + has/have + past participle + object, which yields "Someone has cleaned the utensils."

Explanation

The phrase "a note of discord" is a standard English collocation used to describe a feeling, tone, or sign of disagreement or lack of harmony. In this context, it perfectly captures the emergence of disagreement among the leaders during the UN meeting, with the verb "surfaced" indicating that this dissent became apparent or visible during the discussion.

Explanation

The word startle means to cause a sudden feeling of shock, alarm, or wonder, typically by a sudden and unexpected occurrence. Similarly, to surprise means to strike with wonder or amazement especially because of being unexpected. Both words share the core meaning of causing an abrupt reaction to an unexpected event, making them synonyms.

Explanation

The idiom "get the axe" is a common slang expression that means to be dismissed or fired from a job, or to have a project or program suddenly terminated. It metaphorically refers to the swift and decisive cut of an axe, signifying the abrupt end of one's employment.

Explanation

The idiom wipe the floor with someone means to defeat an opponent easily and completely in a game, fight, argument, or competition. It conveys the idea of a decisive, overwhelming victory where one party completely dominates the other.

Explanation

To quash means to reject, void, or declare something invalid, especially through a formal legal procedure, such as quashing a subpoena, indictment, or judicial decision.

Explanation

The sentence describes the emotional state of a person grieving the loss of her father. The word sullen refers to being gloomy, silent, and bad-tempered due to anger or sadness. To maintain contextual consistency and parallel structure, the blank requires a word with a similar somber and sorrowful meaning. Melancholic means feeling or expressing deep, pensive sadness, which perfectly aligns with the grief of losing a parent.

Explanation

The word supercede is incorrectly spelled. The correct spelling is supersede, which is derived from the Latin word supersedere, meaning to sit on top of or outmode. Unlike other similar-sounding words like precede or concede, supersede is the only word in the English language that ends with the spelling sede.

Explanation

The word vulgar describes something that lacks cultivation, good taste, sophistication, or politeness, and is characterized by coarseness or indelicacy. The word refined represents the exact opposite, referring to someone or something that exhibits elegant taste, sophistication, good manners, and social cultivation.

Explanation

The word jovial describes a person who is cheerful, friendly, companionable, and full of high spirits. It directly translates to being merry, convivial, hearty, and good-humoured in character and behavior.

Explanation

The word overture refers to an introduction to something more substantial, such as a musical work, an agreement, or a relationship. Similarly, a preamble is an introductory statement, preface, or introduction to a formal document, speech, or writing. Both words share the central meaning of serving as an opening or introductory part that sets the stage for what follows.

Explanation

The context of the passage describes the physical formation and shaping of a valley over geological time. Natural agents such as river waters, rainfall, and winds gradually wear away soil and rock. This process of wearing away the earth's surface by natural forces is scientifically termed erosion. Therefore, the past participle eroded is the most appropriate term to describe how the valley was carved and sculpted over the ages.

Explanation

The sentence describes the geological agents responsible for eroding or shaping the valley over a long period. Rainfall acts as a powerful agent of erosion when it is intense and abundant. The adjective heavy is the standard collocated term used with rainfall to describe high-intensity precipitation which, along with river waters and fierce winds, possesses the physical force required to carve out landforms over ages.

Explanation

The word humongous means extremely large or massive. In the context of the passage, the monolith is described as a giant monolith and a tower-like mountain that stands at a height of eight hundred and fifty metres, towering well above its surroundings. Therefore, an adjective indicating massive scale is required to describe this giant rock structure.

Explanation

The context of the sentence describes the vertical elevation of the giant monolith, mentioning that it stood from the valley floor and towered well above the surrounding area. The measurement of eight hundred and fifty metres from the ground upwards represents its vertical distance, for which height is the correct and standard term.

Explanation

The possessive noun valley's is the most appropriate fit for blank 5 because it correctly indicates ownership or association with the shoulders. In this context, the shoulders metaphorically refers to the upper edges, ridges, or slopes of the valley. The giant monolith is described as towering well above these surrounding slopes of the valley, making the possessive form valley's grammatically and contextually correct to modify the noun shoulders.

Explanation

Clamour refers to a loud, continuous, and confused noise, typically arising from a public outcry or vehement shouting. The opposite of a loud, noisy, and chaotic state is one of silence, peace, and calmness, which is defined by the word quiet.

Explanation

The word "credible" means convincing, capable of being believed, or trustworthy. When referring to information, it indicates that the details provided are reliable and can be trusted. "Dependable" directly shares this meaning, as it describes something or someone that is reliable, trustworthy, and worthy of confidence.

Explanation

The segment "quiet" contains a grammatical error. In this sentence, the word is used to modify the verb "entered", describing the manner in which the thief performed the action. To modify a verb, an adverb of manner must be used instead of an adjective. Therefore, "quiet" should be replaced with the adverb "quietly" to make the sentence grammatically correct.

Explanation

The modal verb will must be followed by the base form of the verb (bare infinitive), which is believe, rather than the present participle believing. Therefore, the phrase will believing him is grammatically incorrect and should be corrected to will believe him to properly express the simple future tense.

Explanation

The past tense verb "made" is appropriate here because the sentence refers to the "memories of her past," establishing a retrospective context. Furthermore, replacing "weak" with "feeble" and "sad" with "unhappy" provides a more precise and stylistically appropriate word choice that enhances the overall tone and vocabulary of the sentence.

Explanation

The idiom "have a soft spot for someone" means to feel a strong fondness, affection, or liking for a particular person, often making one more indulgent, lenient, or sentimental toward them. It represents having a special preference or emotional warmth for someone, which is directly expressed as liking someone a lot.

Explanation

The sentence describes a calculated and clever strategy used by robbers to avoid detection by choosing a new location far away from their previous crimes. The word shrewd accurately describes this astute or sharp-witted decision, while targeted is the most appropriate verb to describe the specific locations in Dewas that they had previously aimed at or marked for their criminal activities.

Explanation

The word reconnoitre means to make a military observation of a region, or to conduct a preliminary survey or inspection of an area to gather information. In a broader context, it refers to examining, surveying, or investigating something closely. Inspect is the most appropriate synonym because it likewise means to look at something closely, typically with the purpose of assessing its condition, gathering information, or verifying details.

Explanation

The word rescind means to officially cancel, repeal, or abrogate a law, order, agreement, or decision. The word revoke also means to officially cancel, annul, or take back a decree, decision, or promise. Both words are used to denote the act of rendering something legally void or invalid, making them direct synonyms.

Explanation

The given sentence is in the passive voice in the simple past tense, which follows the structure: Subject + was/were + past participle + by + Object. To convert this into the active voice, the structure changes to: Subject + past tense verb (V2) + Object. Here, the object of the passive sentence "the police" becomes the active subject, the verb "were caught" changes to its simple past active form "caught", and the passive subject "the thieves" becomes the active object. This yields the correct active voice sentence.

Explanation

The idiom "pull the plug" means to prevent something from continuing or to put an end to an activity, project, or plan. It often involves withdrawing support, funding, or resources, which effectively terminates the endeavor. The phrase originates from the literal action of removing a plug to stop the flow of water or disconnecting an electrical plug to shut down a machine, thereby bringing its operation to an immediate halt.