SSC CHSL Tier 1 2021 English Comprehension Questions with Solutions

Explanation

Pretence refers to an attempt to make something that is not the case appear true, or a false display, affectation, and deception. Its direct opposite is reality, which represents the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they may appear or be imagined. Therefore, reality is the most appropriate antonym because it denotes actual, objective existence in contrast to the falsehood and make-believe of pretence.

Explanation

The original sentence contains a grammatical redundancy by repeating the auxiliary verb "is" twice. In the present continuous tense, a yes/no question is constructed using the formula: Auxiliary Verb (Is/Are) + Subject + Verb-ing. Since "Savita" is a singular subject, the correct auxiliary verb to initiate the question is "Is", followed by the subject "Savita" and the present participle "joining". This yields the grammatically correct sentence "Is Savita joining us for lunch today?".

Explanation

The word precocious is used to describe a person, especially a child, who has developed certain abilities, intelligence, or skills at a much earlier age than is standard or expected. Conversely, backward refers to someone who is delayed or retarded in their physical, mental, or intellectual development, representing a slower than normal rate of progress. Therefore, backward serves as the direct antonym to precocious.

Explanation

The standard English collocation for engaging in a discussion is to "have a conversation". Since the sentence describes an event that took place in the past, indicated by the past tense verb "met", the past tense form "had" is used to complete the phrase "had a conversation".

Explanation

The word fleck refers to a small patch, mark, or speck of color or light on a surface. A spot is also defined as a small, roundish mark differing in color or texture from its surroundings, making it a direct synonym of fleck.

Explanation

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

To convert this sentence into the passive voice, the object (the budget) becomes the new subject, the verb phrase changes to "will be + past participle" (will be announced), and the original subject (the finance minister) is introduced by the preposition "by".

Applying this rule, the passive voice structure becomes: Subject (the budget) + will be + Verb in past participle (announced) + by + Agent (the finance minister).

Explanation

The word heuristic is derived from the Greek verb heuriskein, which means to find or to discover. In English, it is used to describe an approach to learning, problem-solving, or discovery that employs practical methodologies, self-education, or trial-and-error techniques to find a solution. It directly refers to the process of allowing or assisting an individual to discover things for themselves.

Explanation

The word reflects is the most appropriate fit for blank 1 because the well-being of children serves as a direct indicator or mirror of the overall health of a society and the caring nature of its governance. In this context, reflects means to show, express, or manifest a particular quality or state of affairs.

Explanation

The context of the sentence discusses the underlying social causes of child malnutrition. The preposition "against" following the blank indicates a prejudice, preference, or unfair treatment directed toward a specific group. In this context, "bias against the female child" refers to gender discrimination and societal neglect where male children are prioritized over female children for nutrition, healthcare, and general care, leading to higher rates of malnutrition among girls. Therefore, the word "bias" fits both the grammatical structure and the thematic meaning of the passage.

Explanation

The sentence discusses the remedies required to counter the various causes of malnutrition in children. The remedy demands multiple actions: care of the mother and care by the mother, in addition to controlling the population explosion. The word besides means in addition to or as well as, making it the grammatically and contextively correct choice to connect these concurrent requirements.

Explanation

The word contributory means playing a part in bringing about a result or helping to cause something. In the context of the passage, ignorance about proper dietary choices is described as an additional factor that helps cause or leads to malnutrition among women and children, making contributory the most appropriate fit.

Explanation

The word menace refers to a extremely harmful threat, danger, or social evil. In the context of the passage, malnutrition and undernourishment are serious, harmful conditions affecting children that pose a significant threat to society. Therefore, the term menace fits the blank appropriately as the text discusses implementing schemes to fight this widespread threat to child well-being.

Explanation

The modal auxiliary verb may must always be followed by the base form of the verb, which is the bare infinitive. In the given sentence, the past tense verb went is used incorrectly after may. It must be replaced with the base verb go to make the sentence grammatically correct, forming the phrase you may go out to play.

Explanation

The sentence describes an action that will be in progress at a specific point in the future, which requires the future continuous tense. The grammatical structure for the future continuous tense is subject + will be + present participle (verb-ing). Therefore, the base form verb "write" is grammatically incorrect in this context and must be changed to its present participle form "writing" to make the sentence grammatically correct.

Explanation

The word polemical describes something that is strongly critical, disputatious, or relating to a fierce, passionate argument. It is derived from the Greek word polemikos, meaning warlike or hostile, and is used to define writings, speeches, or opinions that are intensely argumentative and directly pertain to controversy.

Explanation

The preposition on is used to denote position atop a physical surface. In this sentence, the children are placing themselves on top of the tables as a surface to sit, which serves as a direct alternative to sitting on the chairs. Therefore, on is the grammatically correct preposition to indicate being supported by the surface of the tables.

Explanation

The term luminary refers to a person who inspires or influences others, particularly one who is prominent and highly respected in a specific field. It represents an individual who shines brightly as a source of intellectual, spiritual, or moral leadership, drawing from its etymological roots in the Latin word lumen, which means light.

Explanation

The word impudent refers to someone who is bold, cheeky, and completely lacks respect or manners. The antonym of impudent is polite, which describes someone who behaves in a way that is socially correct, respectful, and considerate of others.

Explanation

The word tranquil means free from disturbance, peaceful, quiet, or calm. When referring to water, a tranquil surface is one that is still, quiet, and undisturbed by waves or wind, which matches the definition of calm.

Explanation

The word "Whipe" is incorrectly spelt. The correct spelling is "Wipe", which means to clean or dry something by rubbing its surface with a cloth, a piece of paper, or one's hand. The inclusion of the letter h is erroneous.

Explanation

The sentence structure requires a noun to follow the definite article "the" to complete the prepositional phrase "to the". The noun "sea" refers to the large body of saltwater, making it the grammatically and semantically correct choice to complete the sentence, indicating a desire to visit the seaside or beach.

Explanation

The idiom to pay lip service means to express agreement, loyalty, support, or respect for a cause, person, or idea in words only, without taking any real supportive action. It represents an insincere or superficial verbal commitment where the speaker's true intentions or subsequent actions do not align with what they say.

Explanation

When comparing two entities, in this case Rhea and Heena, the comparative degree of the adjective must be used. The word better is the comparative form of good, which is used to compare two things, whereas best is the superlative form used for comparing three or more things. Therefore, the comparative form better is grammatically correct.

Explanation

The preposition in is incorrectly used before every Tuesday. In English grammar, prepositions like on, in, or at are not used before time expressions that begin with words like every, each, last, next, this, or that. Therefore, the phrase in every Tuesday should simply be every Tuesday to be grammatically correct.

Explanation

The active sentence is in the simple past tense, as indicated by the verb threw. To convert a simple past tense sentence into the passive voice, the construction pattern is: Object + was/were + past participle (V3) of the verb + by + Subject.

Since the object flowers is plural, it takes the plural auxiliary verb were followed by the past participle thrown. This correctly yields the structure flowers were thrown by the audience.

Explanation

The correct spelling of the word is "necessary". Derived from the Latin word "necessarius", meaning indispensable or unavoidable, it is spelled with a single 'c' and a double 's'. In this context, it functions as an adjective meaning essential or required to maintain discipline.

Explanation

The word Bonafide is incorrectly spelt. The correct spelling is bona fide, which is written as two separate words.

Explanation

The word "contemporaries" is defined as people living or existing during the same time period. Because William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe were both active as playwrights during the Elizabethan era, they lived and worked at the same time.

Explanation

The word judicious is defined as having, showing, or done with good judgment or sense. It characterizes actions or decisions that are wise, sensible, and well-advised. The word foolish means lacking good sense or judgment, being unwise, or showing a lack of discretion. This makes it the direct antonym of judicious, as it represents the exact opposite quality of lacking sound judgment.

Explanation

The proverb "every dog has his day" is a commonly used idiom which means that everyone, regardless of their current status or circumstances, will eventually experience a period of good luck, success, or prominence at some point in their life. It serves as an encouraging phrase suggesting that fortune and opportunity are cyclical and that everyone will have their moment of triumph or happiness.

Explanation

The passage describes a narrator stealthily approaching a tree to hide from a tiger. The word stalked means to move silently or stealthily, which perfectly fits the act of carefully approaching the tree under the threat of a nearby predator. The word tendrils refers to the slender, threadlike parts of a climbing plant or creeper, aligning with the mention of avoiding contact with the creepers. Finally, concealment means the state of being hidden or kept secret, which is the primary objective of the narrator climbing to the fork of the tree to remain undetected by the tiger.

Explanation

The phrasal verb "come about" means to happen, occur, or take place, particularly in relation to an event, situation, or change. It is commonly used to describe how a specific circumstances or state of affairs came into existence, often as a result of prior events. For instance, in the question "How did this situation come about?", the term is used to ask how the situation happened.

Explanation

Sentence A serves as the introductory sentence because it introduces the overarching theme of the paragraph, which is the famous love story behind the history of the Taj Mahal.

Sentence C logically follows sentence A because the phrase "It all started" directly links to the origin of the love story mentioned in sentence A, introducing the two central figures, Prince Khurram and Arjumand Banu Begum.

Sentence B naturally follows sentence C because the pronoun "She" at the start of sentence B refers directly back to Arjumand Banu Begum, providing immediate genealogical context about her relationship to Meherunissa.

Sentence D completes the narrative sequence by describing Khurram's desire to marry Arjumand and the subsequent celebration of their marriage.

Explanation

The word value is grammatically and contextually the most appropriate fit for the first blank. Grammatically, the singular noun value agrees with the singular verb comes in the relative clause that comes out of the story. Contextually, traditional fables like The Grasshopper and the Ant are designed to impart a moral lesson or practical value to children, specifically regarding the benefits of diligence and labor, making value the precise term to describe the lesson being communicated.

Explanation

Despair is defined as the complete loss or absence of hope, representing a state of hopelessness and discouragement. The word hope signifies a feeling of expectation and desire for a positive outcome, making it the direct antonym of despair.

Explanation

The construction "in such a way that" is a standard English grammatical structure used to introduce a clause of result, consequence, or manner. In this context, it connects the manner in which the story is presented to the children with the intended outcome, which is their realization of the value of hard work. The conjunction "that" properly introduces this subordinate clause to complete the meaning of the sentence.

Explanation

In the context of the passage, laziness is depicted as an undesirable quality that needs to be discouraged. The sentence contrasts this quality with hard work, which is a desirable and productive habit. Therefore, laziness is appropriately described as a negative trait, which aligns with the moral lesson of the story where laziness leads to unfavorable consequences while hard work leads to comfort and security.

Explanation

The conjunction while is used to connect two simultaneous activities or contrastive ideas. In this sentence, it serves to indicate that the act of discouraging laziness should occur at the same time as, or alongside, the action of emphasizing the positive aspect of hard work. Using while smoothly introduces the subordinate participle clause emphasizing on the positive note, establishing a balanced relationship between discouraging a negative trait and promoting a positive one.

Explanation

The word wax means to grow or increase in size, numbers, strength, or intensity, which is most commonly used to describe the transition of the moon as its illuminated side grows larger. Its direct opposite is wane, which means to decrease in size, extent, or influence, particularly used when the illuminated area of the moon is shrinking.

Explanation

The phrasal verb "heading for" is the correct idiomatic expression used to describe moving towards a specific destination or being on a path that is highly likely to lead to a particular situation, especially an unfavorable one. When used with a negative outcome like "disaster" or "trouble," "heading for" indicates that someone's current actions or circumstances are leading them directly toward that negative consequence. Therefore, "heading for" is the most appropriate substitute to make the sentence grammatically and idiomatically correct.

Explanation

The word kengaroo is incorrectly spelt. The correct spelling of the large hopping marsupial native to Australia is kangaroo, which is spelled with an a in the first syllable instead of an e.

Explanation

The term bankrupt refers to a person or organization that is legally declared unable to pay their outstanding debts to creditors.

Explanation

The idiom dark horse refers to a competitor or candidate about whom little is known but who unexpectedly wins or succeeds. The phrase originated in horse racing, where a dark horse was a horse that was unknown to the gamblers and difficult to establish odds on, yet went on to win the race. Over time, its usage expanded to politics, sports, and other competitions to describe an underdog or an unexpected winner.

Explanation

The active voice sentence is in the simple future tense, which follows the structure: Subject + will + verb (first form) + object.

To convert a simple future tense sentence into passive voice, the structure changes to: Subject (original object) + will be + verb (third form) + by + agent (original subject).

Following this rule, the object pronoun him becomes the subject pronoun He, the verb phrase will make changes to will be made, and the subject the people becomes the agent by the people. This correctly yields He will be made the leader by the people.

Explanation

In active voice, the sentence is I know him, where I is the subject, know is the verb in simple present tense, and him is the object. When converting this sentence into passive voice, the object him becomes the subject pronoun He. The simple present tense verb know is changed to its passive form is known. Crucially, the verb know takes the preposition to instead of by when followed by an agent in the passive voice. Thus, the subject pronoun I changes to the objective pronoun me, preceded by the preposition to, resulting in He is known to me.

Explanation

The idiom break a leg is a traditional theatrical superstition used to wish a performer good luck before a show. It is believed that directly wishing someone good luck would actually bring them bad luck, so the opposite phrase is spoken instead to ward off misfortune and ensure a successful performance. Over time, its usage has expanded beyond theater to wish anyone good luck before any important event, presentation, or trial.

Explanation

The idiom "miss the boat" means to lose an opportunity by being too slow to act, or to fail to take advantage of a favorable situation. It originates from the literal scenario of arriving too late at a dock and seeing a ship depart, thereby missing the chance to travel on it.

Explanation

The word comely is an adjective used to describe someone or something that is attractive, pleasant, or agreeable in appearance. The word grotesque refers to something that is comically or repulsively ugly, distorted, or bizarre. Therefore, grotesque is the direct antonym of comely as it represents the complete opposite in terms of physical appearance and aesthetic appeal.

Explanation

The word arraign is a legal term that means to bring a person before a court to face a charge or to formally accuse them of a crime. Prosecute likewise means to initiate and conduct legal proceedings against someone in respect of a criminal charge, making it the most accurate synonym.

Explanation

The sentence describes the origin of new ideas and advancements, which is represented by the word innovation. An innovation typically begins with a creative spark, which refers to the initial flash of inspiration or creative energy, combined with the enduring passion of an individual to bring that idea to fruition. This makes both words the most appropriate fit for the blanks to maintain a coherent and meaningful sentence.