SSC CHSL Tier 1 2021 English Comprehension Questions with Solutions

Explanation

The given active voice sentence is in the simple past tense, which follows the structure: Subject + second form of the verb (V2) + Object. To convert a simple past tense sentence into the passive voice, the structure used is: Object + was/were + past participle (V3) of the verb + by + Subject.

In this sentence, the plural object "the vegetables" becomes the subject in the passive voice, which requires the plural auxiliary verb "were". The past participle form of the verb "sold" is also "sold". Applying this rule gives the correct passive sentence: "The vegetables were sold by the vendor in the market."

Explanation

An epitaph is a short inscription or piece of text written on a tombstone or monument in memory of a deceased person. It serves to honor their life, commemorate their achievements, or offer a brief reflective message about their passing.

Explanation

Sentence C introduces the main topic by defining food blogging. Sentence A naturally follows by specifying who the typical authors of these food blogs are, referring to them as food aficionados or foodies. Sentence B transitions the discussion to the professional and commercial aspects of this activity, explaining how a blogger can benefit from it professionally. Sentence D completes the logical flow by detailing how a blogger can monetize their work as their popularity grows, directly expanding on the concept of benefiting professionally introduced in sentence B.

Explanation

The idiom "a fish out of water" refers to a person who is in an unfamiliar and awkward situation, making them feel out of place, uncomfortable, and restless. Just as a fish cannot survive or feel at ease outside of its natural aquatic habitat, a person in a completely new or unsuitable environment experiences a similar state of discomfort and restlessness.

Explanation

The word Surreptious is incorrectly spelt. The correct spelling is Surreptitious, which means kept secret or done by stealth, especially because it would not be approved of.

Explanation

The phrasal verb run into is idiomatically used with debt to mean incurring or accumulating financial liabilities. When someone runs into debt, they experience a situation where they owe money to others. Thus, ran into is the correct and appropriate phrase to substitute ran in to make the sentence grammatically and idiomatically correct.

Explanation

The word contemptuous means showing contempt, being scornful, insolent, or arrogant, and displaying a feeling of superiority over others. The most appropriate antonym for contemptuous is humble, which means having or showing a modest estimate of one's own importance, being respectful, and lacking pride or arrogance.

Explanation

The preposition "on" is the standard and idiomatic preposition used when referring to travelling or being aboard a public conveyance, such as a plane, train, ship, or bus. In the context of the sentence, "on that flight" correctly indicates presence aboard Flight 243.

Explanation

The word sturdy means physically strong, robust, and durable. The sentence describes a house that is highly fragile, as it could be shattered into pieces with a single blow. The appropriate antonym must therefore mean weak, frail, or lacking strength. Feeble means lacking physical strength or being weak and delicate, which perfectly fits the context of the sentence and serves as the direct antonym of sturdy.

Explanation

The preposition across is used to describe movement from one side of a flat, open area to the other. Since a field is a flat, two-dimensional open expanse of land, moving from one part of the field to another to reach the ball is denoted by running across it.

Explanation

The sentence compares the cooking ability of the speaker with that of other family members. When comparing two entities or groups, the comparative degree of the adverb is required to modify the verb cook. The adverb well has an irregular comparative form, which is better. Therefore, the phrase better than is the grammatically correct comparative structure to express that the speaker has superior cooking skills compared to others.

Explanation

The idiom Hobson's choice originates from Thomas Hobson, a stable owner in Cambridge, England, during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. To ensure his horses were rotated and rested fairly, he offered customers a strict choice: they could take the horse in the stall nearest the stable door, or they could take no horse at all. Consequently, the phrase came to mean a situation where only one option is offered, resulting in a choice forced upon someone with no actual alternative.

Explanation

Xenophobia is a term derived from the Greek words xenos, meaning stranger or foreigner, and phobos, meaning fear. It describes an intense, irrational fear, dislike, or hatred of people from other countries, cultures, or geographical backgrounds. This term directly corresponds to the underlined phrase describing a strong dislike or fear of people from other countries.

Explanation

The word pugnacious describes someone who is eager or quick to argue, quarrel, or fight, possessing a combative or aggressive nature. Similarly, truculent means being aggressively defiant, fierce, and quick to argue or fight. Both words share the central meaning of being hostile and bellicose, making them direct synonyms.

Explanation

The word outdoors is an adverb meaning in or into the open air, which correctly modifies the action of the children. Additionally, screaming is contextually appropriate to describe the loud, high-pitched vocalizations of children.

Explanation

The given sentence is in the passive voice and uses the simple future tense, characterized by the structure "will be" followed by the past participle "solved". To convert this into the active voice, the agent "my friend" becomes the subject, and the patient "the problem" becomes the object. The verb phrase is converted to the simple future active form, which uses "will" followed by the base form of the verb "solve". This results in the active construction "My friend will solve the problem."

Explanation

In this sentence, every single word is spelled correctly. Specifically, the word necessary is spelled accurately as n-e-c-e-s-s-a-r-y, consisting of one c and double s. All other elements in the sentence, including water, element, and life, are also orthographically correct.

Explanation

The passage describes the traits of efficient and effective leadership. In the first blank, the verb solicit is grammatically and contextually correct as it means to request or seek out opinions and advice. In the second blank, acting transparently describes conducting business and making decisions with openness, clarity, and accountability, which is a hallmark of good management. In the third blank, delegating is the standard professional term used for the practice of assigning authority and responsibility for tasks to subordinates. Together, these terms form a coherent and meaningful sentence about the practices of wise managers.

Explanation

The conjunction "even though" is used to introduce a concession clause, establishing a contrast between two statements. In this context, it connects the flight attendant's reassuring words that the passengers were going to be fine with the highly contrasting and grim reality of them having giant pieces of aeroplane carpet stuck to their heads. It fits the sentence by showing that the reassurance was given despite the severe and obvious physical trauma the passengers were experiencing.

Explanation

The adjective several is used to denote an indefinite number that is more than two but not very many. In the context of the opening sentence, it appropriately indicates that multiple different methods or strategies exist to achieve the goal of empowering women. Using several ensures that the sentence is grammatically correct and conveys the intended meaning that there are various paths to women's empowerment.

Explanation

The sentence describes a collective effort where two distinct entities, namely individual people and the administration, need to join forces to achieve the goal of women's empowerment. The adverb cooperatively means in a collaborative manner or working together towards a shared aim, which perfectly describes the coordinated action required between the public and the government.

Explanation

The phrase "make this a reality" is a standard English idiom used to describe the process of turning an idea, plan, or goal into actual existence. In the context of the passage, the collaborative effort of individual people and the administration is directed toward turning the concept of women's empowerment into a practical, real-world fact. Therefore, the noun "reality" is the most appropriate fit for the blank.

Explanation

In the given sentence, the context emphasizes the necessity of making education mandatory for girls to prevent them from lacking knowledge, awareness, or schooling. The word ignorant means lacking knowledge, information, or education, which perfectly complements the subsequent adjectives uneducated and unable to support themselves. Making education mandatory directly addresses and prevents ignorance, ensuring that women are informed, capable, and self-reliant.

Explanation

The verb accord means to grant, give, or bestow power, status, or rights upon someone. In the context of the passage, women must be granted or given equal rights and opportunities, making accorded the most appropriate word to complete the sentence grammatically and contextually.

Explanation

In English grammar, when a negative helping verb such as cannot or can't is used, it is paired with the correlative conjunction either... or to show that none of the specified actions are possible. Using neither with a negative verb would result in a grammatically incorrect double negative. Therefore, either is the correct choice to complete the parallel structure can't either land a plane or tell the wounded people.

Explanation

The paragraph begins with sentence D, which introduces the core subject by defining a good book using a powerful quote from John Milton that highlights its enduring nature. Sentence B naturally follows D by elaborating on this endurance, explaining how the thoughts and ideas within books are immortal and providing concrete examples like the Mahabharata, the Bible, and Shakespeare's plays. Sentence C then introduces a contrast using the transition phrase "On the other hand", comparing the spiritual and immortal essence of books to a computer, which is described as merely a machine. Finally, sentence A concludes the flow of thought by summarizing this comparison, stating that because of these fundamental differences, the idea of a computer replacing a book is completely far-fetched.

Explanation

The word ingenous is a spelling error. The correct spelling is ingenious, which means clever, original, or inventive. Alternatively, depending on the context, the word could be ingenuous, which means innocent, naive, or unsuspecting.

Explanation

The word "Referance" is misspelled. The correct spelling is "Reference", which uses the suffix "-ence" instead of "-ance". The noun refers to the act of mentioning or consulting something, or a source of information.

Explanation

An obituary is a published notice of a person's death, typically accompanied by a short biographical account of their life, achievements, and upcoming memorial services. This term perfectly matches the description of a report giving the news of a death and details about the life of the deceased.

Explanation

An interlude refers to an intervening period of time or a temporary pause, especially between the acts of a play or other theatrical and musical performances. Historically, it also denoted a short, lighter performance or piece of music presented during these intervals to entertain the audience between the main segments of the show.

Explanation

The idiom face up to means to accept and deal with a difficult situation, unpleasant truth, or challenge directly and courageously instead of trying to avoid or ignore it. It involves confronting a reality that might be painful or hard to handle.

Explanation

The subject of the sentence is "The perception", which is singular. According to the rule of subject-verb agreement, a singular subject must take a singular verb. Therefore, the plural verb "vary" is incorrect and must be replaced with the singular verb "varies".

Explanation

The word eccentric refers to someone or something that is unconventional, unusual, or strange in behavior or appearance. Similarly, the word queer means strange, odd, or peculiar, making it the most appropriate synonym. Both terms are used to describe things or behavior that deviate from what is considered normal or ordinary.

Explanation

The word "Pamplet" is spelt incorrectly. The correct spelling of the word is "pamphlet", which includes the letter "h" after the letter "p". A pamphlet is a small, unbound booklet or leaflet that contains information or promotional material about a single subject.

Explanation

The idiom running around in circles means to waste time and energy by doing a lot of things without making any progress or achieving any useful results. It originates from the physical act of moving in a circle, which requires constant effort but ultimately brings a person back to the exact same starting point.

Explanation

A seismograph is an instrument designed to detect, measure, and record the ground oscillations caused by seismic waves, which are generated during an earthquake. The term originates from the Greek words seismos, meaning earthquake, and graphein, meaning to write, reflecting its function of producing a visual record of the vibrations.

Explanation

The idiom hale and hearty is used to describe a person who is in excellent physical condition, robust, and full of energy. The word hale comes from an Old English word meaning whole or healthy, while hearty signifies being spirited, vigorous, and strong. Together, they emphasize a state of complete well-being and physical fitness, particularly when referring to an older individual who remains exceptionally vigorous.

Explanation

The term relapse means to fall back or sink again into a former state, especially a worse one, after a period of improvement. It is commonly used in medical contexts to describe the return of an illness after partial recovery, or in behavioral contexts to describe a return to a bad habit or addiction.

Explanation

The word ludicrous is defined as something that is extremely foolish, unreasonable, or out of place, often to the point of being amusing or ridiculous. Similarly, the word crazy, in this context, refers to something that is highly foolish, wild, or absurd. Both terms describe behavior, ideas, or situations that defy common sense and provoke disbelief or laughter, making them close synonyms.

Explanation

When converting the indirect speech Fiona enquired whether I had gone to school on Tuesday into direct speech, the past perfect tense had gone changes back to the simple past tense did you go. The reporting verb enquired indicates a question, which is represented by the yes/no question format in direct speech. The pronoun I in the indirect speech changes back to the second-person pronoun you in the direct speech, referring to the person being addressed. Thus, the direct speech is Did you go to school on Tuesday? Fiona asked me.

Explanation

The word jeopardy refers to a state of danger, peril, or risk of exposure to harm or loss. Conversely, safety represents the condition of being protected from danger, risk, or injury, denoting security and protection. Since these two terms describe opposite states of security and danger, safety is the direct antonym of jeopardy.

Explanation

In English grammar, the auxiliary verb did (or its negative form didn't) is followed by the base form of the verb, not its past tense form. Therefore, didn't should be followed by the base verb call instead of the past tense verb called. The grammatically correct phrasing is didn't call me.

Explanation

The active sentence is in the simple past tense. To convert a simple past active voice sentence into passive voice, the formula is: Subject + was/were + past participle + by + agent.

The object "me" becomes the subject "I" in the passive voice. The subject "I" takes the auxiliary verb "was", followed by the past participle of the main verb "invited". The active subject "He" is changed to the agent "by him", and the adverbial phrase "to his place yesterday" is retained at the end of the sentence. This gives the passive structure: "I was invited by him to his place yesterday."

Explanation

The sentence describes an action in the past tense, as indicated by the verb closed in the subsequent clause. Therefore, the blank requires the past tense form of the verb blow, which is blew. This word is a homophone of the color blue, sharing the same pronunciation but having a different spelling and meaning, making it the grammatically and contextually appropriate choice to describe the movement of the wind.

Explanation

The term components refers to the constituent parts or elements that combine to make up a larger system or whole. In the context of environmental science, living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) factors are the fundamental parts that constitute our ecosystem. Therefore, they form the components of our surroundings.

Explanation

The context of the sentence refers to the various manners, methods, or processes through which humans have influenced the environment, as illustrated by the examples of clearing forests, building houses, and making roads. The plural noun ways collocates naturally with multiple to describe these diverse actions and their impact on our surroundings.

Explanation

The phrase root cause is a standard English collocation used to describe the fundamental, underlying reason or primary agent behind a problem or event. In the context of the passage, human activities such as deforestation, urbanization, and infrastructure development directly lead to environmental degradation. Therefore, these actions represent the fundamental reason or the root cause of the air, water, and land pollution experienced globally.

Explanation

The term wonders is the most appropriate fit because "wonders of nature" is a standard and widely used English collocation. In the context of environmental education, ecologists aim to foster appreciation and respect for the magnificent, beautiful, and awe-inspiring aspects of the natural world, which are referred to as its wonders, alongside raising awareness about the ongoing ecological crises.

Explanation

All the words in the sentence are spelled correctly. The adjective delicious, which means highly pleasing to the taste, is spelled correctly. Similarly, the nouns mother, chocolate, and cakes, as well as the verb prepares, are all written with their standard, accurate spellings. There are no orthographical errors in this sentence.

Explanation

The word decaffeinated refers to tea or coffee that has had most or all of its caffeine removed. The correct spelling contains a double f and the vowel sequence ei, written as d-e-c-a-f-f-e-i-n-a-t-e-d. A frequent misspelling of this word is decaffenated, which erroneously omits the letter i.