SSC CHSL Tier 1 2022 English Comprehension Questions with Solutions

Explanation

The word sporadic refers to something that occurs at irregular, scattered, or infrequent intervals with no set pattern or order. Its antonym must denote something that is characterized by order, regularity, and a planned method. Systematic means carried out using a step-by-step, organized, or planned system, making it the direct opposite of sporadic.

Explanation

The word plausible is used to describe an argument, statement, or explanation that seems reasonable, probable, or likely to be true. It represents something that has the appearance of truth and credibility, making it believable based on logic or common sense.

Explanation

The word MINARET is correctly spelt. It refers to a tall, slender tower, typically part of a mosque, with a balcony from which a muezzin calls Muslims to prayer. It is derived from the Arabic word manarah, which means lighthouse.

Explanation

The word CONSCENT is misspelt. The correct spelling is CONSENT, which means to give permission for something to happen or to agree to do something.

Explanation

The active sentence "Ravish likes chocolate" is in the simple present tense. To convert a sentence in the simple present tense into the passive voice, the structure is: Object + is/am/are + past participle of the verb + by + Subject. Since "chocolate" is an uncountable noun, it takes the singular auxiliary verb "is", followed by the past participle "liked" and the agent "by Ravish", resulting in "Chocolate is liked by Ravish."

Explanation

The idiom "to jump out of one's skin" is used to describe a sudden, intense reaction of shock, fright, or extreme surprise. It vividly depicts a physical startle response where a person is so startled or shocked by an unexpected event or sound that they react as if they are jumping right out of their own body.

Explanation

Lecanemab is a monoclonal antibody developed for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. In late 2022, data from its Phase 3 clinical trial showed that the drug slowed cognitive and functional decline by 27% over an 18-month period. In clinical and scientific research, this reduction is described as a small but statistically and clinically significant effect, as it represented a meaningful delay in the progression of the disease.

Explanation

Correct Answer: C

The verb "looked" is used here as a linking verb meaning "appeared to be" or "gave the impression of being." It is followed directly by the adjective "harmless" to describe the subject's physical appearance and the impression he projected to others based on his slight build and simple clothing.

Explanation

The sentence uses the coordinating conjunction "but" to contrast Narad's harmless appearance with his actual status or standing. The idiomatic phrase "had quite a reputation" perfectly fits this context, indicating that despite his simple look, he was widely known and recognized for his influential connections and mischief-making behavior.

Explanation

The word "formidable" means inspiring respect or wonder because of size, strength, or ability. In this context, describing Narad as a "formidable devotee" emphasizes the intensity, power, and highly respected nature of his devotion to Lord Vishnu, which aligns with the mention of his powerful family connections in the same sentence.

Explanation

The context of the sentence describes Narad's habit or regular pastime of traveling across different courts and worlds to collect gossip and create mayhem. The noun "activity" refers to a specific pursuit, occupation, or pastime that an individual regularly engages in. In this sentence, traveling and collecting gossip functions as Narad's favourite hobby or regular pursuit, making "activity" the most grammatically and contextually appropriate choice to fill blank number 4.

Explanation

The blank requires a verb that collocates naturally with mayhem to describe the act of causing or dispersing chaos and disorder. In English, the phrase spreading mayhem is a standard collocation used to denote the propagation of confusion, mischief, or destruction across different areas. Narad, by traveling from court to court and world to world to share gossip, actively propagates or spreads this disorder.

Explanation

The idiom get into hot water means to face trouble, difficulty, or severe criticism because of one's actions or behavior. It is commonly used to describe a situation where someone has done something wrong or made a mistake, resulting in them being in a difficult or embarrassing spot.

Explanation

The grammatical error lies in the verb tense construction "has becoming". The auxiliary verb "has" must be followed by the past participle form of the verb to form the present perfect tense. The past participle form of "become" is "become". Using the present participle form "becoming" after "has" is grammatically incorrect, and it must be replaced with "become" to make the sentence correct as "has become increasingly scarce".

Explanation

The word amorphous is derived from the Greek prefix "a-", meaning without, and "morphe", meaning form or shape. Therefore, it literally translates to "without shape" or "shapeless", which is used to describe something that lacks a clear structure, definite form, or organizational pattern.

Explanation

Leonine is an adjective derived from the Latin word leoninus, which is rooted in leo, meaning lion. It is used to describe physical appearance, behavior, or traits that resemble those of a lion, such as being majestic, brave, strong, or having hair resembling a lion's mane.

Explanation

The sentence is completely free of spelling errors because both key words, impression and desperate, are spelled correctly. Impression is properly spelled with a double s, and desperate is correctly spelled with an e in the second syllable.

Explanation

The idiom penny wise and pound foolish describes a person who is extremely careful, thrifty, or guarded when dealing with small amounts of money, but very careless, wasteful, or foolish with large sums. It highlights the irony of saving trivial amounts of money while simultaneously risking or wasting much larger, more significant amounts.

Explanation

When converting direct speech into indirect speech, the tense of the reported speech changes from past continuous (were making) to past perfect continuous (had been making). Additionally, the second-person pronoun (you) changes to the first-person pronoun (I) to match the assumed listener of the reporting verb. The reporting verb (said) remains unchanged and is followed by the conjunction (that), resulting in the grammatically correct indirect assertion.

Explanation

The error lies in the phrase "even thousands of mile". The quantifier "thousands of" must be followed by a plural countable noun. Therefore, the singular noun "mile" should be replaced with the plural noun "miles" to make the sentence grammatically correct.

Explanation

Abstinence refers to the practice of self-restraint and voluntarily sparing oneself from bodily pleasures, particularly in relation to food, drink, or other physical indulgences. In contrast, gluttony represents the complete opposite, defined as habitual greed, overindulgence, and excess, especially in eating and drinking, making it the antonym.

Explanation

Earwax, scientifically known as cerumen, is a substance naturally secreted by glands in the external ear canal. It plays an essential biological role in protecting, cleaning, and lubricating the ear canal, acting as a defense mechanism against dust, bacteria, and other foreign particles. Because it is inherently produced by the body as a normal physiological process, it is a natural component of the body's defenses.

Explanation

In sports and games, a draw refers to a situation where a match or contest ends with an even score or in a tie, meaning neither side wins or loses.

Explanation

The correct logical and grammatical sequence is SPQR.

Part S introduces the subject Shinzo Abe along with a defining clause ending with the noun Japan. This noun connects directly to the verb phrase in Part P, which begins with won the right to host the 2020 Games, and concludes with explicitly stated that. The conjunction that at the end of Part P introduces the reported statement, which is found in Part Q, Tokyo 2020 represented a key way to open up Japanese. Finally, the adjective Japanese at the end of Part Q grammatically qualifies the nouns culture and people at the beginning of Part R, completing the sentence as culture and people to the watching and visiting world.

Explanation

A reclusive person is someone who lives in voluntary seclusion or isolation from the public and actively avoids the company of other people. The word comes from the Latin reclusus, meaning shut up or hidden away, perfectly describing an individual who chooses to live a solitary life.

Explanation

The active voice sentence is in the simple present tense, indicated by the verb cooks. To convert a simple present tense sentence into the passive voice, the structure used is: Subject + is/am/are + past participle of the verb (V3) + by + Agent. Since breakfast is a singular noun, it takes the auxiliary verb is, followed by the past participle cooked, resulting in the correct passive sentence.

Explanation

The word antsy describes a state of being restless, uneasy, impatient, or anxious. Its direct opposite is collected, which refers to being calm, composed, relaxed, and in control of one's feelings.

Explanation

The prepositional phrase with a wise heart is the grammatically correct and idiomatic construction to complete the sentence. In this context, the preposition with indicates possession or accompaniment of a quality, and the adjective wise correctly modifies the singular noun heart. This completes the description of the character traits for which he was rewarded, complementing meekness and understanding.

Explanation

The subject of the sentence, "The crime scene", is singular, which requires the singular auxiliary verb "was". Additionally, the sentence is in the passive voice, indicating that the action was performed on the subject by the yellow tape. The passive voice structure requires the auxiliary verb "to be" followed by the past participle of the main verb, which is "surrounded". Thus, "was surrounded" is grammatically correct.

Explanation

The word ideal refers to something that is perfect, exemplary, or without any faults or defects. The word flawed means having imperfections, defects, or blemishes, making it the direct antonym of ideal.

Explanation

The word coiled means arranged in a series of concentric loops or spirals. In this sentence, the wedding garland is being compared to a white snake, which naturally curls or winds itself into loops. Thus, coiled is the most appropriate and contextually fitting verb to describe the appearance and arrangement of the garland on the silver tray.

Explanation

The ocean floor is famously less explored than the surface of Mars, which refers to the well-known scientific fact that humanity has mapped and studied the surface of Mars in greater detail than Earth's own deep ocean beds. This is directly supported by the context of the passage, which describes a team of scientists mapping the seabed and discovering a previously unknown crater, highlighting that much of the ocean floor remains unexamined and unmapped.

Explanation

In the context of scientific exploration and mapping of a previously unexplored area of the seabed, the verb discovered is the most appropriate fit. To discover means to find, locate, or become aware of something for the first time during a search or investigation. Here, the team of scientists was mapping the ocean floor and found a previously unknown geological structure, which they identified as an asteroid impact crater.

Explanation

The context of the sentence refers to assigning a designation or title to the newly discovered asteroid impact crater. The prepositional phrase "after the nearby volcano Nadir Seamount" indicates the source or inspiration for the crater's name. Therefore, the past participle "named" is the grammatically and contextually correct choice to show that the crater was given the name "Nadir" in reference to the nearby seamount.

Explanation

The Cretaceous is a major division of the geological time scale that spanned from approximately 145 to 66 million years ago. In geochronology, these major divisions of eras are formally defined as periods, making period the scientifically accurate and collocated term to follow Cretaceous in this context.

Explanation

The phrasal verb "wiped out" means to completely destroy, eliminate, or cause the extinction of a group or population. In the context of the passage, the Chicxulub asteroid impact at the end of the Cretaceous period led to the mass extinction of the dinosaurs and numerous other species, making "wiped out" the most appropriate and contextually accurate phrase to complete the sentence.

Explanation

The word elucidate means to make something clear or to explain it thoroughly. Similarly, explicate means to analyze and develop an idea or principle in detail, or to explain the meaning of a text or statement. Both terms are synonyms that denote the act of clarifying, interpreting, or detailing an concept to make it understandable.

Explanation

The idiom "a beast of burden" refers to a domesticated animal, such as a donkey, mule, horse, or camel, that is kept and used for carrying heavy loads, luggage, or performing strenuous physical labor.

Explanation

The active sentence is in the present perfect tense, which follows the structure: Subject + has/have + past participle (V3) + Object. To convert a present perfect active sentence into passive voice, the structure used is: Object + has/have + been + past participle (V3) + by + Subject.

In the given active sentence, "The police" is the plural subject, "have apprehended" is the verb phrase, and "the criminal" is the singular object. When converting to the passive voice, the singular object "the criminal" becomes the new subject, which requires the singular auxiliary verb form "has been" followed by the past participle "apprehended". This results in the sentence: "The criminal has been apprehended by the police".

Explanation

The introductory phrase "Approaching her" naturally connects to part Q, which provides the noun phrase "80th birthday in February next year, Hill's" to complete the time-marker clause. The possessive noun "Hill's" must then modify a noun, which is found at the beginning of part S: "writing has lost none of its immediate". The adjective "immediate" in part S requires a noun to modify, leading directly to part R: "relevance and urgency this time focusing". Finally, the participle "focusing" is followed by the preposition "upon" in part P: "upon the impacts of county lines drug-running networks". This sequential flow Q-S-R-P creates a grammatically complete and coherent sentence.

Explanation

The phrase "too much" is used before nouns (for example, "too much pain"), whereas "much too" is used before adjectives. Since "painful" is an adjective, it must be preceded by "much too" instead of "too much". Therefore, the segment "is too much" contains the grammatical error and should be corrected to "is much too".

Explanation

The idiom "to lose one's head" means to lose one's self-control, composure, or capacity to think clearly and act rationally, particularly in a stressful, provocative, or critical situation. When a person loses their head, they react impulsively or panic instead of remaining calm and sensible.

Explanation

The correct sequence begins with part P, which introduces the main finding that thyroid hormones regulate white bar formation. This finding is followed by a coordinating conjunction in part R, "and that a shift in hormone levels, associated with ecological", which introduces a second parallel clause. The adjective "ecological" at the end of part R directly qualifies the noun "differences" at the beginning of part S, making the transition "ecological differences" seamless and grammatically correct. Finally, the adjective "different" at the end of part S naturally modifies the noun phrase "sea anemone species" at the start of part Q, finishing the sentence with a description of the habitats where the young fish are recruited. This structure creates a cohesive and grammatically sound sentence.

Explanation

The modal auxiliary verb can is always followed by the bare infinitive, which is the base form of the verb. In this sentence, see is the base form of the verb. Therefore, the combination can see is grammatically correct to express the ability to perceive the mountains in the distance.

Explanation

The superlative form of the adjective little, which is used to denote the lowest in amount, value, or importance, is least. The phrase least expensive is grammatically correct to indicate that the early morning flight has the lowest price compared to other flights. The spelling lest is a conjunction meaning for fear that or to avoid the risk of, which does not fit the context of comparison.

Explanation

In direct-to-indirect speech conversion, an imperative sentence representing a command or order is changed by converting the reporting verb said to into ordered. Since the reporting verb is in the past tense, the past tense ordered is used. The comma and inverted commas are removed, and the infinitive to is placed before the main verb clean to connect the reporting verb and the reported speech, forming the infinitive construction to clean the utensils properly.

Explanation

The word Fantsy is spelt incorrectly; the correct spelling is fantasy or fancy. The other three words, bubble, stormy, and mince, are all spelt correctly.

Explanation

The sentence in option A contains no spelling errors. Every word in the sentence, including the commonly misspelled terms thought, going, and die, is spelled correctly according to standard English grammar and orthography rules.

Explanation

The word legit is a common informal abbreviation of legitimate, which means conforming to the law, rules, or accepted standards. Its direct antonym is illegal, which refers to something that is contrary to or forbidden by law.

Explanation

The term versatile refers to a person who has the ability to adapt easily to many different functions, tasks, or situations. It represents flexibility, resourcefulness, and multi-faceted skills in a variety of environments.