SSC CHSL Tier 1 2023 English Comprehension Questions with Solutions

Explanation

The word contemplate means to look at or think about something deeply, thoughtfully, and with full attention. The word disregard means to ignore, overlook, or pay no attention to something. Therefore, disregard serves as the direct antonym of contemplate, representing the complete absence of attention or thought toward a matter.

Explanation

The adjective good has three degrees of comparison: positive (good), comparative (better), and superlative (best). When comparing one entity with all others in a group of more than two, as indicated by the phrase among all my classmates, the superlative degree must be used. Therefore, the superlative form best preceded by the definite article the is the grammatically correct choice to replace the non-standard double superlative bestest.

Explanation

The idiom "fallen flat" is used to describe a situation where an attempt, joke, story, performance, or proposal fails to produce the desired effect or fails to interest the audience. When something falls flat, it means it has been completely ineffective and met with a lack of enthusiasm or disappointment.

Explanation

The paragraph begins with sentence B, which introduces the setting of the story by describing the small town of Millfield and its charming character.

Sentence D follows logically, introducing a sudden event that threatens this setting with the announcement of plans to build a massive shopping centre on the outskirts of town.

Sentence A naturally connects to sentence D, using the pronoun this to refer to the corporate plans and describing the split reaction of the residents, some of whom see it as an opportunity while others fear the loss of the town's character.

Finally, sentence C concludes the paragraph by showing the outcome of these opposing views, explaining how the debate grew heated and tensions rose as the town struggled to decide its future.

Explanation

The idiom "to go with one's tail between one's legs" means to leave a place or situation feeling defeated, embarrassed, or behaving in a cowardly manner, much like a frightened dog tucking its tail. In this scenario, Mayank behaves cowardly and runs away when confronted about the money, making this expression the most appropriate fit for his behavior.

Explanation

The word negligible is used incorrectly in this context. While negligible means insignificantly small or unimportant, it typically describes measurable quantities, differences, or physical effects rather than abstract concepts like reason. To convey that there is almost no justification or cause, a more appropriate word such as little, scant, or no should be used instead of negligible.

Explanation

The word destitute refers to a state of extreme poverty, where an individual lacks the basic necessities of life such as food, clothing, and shelter. The word impoverished similarly describes someone who has been reduced to poverty or is extremely poor, making it the most accurate synonym in this context.

Explanation

The word is misspelled because the correct spelling is mischievous. The spelling mischievious is a common error that adds an extra i after the v, likely due to a mispronunciation that inserts an extra syllable. The correct spelling ends with the suffix -ous, not -ious, resulting in a three-syllable word.

Explanation

The present perfect tense "have had" is used to describe a state that started in the past and continues into the present. To express the duration of this state, the preposition "for" is used followed by a period of time. The phrase "for hundreds of years" correctly indicates this duration, with the plural noun "years" properly agreeing with the preceding quantifier "hundreds of".

Explanation

To convert an interrogative sentence in the passive voice (simple past tense) into the active voice, the structure changes from "Was/Were + subject (receiver of action) + past participle (V₃) + by + agent (doer of action)?" to "Did + subject (doer of action) + base form of the verb (V₁) + object (receiver of action)?".

In the given passive sentence, "the book" is the receiver of the action, "written" is the past participle of the verb "write", and "an unknown author" is the doer of the action. Applying the active voice structure, the doer "an unknown author" becomes the subject, the verb "written" changes to its base form "write", and "the book" becomes the object, all introduced by the auxiliary verb "did". This yields the active sentence: "Did an unknown author write the book?"

Explanation

Forgery is the criminal act of producing a false document, signature, banknote, or work of art with the intent to deceive. Counterfeiting is the closest synonym as it specifically refers to making an exact imitation of something of value, such as currency, documents, or trademarked goods, with the intention to defraud or deceive.

Explanation

The word indispensable refers to something that is absolutely necessary, crucial, or vital, and cannot be done without. The word essential is a direct synonym because it also describes something that is extremely important, fundamental, or absolutely necessary for a particular purpose or situation.

Explanation

A lump sum refers to a single, complete payment of money made all at once, rather than being broken down into smaller installments paid over a period of time. This term is widely used in financial transactions, insurance settlements, and pension payouts to describe a one-off, comprehensive disbursement.

Explanation

The word puritanical refers to having or displaying an extremely strict, rigid, and censorious moral attitude, especially regarding self-indulgence, pleasure, or sex. The word permissive is its direct antonym, as it describes a characteristic of allowing or promoting great freedom of behavior, tolerance, and a lack of strict moral regulation or control.

Explanation

The given sentence is in the active voice with the simple future tense structure: subject (The company) + will + base verb (release) + object (the new product). To convert a simple future active sentence into the passive voice, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence, followed by will be + past participle form of the verb (released) + by + agent (the company). This grammatical conversion directly yields the structure of the correct passive statement.

Explanation

Theology is the systematic study of religious faith, practice, and experience, as well as the nature of the divine. The term originates from the Greek words theos, meaning god, and logos, meaning study or discourse. Thus, it specifically denotes the study of religion and religious beliefs.

Explanation

The segment contains an error in article usage. The indefinite article "a" should be replaced with the definite article "the" to make it "the correct address". This is because the sentence refers to a specific, unique destination address that the driver needs to reach, making the definite article grammatically appropriate in this context.

Explanation

The word ambidextrous is formed from the Latin prefix ambi-, meaning both, and the root dexter, meaning right or skillful. It is used to describe a person who has the ability to use both their left and right hands with equal ease, skill, and effectiveness.

Explanation

The word harmony denotes a state of agreement, peace, and pleasant cooperation. The word discordance directly opposes this meaning, as it refers to a state of disagreement, conflict, or lack of agreement. This makes discordance the most appropriate antonym for harmony.

Explanation

In the given sentence, the context involves planning to offer elective courses. The verb "consider" means to think carefully about something, particularly before making a decision or choosing a course of action. Substituting the underlined segment with "have considered the elective courses" provides a logically coherent and contextually appropriate meaning, indicating that the colleagues have thought about and evaluated the courses they plan to offer.

Explanation

The sentence structure uses the coordinating conjunction "but" to establish a direct contrast between the two parts of the clause. Since the second part of the clause states that speech "can be a great curse," the blank in the first part must be filled with a word that represents the opposite of a curse. The word "blessing" serves as the perfect antonym to "curse" in this context, completing the balanced grammatical and thematic contrast of the opening sentence.

Explanation

The idiom slip of the tongue is a standard English expression that refers to a minor verbal mistake or saying something that was not intended. In the context of the passage, which focuses entirely on speech and how spoken words can be misinterpreted, this phrase perfectly describes how a careless spoken mistake can inadvertently offend someone and create an enemy.

Explanation

The passage discusses how speech and the choice of words vary between different classes of people, such as the educated and the uneducated. The word vocabularies refers to the distinct sets of words used by particular groups of people or social classes. This aligns perfectly with the subsequent sentences which mention that different classes use different words and that a word can bear a different meaning depending on the class of the listener.

Explanation

Correct Answer: C

The passage emphasizes the potential dangers of using speech thoughtlessly, noting that a careless slip can turn a potential friend into an enemy. The sentence containing blank 4 states that speech is not a gift to be used lightly without thought, but rather one that demands cautious and thoughtful treatment. The word "careful" directly conveys this need for caution, prudence, and deliberate attention to detail to avoid making mistakes or causing misunderstandings.

Explanation

The passage focuses on how careless speech can lead to misinterpretation and confusion between different people or classes. The sentence immediately preceding the blank states that speech, if not used in a proper way, "may cause misunderstanding." Therefore, to maintain thematic consistency and logical flow, we must use speech carefully to avoid being "misunderstood," which directly reflects the risk of causing a misunderstanding.

Explanation

To convert an active voice sentence in the simple past tense to the passive voice, the object of the active sentence (the cookies) becomes the subject of the passive sentence. The verb is changed from the simple past form "baked" to the passive past form "were baked" to agree with the plural subject "the cookies". The original subject "Daddy" is added after the verb, introduced by the preposition "by", resulting in the passive structure "The cookies were baked on the weekend by Daddy."

Explanation

The word severe means harsh, strict, extreme, or unyielding in nature. Its opposite is tolerant, which means lenient, forbearing, or showing indulgence and understanding toward others.

Explanation

The main clause of the sentence uses the past tense verb recalled, which requires the subordinate clause to follow the sequence of tenses and express an action that occurred even earlier in the past. Therefore, the present tense phrase have leave is grammatically incorrect and must be replaced with the past perfect tense form had left to show that the departure of the thieves happened before the moment of recollection.

Explanation

The word pleasure refers to a feeling of happy satisfaction, enjoyment, or delight. Its most appropriate antonym is fear, which represents a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, or pain. While pleasure denotes a positive and welcoming emotional state, fear represents a contrasting negative emotional response.

Explanation

Stress is defined as a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances. In the given context, Rajiv experiences this state due to the pressure of an official visit, making it the precise one-word substitute for the underlined description.

Explanation

The word Accomodate is spelt incorrectly. The correct spelling is Accommodate, which contains a double c and a double m. It means to provide lodging or sufficient space for, or to adapt to.

Explanation

Sentence A introduces the main theme of the paragraph, which is the benefits of reading. Sentence C logically follows Sentence A because the pronoun "It" in C refers back to "reading" in A, elaborating on its benefits by explaining how it brings knowledge and wisdom. Sentence D then transitions to how this beneficial habit of reading can be introduced to children ("the young ones") through home practice. Sentence B concludes the sequence, as the pronoun "they" in B refers back to "the young ones" introduced in D, describing the long-term impact of them understanding and passing on this habit.

Explanation

The verb accuse is transitively followed by the preposition of to indicate the charge or reason for accusation. Therefore, the phrase accused in is grammatically incorrect and must be replaced with accused of to make the sentence grammatically correct.

Explanation

The word transient refers to something that lasts only for a short period of time, is impermanent, or passes away quickly. Fleeting is its direct synonym, as it also describes something that is brief, momentary, or of very short duration.

Explanation

The sentence begins with the introductory phrase "It is". This is followed by the noun phrase "the most talented people" (D) to define the subject. The relative clause starting with "who are continually trying to improve" (A) modifies these people. The transitive verb "improve" is followed by its direct object "their dialogue skills," (C). Finally, the contrasting phrase "not the least talented" (B) completes the sentence by comparing them with the subject. This sequence forms a grammatically correct and meaningful sentence: "It is the most talented people who are continually trying to improve their dialogue skills, not the least talented."

Explanation

The present perfect continuous tense "has been raining" requires the preposition "since" to denote the starting point of an action that began in the past and is still continuing in the present. "Since" is used with a specific point in time, such as "morning", to indicate when the activity commenced.

Explanation

An imperative sentence starting with "Let" follows a specific structural pattern when converting between active and passive voices.

The active voice structure for such sentences is: Let + subject (pronoun in objective case) + base verb + object

In the passive sentence "Let the book be read by me", the subject/agent is "me", the verb is "read", and the object is "the book". Applying the active voice formula, the agent "me" is placed immediately after "Let", followed by the base verb "read", and then the object "the book". This yields the correct active construction: "Let me read the book".

Explanation

The idiom "have a bash" is an informal expression that means to make an attempt or to try to do something, especially when one is not entirely certain of success or is doing it for the first time. It is equivalent in meaning to phrases like "give it a try" or "have a go".

Explanation

The correct order of the jumbled parts is D, A, C, B.

Catherine and David (D) is the plural subject of the sentence. It is followed by the main verb phrase said that they are (A). The adjective phrase very sorry to (C) naturally follows the auxiliary verb are to describe their state. Finally, the infinitive verb phrase hear this news (B) completes the meaning of the sentence by providing the reason for their sorrow. When rearranged in this sequence, the parts form the coherent and grammatically correct sentence: Catherine and David said that they are very sorry to hear this news.

Explanation

In English grammar, when the adverb enough modifies an adjective, it must be placed after the adjective it modifies. In this sentence, enough modifies the adjective big, so the grammatically correct word order is big enough instead of enough big.

Explanation

The idiom "gift of the gab" refers to the talent for speaking in an eloquent, persuasive, and effective manner. It denotes the ability to converse easily and articulate thoughts clearly, which directly matches the meaning of the phrase "the art of speaking".

Explanation

The verb caught requires an adverb to describe the manner in which the action occurred. While quick is an adjective, quickly is the adverb form needed to modify the verb caught, making the sentence grammatically correct.

Explanation

The subject of the sentence is the noun phrase "The number", which always functions as a singular subject and therefore requires a singular verb. The prepositional phrase "of seats" and the locational phrase "in the movie theatre" act as modifiers and do not change the number of the subject. Consequently, the singular verb "was reduced" must be used instead of the plural "were reduced" to maintain proper subject-verb agreement.

Explanation

The word shody is misspelled in the given sentence. The correct spelling is shoddy, which means of poor quality, careless, or badly executed.

Explanation

The word confessed means to admit or state that one has committed a crime or done something wrong. The opposite of admitting to an accusation or charge is to declare that it is untrue, which is the definition of denied. Therefore, denied is the most appropriate antonym in this context.

Explanation

The idiom in the running means actively competing or having a good chance of winning in a contest, race, or election. In the context of political office, specifically for the post of Member of Legislative Assembly, a candidate who is in the running is actively participating as a candidate, which is precisely defined as contesting the elections.

Explanation

The word affliction refers to a state of pain, suffering, distress, or misery. Its antonym must represent comfort, relief, or solace in times of distress. Consolation means the comfort received by a person after a loss or disappointment, or something that provides comfort. Thus, consolation is the most appropriate antonym because it directly counters the pain and distress associated with an affliction.

Explanation

The given sentence is in the passive voice in the past perfect tense, which follows the structure: Subject + had + been + past participle + by + Agent. To convert this into the active voice, the agent "my friend" becomes the subject, the auxiliary verb "been" is omitted, and the past perfect active structure is used: Subject + had + already + past participle + Object. This results in the active sentence: "My friend had already booked the tickets."

Explanation

The word scissors is a plural-only noun because the tool consists of two joined blades. It cannot be used in the singular form scissor when referring to the cutting tool, nor can it be preceded directly by the indefinite article a. To refer to a single unit of such items, the classifying phrase a pair of is used along with the plural form scissors. Additionally, the infinitive particle to in the sentence must be followed by the base verb buy to express purpose, making the phrase grammatically correct.

Explanation

The word "prolific" is defined as producing offspring, young, fruit, or creative works in great abundance. It is highly associated with being abundant, fruitful, and generative. Therefore, "productive" is the most appropriate synonym as it directly shares the meaning of yielding or producing results, goods, or works in large quantities.