SSC CHSL Tier 1 2024 English Comprehension Questions with Solutions

Explanation

In the given passage, the blank requires an adjective that collocates with "sentiments" and parallels the phrase "passing emotions". The term "passing emotions" refers to fleeting, temporary, and superficial feelings. The word "shallow" means lacking depth, substance, or serious thought. Using "shallow" to describe "sentiments" perfectly complements "passing emotions" and contrasts with the "hard-headed and penetrating analysis" that the early nationalists actually chose to base their nationalism upon.

Explanation

The passage establishes an agricultural metaphor in the very first sentence, referring to the era as the seed time of Indian nationalism where early nationalists sowed the seeds well and deep. Continuing this thematic imagery, the verb rooted is the most appropriate fit for the third blank. To root something in a particular foundation means to ground, base, or establish it deeply and firmly. In this context, the early nationalists firmly grounded their concept of nationalism in a detailed, logical analysis of British imperialism rather than relying on superficial emotions or abstract ideals.

Explanation

The term evolved means to develop gradually, design, or work out in detail over time. In the context of the early Indian nationalists, they spent years conducting a meticulous economic critique of British rule, which allowed them to gradually formulate and develop a cohesive, shared political and economic programme that united different sections of Indian society.

Explanation

The blank requires a verb that contrasts with the word "divided" because of the coordinating phrase "rather than". A common political and economic programme served to bring the diverse sections of the Indian population together, fostering a sense of national cohesion. The word "united" perfectly fits this context as it directly opposes "divided" and describes the unifying effect of the early nationalists' programme on the people.

Explanation

The word academician is spelled with an i after the m, as a-c-a-d-e-m-i-c-i-a-n. Any spelling that replaces this i with an e, such as academecian, is incorrect. An academician is a member of an academy of literature, art, or science, or an academic.

Explanation

The past perfect tense verb phrase I had seen is incorrect here because of the specific past time adverb yesterday. When a definite time in the past is specified in a sentence, the simple past tense must be used instead of the past perfect tense. The correct usage is the simple past verb saw, making the grammatically correct sentence I saw her with her mother in the cinema hall yesterday.

Explanation

The relative pronoun who refers to the singular noun child. In accordance with the rules of subject-verb agreement, a singular subject requires a singular verb. Since the sentence is in the present tense, as indicated by the verbs is and works, the verb yearn must be replaced with its singular present-tense form yearns to ensure grammatical correctness and tense consistency.

Explanation

The sentence is grammatically correct and contains no adverbial usage error. The adverb of degree rather is used to modify the adjective lazy, meaning to some degree or fairly. When rather is used with an adjective and a singular count noun, it can be placed either before or after the indefinite article a. Therefore, the construction a rather lazy man is completely standard and correct.

Explanation

The idiom "at one's fingertips" refers to having information, knowledge, or resources readily available and accessible for immediate use. When someone has facts or data at their fingertips, it means they possess thorough, complete knowledge of the subject and can recall or utilize it instantly without any difficulty.

Explanation

The sentence expresses a moral obligation, recommendation, or advice regarding environmental conservation. The modal verb should is used to indicate duty, propriety, or advisability, and it is grammatically followed by the base form of the verb stop. Thus, should stop correctly conveys the necessity of halting the cutting of trees to protect and save nature.

Explanation

The context of the passage emphasizes the importance of protecting the environment and saving nature. In the preceding sentences, the text highlights that trees are the best gift of nature and that we must stop cutting them to save nature. Therefore, the noun nature is the most appropriate fit to complete the phrase, indicating that children and adults must teach each other to stop causing harm to the environment.

Explanation

The word cheerful describes a state of being happy, optimistic, and full of positive spirits. The word gloomy means dark, depressing, and filled with sadness or melancholy, making it the direct antonym of cheerful.

Explanation

The idiom like nailing jelly to the tree (often also phrased as nailing jelly to a wall) is used to describe a task that is extremely difficult, impractical, or virtually impossible to accomplish, making any attempt to do so seem foolish. In this context, carrying heavy furniture up ten flights of stairs without any assistance from a lift or incline represents just such an impossible and absurdly difficult task.

Explanation

The idiom "kept at arm's length" means to avoid close contact or to keep something at a safe distance to prevent danger or trouble. In this context, it appropriately conveys that the gun, being a dangerous weapon, must not only be handled with extreme care but also kept at a safe distance to ensure safety and prevent accidents.

Explanation

In formal English grammar, the pronoun following a linking verb such as "was" in a cleft sentence construction acts as a subject complement. Therefore, it must be in the subjective (nominative) case rather than the objective case. In this sentence, the pronoun serves as the subject performing the action in the relative clause "who first saw the criminal", making the subjective pronoun "she" the grammatically correct choice.

Explanation

An asylum is an institution or hospital that specifically provides care, treatment, and shelter for individuals suffering from mental illnesses. Historically, these specialized psychiatric facilities were established to offer a safe environment and therapeutic support for patients with various mental health conditions.

Explanation

The word improve means to make something better, enhance its quality, or increase its value. Its direct antonym is spoil, which means to diminish the quality, value, or usefulness of something, thereby making it worse.

Explanation

The phrase "filled with" is an idiomatic English expression used to describe a person experiencing a strong, overwhelming emotion or feeling. In this sentence, "filled with horror" correctly indicates the younger brother's intense emotional reaction after watching the scary movie. The preposition "with" is the standard and grammatically correct word to pair with "filled" to denote being permeated by an emotion.

Explanation

In British English, which is the standard for this examination, the correct spelling of the word is "Acknowledgement," retaining the letter "e" after the "g." The spelling "Acknowledgment" is primarily used in American English and is considered incorrect under British spelling conventions.

Explanation

The word disarray refers to a state of complete disorder, confusion, or lack of organization. The term orderly situation denotes a state of peace, neatness, and systematic organization, making it the exact antonym of disarray.

Explanation

The noun tirade is defined as a long, angry, and highly critical speech of accusation or denunciation. In the context of the sentence, Greta Thunberg's passionate and critical address confronting world leaders about environmental issues is best substituted by the phrase long and angry speech.

Explanation

The word "chaste" refers to someone or something that is morally pure, virtuous, and free from untoward or obscene influences, particularly in relation to sexual purity or simplicity of style. Therefore, "pure" is the direct synonym as it also denotes freedom from adulteration, contamination, or moral defilement.

Explanation

The word reverberated means to echo or resound repeatedly, especially of loud noises. In the context of sound waves like thunderous applause in a large venue like a stadium, it perfectly captures the physical action of sound waves bouncing off surfaces and continuing to be heard as a series of echoes.

Explanation

The word request means to politely or formally ask for something. The word plead means to make an earnest appeal or entreaty, which serves as the most appropriate synonym for asking or appealing to people to perform an action.

Explanation

The segment containing the spelling error is the first one, where the word frustration is frequently misspelled as frustation or fustration. The correct spelling is frustration, which contains the first r after the t, and the word instances is the correct plural noun form of instance.

Explanation

The word contemplate means to think deeply or carefully about something, or to consider it with undivided attention. Its antonym must convey the opposite action of ignoring or failing to notice something, which is the definition of overlook.

Explanation

The sentence describes a general fact or present state, as indicated by the present tense verb is in the main clause. The relative clause modifying the singular subject The road requires a singular verb in the simple present tense to maintain subject-verb agreement and tense consistency. Therefore, the simple present third-person singular verb connects is the correct substitution.

Explanation

The word "right" is used in this context as an adverb meaning "directly" or "straight". It modifies the prepositional phrase "to the jaw" to emphasize the precise location and direct impact of the powerful punch.

Explanation

The word depose means to remove someone from office or a position of authority, especially forcefully. Its direct antonym is promote, which means to raise or elevate someone to a higher position, rank, or office.

Explanation

The word amicable means having or showing a polite, friendly, and peaceable desire to avoid disagreement or conflict. The direct antonym of a friendly and cooperative disposition is being cold, hostile, or unfriendly.

Explanation

Resistance refers to the act of opposing, fighting against, or refusing to accept something. Conversely, tolerance refers to the capacity or willingness to accept, endure, or permit something without offering opposition. Thus, tolerance is the most appropriate antonym for resistance.

Explanation

The word strenuous describes an activity or task that requires immense physical or mental effort, exertion, or strength. Its direct antonym is easy, which refers to something that can be achieved or completed with little to no effort or difficulty.

Explanation

The idiom "in deep water" means to be in a difficult, serious, or troublesome situation that is hard to deal with or escape from, similar to the danger of being in water that is too deep to stand in.

Explanation

The word beautiful is used to describe something that is aesthetically pleasing, attractive, or lovely to look at. Its direct antonym is ugly, which describes something that is unpleasant, repulsive, or offensive to the sight.

Explanation

The word interacts means to communicate, associate, or have a reciprocal effect on one another, representing active involvement, engagement, or connection. The word disconnects means to sever a connection, separate, or detach, making it the direct antonym of interacts.

Explanation

The adjective obliged, when used to express gratitude or thankfulness to a person, must be followed by the preposition to instead of of. Therefore, the segment obliged of my friend is grammatically incorrect and should be corrected to obliged to my friend.

Explanation

The segment "that he will praying" is grammatically incorrect. The modal verb "will" must be followed by the base form of a verb. To express a future action, it should either use the simple future tense "will pray" or the future continuous tense "will be praying". The construction of "will" followed directly by the present participle "praying" violates English tense rules.

Explanation

The segment contains a grammatical error because the definite article is not used before a noun followed by a certifying number or label. When a noun is followed by a specific number, such as gate 6, room 102, or page 45, it functions as a proper noun phrase and does not require the article. The grammatically correct phrase is at gate no. 6.

Explanation

The future continuous tense is formed using the structure: subject + will be + present participle (verb ending in -ing). In this sentence, the auxiliary verb combination "will being" is grammatically incorrect and must be replaced with "will be" to form "will be studying".

Explanation

The relative pronoun "that" is used to introduce a restrictive relative clause that is essential to the meaning of the sentence, defining which specific personal details should be avoided. The modal verb "could" is appropriate because it expresses possibility or potential capability, reflecting that sharing such details has the potential to identify the children, rather than making it an absolute certainty.

Explanation

Oils are non-polar hydrophobic substances, whereas water is a polar solvent. According to the chemical principle of like dissolves like, non-polar molecules do not mix with polar molecules. Therefore, oils do not dissolve in water, instead remaining separate and forming a distinct layer on the surface due to their lower density.

Explanation

The word primary is the most appropriate fit for blank 2 because it means main, chief, or principal. In the context of the passage, mineral, essential, and fixed oils represent the three major or fundamental categories into which oils are classified. Using this word correctly indicates that these three are the principal classifications of oils before further sub-categorization.

Explanation

The context of the sentence describes the functional and practical application of essential oils due to their fragrance. The word utilised means to make practical and effective use of something, particularly for a specific purpose or industry. Since essential oils possess a distinct odour, they are put to effective use as key ingredients in the fields of perfumery and food flavouring.

Explanation

In the context of the passage, the word "produced" is the most appropriate fit for blank 4. Mineral oils are obtained as by-products during the refining process of crude petroleum, which is extracted from deep underground. The term "produced" correctly denotes the generation, extraction, or manufacture of these oils from their natural raw source.

Explanation

The word combination refers to a mixture or merging of different elements, substances, or components. In chemistry, mineral oils are complex mixtures composed of a combination of various hydrocarbons, primarily alkanes and cycloalkanes, which are blended together. This term accurately describes the physical and chemical composition of the substance.

Explanation

The word lawful refers to actions that are permitted, recognized, or sanctioned by law. Its direct antonym is illicit, which means forbidden by law, rules, or custom, or otherwise illegal. In the given sentence, the behavior of gentlemen who follow a lawful approach is contrasted with that of rogues who choose illicit ways to solve problems.

Explanation

The subject of the sentence, "The painting", is a singular noun in the third person. According to the rules of subject-verb agreement in the simple present tense, a singular subject must be paired with a singular verb. The singular form of the verb "look" is "looks", which correctly agrees with the singular noun to make the sentence grammatically accurate.

Explanation

The original sentence uses the structure "are to be + past participle" (are to be sent), which is the correct passive voice construction to express a formal instruction, requirement, or scheduled future action. Since the subject "Applications" is plural, the plural helping verb "are" is grammatically correct, and "sent" is the correct past participle form of the verb "send". Thus, the sentence is grammatically correct as written.

Explanation

The idiom "like two peas in a pod" is used to describe two people or things that are extremely similar to each other in appearance, behavior, or character, just like peas that grow together inside the same pod.

Explanation

The idiom "red-letter day" refers to an important, significant, or highly memorable day. The origin of this term dates back to the medieval period when important holy days, festivals, and royal anniversaries were marked in red ink on calendars, while regular days were printed in black. Since India achieved independence from British rule on August 15, 1947, this day stands out as an exceptionally important and memorable milestone in the nation's history.