SSC CHSL Tier 1 2024 English Comprehension Questions with Solutions

Explanation

The word Consciencious is incorrectly spelt. The correct spelling is Conscientious, which refers to a person or action that is governed by or conforming to the dictates of conscience, showing extreme care, thoroughness, and a desire to do what is right.

Explanation

The phrase "make a complaint" is a standard idiomatic collocation in English used to express that someone has registered a formal objection or dissatisfaction about a situation. In this sentence, "made a complaint" correctly fits the grammatical structure and context of expressing grievance to the manager about the quality of the food.

Explanation

The word terminate means to bring to an end, close, or finish. Its exact antonym is begin, which means to start, initiate, or perform the first part of an action. Since terminate denotes ending a process or state, begin represents the opposite action of starting or commencing.

Explanation

The clause expresses a present obligation or necessity that prevents the speaker from going out tonight. The semi-modal verb phrase "have to" correctly denotes this necessity, and the verb "prepare" is paired with the appropriate preposition "for" when referring to getting ready for an upcoming event like an interview.

Explanation

The idiom "to read between the lines" means to find a meaning that is not openly or directly expressed in a text or conversation. It refers to the ability to perceive a hidden, implied, or deeper significance behind the literal words written or spoken.

Explanation

Peace denotes a state of tranquility, quiet, or serenity, free from disturbance, anxiety, or conflict. Turmoil refers to a state of great disturbance, confusion, uncertainty, or wild agitation. Consequently, turmoil represents the exact opposite state of peace, making it the most appropriate antonym.

Explanation

The word main is an adjective that means chief, principal, or most important. In the given sentence, it correctly describes the primary or principal objective of the coaching session, which was to identify talented players.

Explanation

The first blank requires the word berth, which refers to a bunk or sleeping space designated for a passenger on a train.

The second blank requires the word birth, which is used in the idiom giving birth, meaning the process of bringing forth a child.

Explanation

In the given sentence, the verb affects is the correct word to use. Affect is a verb that means to produce a change in, to influence, or to make a difference to something. In this context, loud noise acts upon and influences our ability to concentrate, making affects the grammatically and semantically correct choice.

Explanation

The preposition inside is grammatically and semantically incorrect in this context. Inside is used to describe something that is physically enclosed within a single container, boundary, or territory. Since Germany, France, Austria, and Italy are separate neighboring countries, Switzerland lies between or among them, rather than inside them. To correctly express the spatial relationship, the sentence should use between or state that Switzerland is bordered by these nations.

Explanation

The use of the preposition "since" followed by a specific point in time indicates an action that began in the past and continues into the present. The present perfect continuous tense is used to denote such ongoing actions. The structure "has been suffering" correctly represents this tense, showing that the illness started on the 5th of this month and is still ongoing.

Explanation

The segment contains a grammatical error because of the incorrect use of the preposition after the verb agree. The preposition with is used when expressing agreement with a person, whereas to is used when agreeing to a proposal, plan, or suggestion. Since you refers to a person, the correct preposition is with, making the correct phrasing agree with you.

Explanation

The grammatical error lies in the phrase "and a Earth is the third" because of the incorrect use of the indefinite article "a" before the noun "Earth". Since Earth is a unique, specific celestial body, it must be preceded by the definite article "the" instead of "a". The correct phrase should be "and the Earth is the third".

Explanation

The preposition "during" is used to indicate that an event or action takes place within the time frame of a specific period, event, or continuous activity. In this context, "the filming of that scene" represents an ongoing activity that occurred over a duration of time. Therefore, "during" is the correct preposition to show that no animals were harmed while the filming process was underway.

Explanation

The verb apply is transitively followed by the preposition to when referring to putting a substance onto a surface, making applied to the heroine's lips the grammatically correct choice.

Explanation

The adverb "also" is the most appropriate fit for blank 3 because it is used to add another fact of a similar nature to what has already been mentioned. Having established that the lipstick contained animal-derived pigment, the passage introduces other items in the studio that additionally used animal fats in their manufacturing process, making "also" the grammatically and contextually correct choice to show this addition.

Explanation

The simple past tense verb "confessed" is required here because the sentence refers to a completed action that took place at a definite time in the past, indicated by the time phrase "in past interviews". Using the simple past tense correctly links the past action of making a statement to the actors' current state of being unaware of their indirect involvement in animal cruelty.

Explanation

The adjective detrimental is idiomatically followed by the preposition to when indicating the person, group, or system that is harmed or negatively affected. Therefore, the phrase detrimental to our entire ecosystem is grammatically correct and standard usage.

Explanation

The phrase pay attention is a standard English collocation that means to listen, watch, or consider something carefully. In this sentence, the verb pay correctly completes the idiomatic expression to indicate that the students should focus on the instructions given for the project.

Explanation

The correct spelling of the word is pronunciation. While the verb form is pronounce, the noun form does not contain the letter o in the second syllable, making pronounciation incorrect.

Explanation

The word covering in the sentence means to place something over an area to conceal, protect, or hide it from view. The antonym of covering is exposing, which means to leave something uncovered, visible, or revealed.

Explanation

The given sentence is a first conditional sentence, which expresses a real or possible situation in the future and its likely result. The standard grammatical structure of a first conditional sentence is:

If + simple present, simple future (will + base verb)

In this sentence, the conditional clause is 'If it is sunny tomorrow', which is in the simple present tense. Consequently, the main clause must use the simple future tense, combining 'will' with the base verb 'go' to denote a future action dependent on this condition.

Explanation

The word abundance refers to a state or condition of having a very large quantity or an overflowing fullness of something. Its direct antonym is scarcity, which denotes a state of being in short supply, insufficiency, or a distinct lack of resources.

Explanation

The idiom "a bolt from the blue" refers to an event that is completely unexpected and comes as a sudden shock or complete surprise, much like a sudden lightning bolt from a clear blue sky. It is the most appropriate figurative expression to substitute for the phrase "a complete surprise" in the sentence.

Explanation

The word tomorrow is correctly spelled with a single m and a double r. It is derived from the Old English preposition to and the noun morrow, meaning the day after the present day.

Explanation

The preposition between is used when referring to relations between two distinct entities, whereas among is used for relations involving three or more entities. Since the sentence refers to three families, the correct preposition is among.

Explanation

The word habit refers to an individual's settled or regular tendency or practice, especially a personal daily routine. Since waking up early in the morning is a personal routine, habit is the most appropriate and precise term to describe this behavior, whereas custom typically refers to a traditional practice associated with a group, society, or community.

Explanation

The word compete means to strive, contend, or actively make progress to rival others in a particular field or market. Its antonym is impede, which means to obstruct, hinder, or delay the progress or movement of something. While competing involves actively pushing forward to achieve success, impeding involves blocking or preventing that very progress from happening.

Explanation

The idiom "keep a low profile" means to consciously avoid attracting attention, publicity, or notice from the public or media. In the given sentence, this phrase perfectly substitutes the underlined words "doesn't draw any attention towards herself" to describe a celebrity who chooses to avoid the public eye and live quietly.

Explanation

The word celebrated means famous, widely known, and highly respected. The antonym of celebrated is inglorious, which means causing shame, disgraceful, or lacking in fame and honor. Substituting celebrated with inglorious changes the sentence's meaning to describe the dramatist in a negative and obscure light.

Explanation

The word advanced means to move forward in a purposeful way, especially towards an enemy. Its direct antonym is retreated, which means to withdraw or move back from a position, typically when faced by an enemy force.

Explanation

The word trivial is defined as of little value, significance, or importance. Therefore, it serves as the direct antonym of the word important.

Explanation

The word roomy is a direct synonym of spacious, both of which describe a place that has a large amount of space or ample room. In the context of the sentence, substituting roomy for spacious maintains the original meaning that the flat has sufficient capacity to comfortably accommodate all of the furniture.

Explanation

The error in the original sentence lies in the use of the definite phrase "the few rocks". The phrase "the few" implies a specific, limited group of rocks that has already been defined or identified. In this context, the indefinite determiner "a few" is correct because it refers to an unspecified, small number of rocks existing between the planets, which parallelly matches the indefinite quantifier "some comets" used later in the sentence.

Explanation

The segment contains a grammatical error because it uses the adjective truthful instead of the adverb truthfully. The word is used to modify the verb answered in the following segment. Since verbs are modified by adverbs rather than adjectives, truthful must be replaced with truthfully to make the sentence grammatically correct.

Explanation

The indefinite pronoun everyone is grammatically singular and must be paired with a singular verb to maintain subject-verb agreement. Therefore, the plural verb have is incorrect and should be replaced with the singular verb has.

Explanation

The phrase "at the right time" is idiomatically incorrect when referring to scheduled transportation like flights. The standard English idiom used to indicate that a flight or train arrived according to its schedule is "on time". Therefore, the segment "at the right time" contains the error and should be replaced with "on time" to make the sentence grammatically and idiomatically correct.

Explanation

The subject of the sentence is India, which is a singular noun. To maintain subject-verb agreement in the present tense, the verb must also be singular. The singular form of the verb is occupies, making it the grammatically correct choice to complete the sentence.

Explanation

The blank requires an adverb to indicate an approximate quantity before the numerical value 15,000. The word about is used as an adverb meaning approximately or nearly, which perfectly fits the context of estimating the number of flowering plant species in India.

Explanation

The sentence compares the number of flowering plants in India to the entire global count. The adjective total correctly modifies the noun number to represent the complete sum or aggregate quantity of flowering plants in the world.

Explanation

The phrase "such as" is a standard English idiom used to introduce examples. In this sentence, ferns, algae, and fungi are presented as specific examples of non-flowering plants, making "such" the grammatically correct word to complete the phrase.

Explanation

In the context of biology and biodiversity, the standard scientific term used to classify and count distinct taxonomic groups of organisms is species. The noun species is used in both singular and plural forms to denote groups of living organisms that share common characteristics. Therefore, when referring to the vast diversity of fauna in India, approximately 90,000 species of animals is the grammatically and scientifically accurate phrase to describe these biological groups.

Explanation

The preposition from is idiomatically used when referring to a point of view, perspective, or angle of consideration. In English grammar, one considers or evaluates a matter from a particular point of view, making from every point the grammatically correct and standard phrase to substitute in the sentence.

Explanation

The word eccentric means deviating from conventional or accepted conduct or behavior, which is a direct antonym of normal. In the context of the sentence describing Lewis's complex and unconventional personality traits, eccentric perfectly replaces normal to maintain the descriptive flow alongside aggressive, moody, and brilliantly clever.

Explanation

The word intense means existing or occurring in a high or extreme degree, or having a very high concentration of strength, force, or energy. In the context of the sun shining in the sky, it describes light and heat that are exceptionally powerful and concentrated. The word strong is a direct synonym that conveys this exact meaning of possessing great power, force, or effectiveness.

Explanation

The word attire refers to clothes, apparel, or garments, especially of a formal or particular kind. The word dress similarly refers to clothing or apparel worn by a person, making it the most appropriate synonym for attire.

Explanation

The idiom "under the weather" is a widely used English phrase that means to feel slightly sick, ill, or unwell. Its origin is linked to maritime travel, where sailors feeling seasick during bad weather would go below deck to protect themselves from the motion of the ship, literally going under the deck to escape the weather.

Explanation

The standard English proverb is "once bitten, twice shy." This idiomatic expression means that a person who has been hurt, deceived, or faced failure in a particular situation becomes much more cautious and wary of encountering a similar experience in the future.

Explanation

Hypocrisy refers to the practice of engaging in the same behavior or activity for which one criticizes another, or claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform. It fundamentally involves pretense, false appearances, and insincerity. Deceit represents the act or practice of misleading, misrepresenting the truth, or behaving dishonestly. Because both words describe the act of concealing one's true nature, intentions, or feelings through false pretenses, deceit is the most appropriate synonym.

Explanation

The verb instil means to introduce or establish an idea, attitude, or emotion gradually in a person's mind. When expressing where these emotions are established, the preposition within is appropriate as it denotes being inside the mind or consciousness of the person. Therefore, substituting the bracketed segment with within a reader correctly and meaningfully completes the sentence.