Directions (1-5): In each of the following sentences there are two blank spaces. Below each sentence, there are five pairs of words/phrases. You have to choose a pair of words that fits into the blanks to give a meaningful sentence.
Q1. The battle was now over it remained only to _________ the wounded and __________ the dead.
(a) fend; exhume
(b) look after; disinter
(c) help; delve
(d) succour; bury
(e) serve; cremate
S1. Ans. (d)
Sol. ‘succour; bury’ is the correct use.
Succour– to look after; help given to somebody in need or danger
Bury– put or hide underground.
Q2. The Japanese say they can ___________ Delhi’s stance on a nuclear ___________ following Indian PM’s explanation.
(a) understand; arsenal
(b) appreciate; moratorium
(c) negotiate; policy
(d) evalute; bomb
(e) grasp; law
S2. Ans. (b)
Sol. ‘appreciate; moratorium’ is the correct use.
Appreciate– recognize the full worth of.
Moratorium- the temporary stopping of activity, especially by official agreement.
Q3. That has left Petroleum Minister in the _________ position of deciding, when exactly to _________ the news to the country that oil prices will go up.
(a) unenviable; break
(b) sound; broad cast
(c) stifling; spread
(d) brutal; disseminate
(e) buoyant; disclose
S3. Ans. (a)
Sol. ‘unenviable; break’ is the correct use.
Unenviable– bad or unpleasant; not desirable.
Q4. But of the __________ in the wake of the EFC recommendations are any indications we must be prepared for more __________ tax debates.
(a) quarrels; filthy
(b) brawls; unfriendly
(c) fights; obnoxious
(d) wrangles; acrimonious
(e) discussions; affable
S4. Ans. (d)
Sol. ‘wrangles; acrimonious’ is the correct use.
Wrangles– long and complicated argument.
Acrimonious– angry and bitter.
Q5. Its functioning has been __________ in secrecy and for the first time our magazine lifts the __________.
(a) covered; secret
(b) hidden; truth
(c) screened; facts
(d) draped; falsehood
(e) cloaked; veil
S5. Ans. (e)
Sol. ‘cloaked; veil’ is the correct use.
Cloaked– covered or hidden
Veil– a thing that hides or disguises something
Directions (6-10): There are two gaps in each of the following sentences. From the pairs of words given, choose the one that fills the gaps most appropriately. The first word in the pair should fill the first gap.
Q6. Early _____ of maladjustment to college culture is _____ by the tendency to develop friendship networks outside college which mask signals of maladjustment.
(a) treatment, compounded
(b) detection, facilitated
(c) identification, complicated
(d) prevention, helped
(e) perception, disturbed
S6. Ans (c)
Sol. ‘Identification, complicated’ is the correct use.
If you have friends outside the college, they tend to mask adjustment problems with college colleagues.
Q7. The British retailer, M&S, today formally _____ defeat in its attempt to _____ King’s, its US subsidiary, since no potential purchasers were ready to cough up the necessary cash.
(a) admitted, acquire
(b) conceded, offload
(c) announced, dispose
(d) ratified, auction
(e) denied, advance
S7. Ans. (b)
Sol. ‘Conceded and Offload’ is the correct use.
Conceded means admit or agree that something is true after first denying or resisting it.
Offload means rid oneself of (something) by selling or passing it on to someone else.
Q8. Companies that try to improve employees’ performance by _____ rewards encourage negative kinds of behaviour instead of _____ a genuine interest in doing the work well.
(a) giving, seeking
(b) bestowing, discouraging
(c) conferring, discrediting
(d) withholding, fostering
(e) curbing, sponsoring
S8. Ans. (d)
Sol. ‘withholding, fostering’ is the correct use.
Withholding – refuse to give (something that is due to or is desired by another).
Fostering– encourage the development of (something, especially something desirable).
Negative reinforcements foster negative behaviour.
Q9. A growing number of these expert professionals ________ having to train foreigners as the students end up _____ the teachers who have to then unhappily contend with no jobs at all or new jobs with drastically reduced pay packets.
(a) resent, replacing
(b) resist, challenging
(c) welcome, assisting
(d) are, supplanting
(e) allow, abetting
S9. Ans. (a)
Sol. ‘Resent and replacing’ is the correct use.
Resent- feel bitterness or indignation at (a circumstance, action, or person).
Q10. The _____ regions of Spain all have unique cultures, but the _____ views within each region make the issue of an acceptable common language of instruction an even more contentious one.
(a) different, discrete
(b) distinct, disparate
(c) divergent, distinct
(d) different, competing
(e) definite, comparing
S10. Ans. (a)
Sol. In the first blank the confusion could be between “different” and “distinct”. However, once you know that certain regions of Spain are unique, only then can you call them distinct, not before.
Which is why the first blank can’t be distinct. So the first blank should be different. Now between (a) and (d) the correct answer is (a) because discrete means distinct and so we are carrying forward the thought of the difference between regions and then in the regions themselves.
Directions (11-15): Rearrange the following sentences (A), (B), (C), (D), (E), (F), (G) and (H) in the proper sequence to form a meaningful paragraph; then answer the questions given below them.
A. The quality of our minds is comparable to the best anywhere in the world
B. People are the greatest resources of any country.
C. It, therefore, becomes imperative that we harness our manpower properly.
D. Unfortunately, adequate attention has not been paid to these essentials.
E. If the economic efficiency of our people is to be improved, they must have the three basic necessities of life.
F. With their talent and genius, Indians have made a mark in various fields throughout the world.
G. And so is the case with India.
H. However, we are handicapped by a burgeoning population.
Q11. Which of the following should be the FIRST sentence after rearrangement?
(a) A
(b) D
(c) B
(d) C
(e) G
S11. Ans. (c)
Sol. The correct sequence is BGFAHCED.
Q12. Which of the following should be the THIRD sentence after rearrangement?
(a) H
(b) A
(c) G
(d) F
(e) E
S11. Ans. (d)
Sol. The correct sequence is BGFAHCED.
Q13. Which of the following should be the SECOND sentence after rearrangement?
(a) A
(b) F
(c) D
(d) G
(e) E
S11. Ans. (d)
Sol. The correct sequence is BGFAHCED.
Q14. Which of the following should be the FIFTH sentence after rearrangement?
(a) E
(b) H
(c) F
(d) C
(e) G
S11. Ans. (b)
Sol. The correct sequence is BGFAHCED.
Q15. Which of the following should be the EIGTH (LAST) sentence after rearrangement?
(a) G
(b) F
(c) E
(d) D
(e) B
S11. Ans. (d)
Sol. The correct sequence is BGFAHCED.