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Solved English Comprehension Question Paper (Test Form No. 3529538) of Staff Selection Commission (SSC) Combined Graduate Level (CGL) Exam 2015.

Directions: In question number 1 to 3, choose the word opposite in meaning to the given word.

1. VACILLATION

  • A) steadfastness
  • B) remorse
  • C) relief
  • D) inoculation


2. PLACID

  • A) stormy
  • B) dull
  • C) urgent
  • D) moving


3. EFFEMINACY

  • A) Boorishness
  • B) Aggressiveness
  • C) Attractiveness
  • D) Manliness


Directions: In question number 4 to 8, four alternatives are given for the Idiom/Phrase underlined in the sentence. Choose the alternative which best expresses the meaning of the Idiom/Phrase.

4. Unless you make amends for the loss, nobody is prepared to excuse you.

  • A) improve
  • B) pay debt
  • C) confess
  • D) compensate


5. Before the report reached the authority the media spilled the beans.

  • A) hinted at the consequences
  • B) spilled the contents of the packages
  • C) dropped the charges
  • D) revealed the secret information


6. Amit said to Rekha,"Don't make a mountain out of a molehill."

  • A) start looking for molehills in mountains
  • B) create problems
  • C) exaggerate a minor problems
  • D) attempt an impossible task


7. Instead of keeping his promise of helping me with office work, he just left me high and dry.

  • A) left me in a state of anger
  • B) left me without a drop of water
  • C) left me alone to do the work
  • D) left me feeling like a fool


8. His friend turned out to be a snake in the grass.

  • A) low and mean
  • B) cowardly and brutal
  • C) an unreliable and deceitful person
  • D) a hidden enemy


Directions: In questions number 9 to 18, a sentence/a part of sentence is underlined. Below are given alternatives to the underlined part at (A), (B), (C) which may improve the sentence. Choose the correct alternative. In case no improvement is needed your answer is (D).

9. The world is being faced with a crisis.

  • A) confronted
  • B) facing
  • C) in front of
  • D) no improvement


10. She insisted on she was innocent.

  • A) insisted on that
  • B) insisted that
  • C) insisted with
  • D) no improvement


11. She could not help but laugh.

  • A) laughing
  • B) but laughing
  • C) laughter
  • D) no improvement


12. He does not laugh, nor he smiles.

  • A) nor he does smile
  • B) neighter he does smile
  • C) nor does he smile
  • D) no improvement


13. The others shook their heads and made vague noises of approval.

  • A) turned around
  • B) nodded
  • C) hung
  • D) no improvement


14. Both the teams played the game fairly.

  • A) fairly played the game
  • B) played fairly the game
  • C) played a fair game
  • D) no improvement


15. I took my mother some grapes when she was in hospital.

  • A) I brought my mother some grapes
  • B) I took some grapes for my mother
  • C) I took for my mother some grapes
  • D) no improvement


16. If I will get an opportunity, I shall attend the seminar.

  • A) shall get
  • B) got
  • C) get
  • D) no improvement


17. We met yesterday, haven't we?

  • A) didn't we
  • B) hadn't we
  • C) isn't it
  • D) no improvement


18. You must endure what you cannot cure.

  • A) prevail
  • B) accept
  • C) suffer
  • D) no improvement


Directions: In questions number 19 to 23, some parts of the sentences have errors and some are correct. Find out which part of a sentence has an error and blacken the oval corresponding to the appropriate letter (A, B, C). If a sentence is free from error, blacken the oval corresponding to (D) in the Answer Sheet.

19. Who (A) / do you think (B) / I met? (C) / No error (D)



20. It is not advisable (A) / to take heavy luggages (B) / while on a journey. (C) / No error (D)



21. He can be (A) / a basketball player since (B) / he is tall like a mule. (C) / No error (D)



22. Just outside my house (A) / are a playground (B) / for school, boys and girls. (C) / No error (D)



23. A bird in the tree (A) / is worth (B) / two in the bush. (C) / No error (D)



Directions: In questions number 24 to 28, sentences given with blanks to be filled with an appropriate word(s). Four alternatives are suggested for each question. Choose the correct alternative out of the four.

24. When the morning _______, the murder was discovered.

  • A) arrived
  • B) occured
  • C) happened
  • D) came


25. The smell of the sea called ________ memories of her childhood.

  • A) for
  • B) on
  • C) up
  • D) back


26. He has the full facts ______ but is deliberately hiding them.

  • A) upon his sleeves
  • B) up his sleeves
  • C) in his sleeves
  • D) under his sleeves


27. The appearance of the city _______ day by day.

  • A) is changing
  • B) had changed
  • C) could change
  • D) changed


28. The police fired on the mob when they ________.

  • A) turned noisy
  • B) fizzled out
  • C) turned violent
  • D) became abusive


Directions: In questions number 29 to 31, out of the four alternatives, choose the one which best expresses the meaning of the given word.

29. PERUSE

  • A) Follow
  • B) Read
  • C) Reduce
  • D) Argue


30. SPUME

  • A) Lava
  • B) Spit
  • C) Poison
  • D) Foam


31. BOARD

  • A) Food
  • B) Lodging
  • C) Frame
  • D) Furniture


Directions: In questions number 32 to 38, out of the four alternatives, choose the one which can be substituted for the given words/sentences.

32. One who runs away from justice or the law.

  • A) Smuggler
  • B) Fugitive
  • C) Criminal
  • D) Thief


33. One who is skillful.

  • A) dextrous
  • B) diligent
  • C) different
  • D) disciplined


34. Of one's own free will.

  • A) mandatory
  • B) obligatory
  • C) compulsory
  • D) voluntary


35. A study of ancient things.

  • A) Zoology
  • B) Archaeology
  • C) Ethnology
  • D) Physiology


36. One who is too careless to plan for the future.

  • A) impotent
  • B) imprudent
  • C) improvident
  • D) impractical


37. A person who deserves all praise.

  • A) laudable
  • B) detestable
  • C) lovable
  • D) despicable


38. One who has long experience.

  • A) veteran
  • B) novice
  • C) expert
  • D) practitioner


Directions: In questions number 39 to 48, you have two passages with 5 questions following each passage. Read the passages carefully and choose the best answer to each question out of the four alternatives.

PASSAGE I (Questions Number 39-43)
Journalists argue over functions of a newspaper. I feel that a provincial paper's purpose is not only to present and project the news objectively and imaginatively, but to help its reader to express themselves more effectively, canalizing their aspirations, making more articulate their demands. A newspaper should reflect the community it serves-warts and all. When the mirror is held to society it reveals neglect, injustice, ignorance or complacency. It should help to eradicate them. It would be pretentious to think that a newspaper can change the course of world affairs - but at the local limit it can exert influence, it can probe, it can help get things done. The individual's voice must not be stifled. Instead, the readers should be encouraged to express their opinions, fears, hopes and or their greivances on this platform.

39. How can the readers air their grievances?

  • A) By being complacent.
  • B) By writing to their local newspaper.
  • C) By writing to journalists.
  • D) By supporting the local newspaper.


40. The expression 'warts and all' in the passage means.

  • A) with no attempt to conceal blemishes or inadequacies
  • B) the reader's grievances
  • C) the community's problems
  • D) hopes and fears


41. In this passage the writer highlights the fact that:

  • A) A newspaper should only concentrate on local affairs
  • B) Newspaper can eradicate injustice
  • C) Journalists differ in their opinion on the function of newspaper
  • D) A newspaper should reflect the community it serves


42. How can a newspaper influence local affairs?

  • A) By incouraging the readers to accept their greivances.
  • B) By influencing public opinion through half truths.
  • C) By focussing on world affairs.
  • D) By probing into the ills of society and rallying support for change.


43. What is the main purpose of a newspaper?

  • A) Exert influences on the individuals
  • B) To present facts in a blunt way
  • C) Encourage the readers to be pretentious
  • D) Project news objectively and imaginatively


PASSAGE-II
True, it is the function of the army to maintain law and order in abnormal times. But in normal times there is another force that compels citizens to obey laws and to act with due regard to the right of others. The force also protects the lives and properties of law abiding men. Laws are made to secure the personal safety of its subjects and to prevent murder and crimes of violence. They are made to secure the property of the citizens against theft and damage and to protect the rights of communities and castes to carry out their customs and ceremonies, so long as they do not conflict with the rights of others. Now the good citizen, of his own free will, obeys these laws and he takes care that everything he does is done with due regard to the rights and well-being of others.
But the bad citizen is only restrained from breaking these laws by fear of the consequences of his actions. And the necessary steps to compel the bad citizen to act as a good citizen are taken by this force. The supreme control of law and order in a state is in the hands of a Minister who is responsible to the State Assembly and acts through the Inspector General of Police.

44. Which of the following statements is not implied in the passage?

  • A) The forces of law help to transform irresponsible citizens into responsible ones.
  • B) Law protects those who respect it.
  • C) Law ensures people's religious and social rights absolutely and unconditionally.
  • D) A criminal is deterred from committing crimes only for fear of the law.


45. The expression 'customs and ceremonies' means:

  • A) Superstitions and formalities
  • B) Fairs and festivals
  • C) Habits and traditions
  • D) Usual practices and religious rites


46. According to the writer, which one of the following is not the responsibility of the police?

  • A) To maintain peace during extra ordinary cirumstances.
  • B) To protect the privileges of all citizens.
  • C) To check violent activities of citizens.
  • D) To ensure peace among citizens by safeguarding individual rights.


47. Which one of the following statements is implied in the passage?

  • A) The police check the citizens, whether they are good or bad, from violating the law.
  • B) Peaceful citizens seldom violate the law.
  • C) Criminals, who flout the law, are seldom brought to book.
  • D) The police hardly succeed in converting bad citizens into good ones.


48. "They are made to secure the property of citizens against theft and damage", means that the law:

  • A) Safeguards people's possessions against being stolen or lost.
  • B) Helps in recovering the stolen property of the citizens.
  • C) Assists the citizens whose property has been stolen or destroyed.
  • D) Initiates process against offenders of law.


Directions: In questions number 49 to 50, four words are given in each question, out of which only one word is correctly spelt. Find the correctly spelt word.

49.

  • A) circumlocutien
  • B) circumlocution
  • C) cirmlocution
  • D) circumlocation


50.

  • A) Deffusion
  • B) Diffussion
  • C) Diffusion
  • D) Defusion