SSC CGL (2 shift) Previous Year Solved Paper - 2014
Subject: English Language
Directions (Q. Nos. 1 and 2): In the following questions four words are given in each question, out of which only oneword is correctly spelt. Find the correctly spelt.
1. (a) Camouflage
(b) Camaflouge
(c) Cemouflege
(d) Cemouflage
2. (a) Accessible
(b) Akcessible
(c) Accesseble
(d) Accesible
Directions (Q.Nos. 3-12): In the following questions, you have two brief 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
The critical faculty is the most potent one in the human make-up. Its pervasiveness and force have not properly been recognized because like breathing, it is so much a part and parcel of human activity. The difference between a simpleton and an intelligent man, according to the man who is convinced that he is of the latter category, is that the former wholeheartedly accepts all things that he sees and hears while the latter never admits anything except after a most searching scrutiny. He imagines his intelligence to be a sieve of closely woven mesh through which nothing but the finest can pass.
The critical sense is essential for keeping social transactions in a warm state. Otherwise life would become very dull and goody-goody. The critical faculty is responsible for a lot of give and take in life. It increases our awareness of our surroundings; it sounds dignified no doubt but it seems also to mean that we can watch someone else’s back better than our own! We never know our own defects till they are pointed out to us and even, then we need not accept them. We always question the bonafides of the man who tells us unpleasant facts. On the surface it is all very well to say, ‘I want an honest criticism: that will help me, not blind compliments.’ I wish people would mean it.
3 The self-defined intelligent man defines himself on the basis of
(a) his obvious divergence from the simpleton
(b) his superior intelligence as a whole
(c) his possession of the critical faculty
(d) his heightened awareness of his surroundings
4. The negative side of the critical faculty is that
(a) it makes us critical of others
(b) it makes us critical of ourselves
(c) it sounds dignified but it is not actually so
(d) it is a tool for creating classificatory division
5. People who solicit others opinions (about themselves) generally want
(a) effusive compliments
(b) honest criticism
(c) harsh facts
(d) precise feedback
6. The critical faculty is defined as the ‘most potent one in human make-up’ because
(a) it is all pervasive and powerful
(b) it separates the simpleton from the intelligent man
(c) it is a help in social transactions
(d) All the above
7. What, according to the wnter, is the essential link between breathmg and the cntical faculty?
(a) Both are required in social relations
(b) Both are exercised by human beings
(c) Both grow with age
(d) Both stop with death
Passage II
International trade represents a significant share of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). While international trade has been present throughout much of history, its economic, social and political importance has been on the rise in recent centuries.
Industrialization, advances in technology, transportation, globalization, multi-national corporations and outsourcing are all having a major impact on the international trade system, increasing international trade is crucial to the continuance of globalization. International trade is, in principle, not different from domestic as the motivation and the behaviour of parties involved in a trade do not change fundamentally regardless of whether trade is across a border or not. The main difference is that international trade is typically more costly than domestic trade. Another difference between domestic and international trade is that factors of production such as capital and labour are typically more mobile within a country than across countries.
8. What is the main difference between international and domestic trade?
(a) One is more significant than the other
(b) One is more costiy than the other
(c) One is more advanced than the other
(d) One is more crucial than the other
9. Which of the following is one of the factors of production?
(a) Capital
(b) Cost
(c) Profit
(d) Loss
10. What is the synonym of ‘mobile’?
(a) Versatile
(b) Moveable
(c) Changeable
(d) Transferable
11. Which one of the following has a major. impact on international trade?
(a) Contribution to GDP
(b) industrialization
(c) Outsourcing
(d) Domestic trade
12. According to the author, increasing international trade
(a) brings about speedy industrialization
(b) uplifts technology and transportation
(c) is crucial to the continuance of globalization
(d) encourages multi-national corporations
Directions (Q. Nos. 63-67): In the following questions, some parts of the sentences have errors and some are correct. Find out which part of a sentence has an error. If a sentence is free from error, mark the answer (d).
13. One of the most (a)/ widely spread (b)/ bad habit-is the use of tobacco. (c)/ No error (d)
14. A chill wind blew (a)/ and icy fingers of death (b)/ crept up my spine. (c)/ No error (d)
15. Such rules(a)/ do not apply to (b)/ you and I. (c)/ No error (d)
16. The river (a)/j has over flown (b)/ its banks. (c)/ No error (d)
17. TIM Calcatta’s MBA programme (a)/ is regarded (b)/ as the finest in the country. (c)/ No error (d)
Directions (Q. Nos. 18-22): In the following questions, sentences are given with blanks to be filled in with an appropriate word(s). Four alternatives are suggested for each question. Choose the correct alternative out of the four.
18. Would you mind ------ the suitcase, Sir?
(a) open
(b) opening
(c) to open
(d) opened
19. When she parted ..... her parents, her eyes were full of tears.
(a) from
(b) away
(c) off
(d) with
20. He went -------- to oblige his superior.
(a) on his way
(b) out of his way
(c) in his way
(d) with his way
21. During a period of protracted illness, the sick can become infirm, ——— both the strength to work and many of the specific skills that were once possessed.
(a) regaining
(b) denying
(c) pursuing
(d) losing
22. The members of the religious .sect ostracized the who -------- had abandoned their faith.
(a) coward
(b) litigant
(c) recreant
(d) suppliant
Directions (Q. Nos. 23-25): In the following questions, out of the four alternatives, choose the one which best expresses the meaning of the given word.
23. Amicable
(a) Friendly
(b) Happy
(c) Perfect
(d) Joyous
24. Impervious
(a) Audacious
(b) Hapharx
(c) Impenetrable
(d) Illogical
25. Peruse
(a) Overuse
(b) Examine
(c) Abuse
(d) Defuse
Directions (Q. Nos. 26-28): In the following questions, choose the word opposite in meaning to the given word.
26. Particularly
(a) Elaborately
(b) Generally
(c) Comprehensively
(d) Entirely
27. Desecration
(a) Hopelessness
(b) Disbelief
(c) Veneration
(d) Manifestation
28. Yield
(a) Respond
(b) Survive
(c) Attack
(d) Resist
Directions (Q. Nos. 29-33): In the following questions, four alternatives are given for the Idiom\Phrase underlined in the sentence. Choose the alternative which best expresses the meaning of the Idiom\Phrase.
29. My efforts at pest control went in vain, I have to go back to the drawing board.
(a) plan it all over again
(b) take professional help
(c) spend sometime researching abroad
(d) work at night
30. Indians are going places in the field of software technology.
(a) going abroad
(b) going to spaces
(c) talented and successful
(d) friendly and amicable
