SSC CGL (Tier - 1, 1st shift) Previous Year Solved Paper - 2012

Subject: English Comprehension

Directions (1-5): In the following questions, some parts of the sentences have errors and some have none, Find out which part of a sentence has an error. The number of that part is your answer. If there is no error then your answer is (d) i.e. No error.

1. Air pollution, together with littering. (a)/ are causing many problems(b)/ Vin our cities. (c)/ No error (d)

2. The accused refused (a)/ to answer to the policeman (b)/ on duty.(c)/No error (d).

3. What is (a)/ the use of me (b)/ attending the session? (c)/ No error (d)

4. We met our prospective employer (a) // for a briefing session(b) / in the Taj Hotel. (c) / No error (d).

5. Because of the severe snow storm and the road blocks, (a)/ the air force dropped food and (b)/ medical supplies close to the city. (c) No error (d)

Directions (6-10): 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 as your answer.

6. ______ pollution control measures are expensive, many industries hesitate to adopt them.

(a) Although
(b) However
(c) Because
(d) Despite

7. It is not for a man to be confined to the pursuit of wealth.

(a) healthy
(b) easy
(c) possible
(d) common

8. ___ his being innocent of the crime, the judge sentenced him to one year imprisonment.

(a) Inspite of
(b) In case of
(c) On account of
(d) In the event of

9. It is a story of two men and a batch of armoured cars.

(a) deceased
(b) diseased
(c) decrepit
(d) defeated

10. Although there is ________ gun-fire, there is no stiff resistance to the revolutionary army,

(a) bitter
(b) meagre
(c) continuous
(d) sporadic

Directions (11-15): In the following questions, out of the four alternatives, choose the one which best expresses the meaning of the given ‘word as your answer.

11. Vociferous

(a) violent
(b) loud
(c) secret
(d) true

12. Fictional

(a) genuine
(b) authentic
(c) fanciful
(d) real

13. Trivial

(a) crucial
(b) significant
(c) vital
(d) ordinary

14. Impudent

(a) Vigilant
(b) Astute
(c) Insolent
(d) Arrogant

15. Pompous

(a) Pretentious
(b) Supportive
(c) Demanding
(d) Flashy

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Directions (16·20) : In the following questions, choose the word opposite in meaning to the given word as your answer.

16. Cultivated

(a) Crude
(b) Genteel
(c) Suave
(d) Refined

17. Impertinent

(a) Insolent
(b) Impudent
(c) Cheeky
(d) Courteous

18. Divulge

(a) Disseminate
(b) Dissemble
(c) Publicize
(d) Transmit

19. Appreciation

(a) Aspersion
(b) Admiration
(c) Commendation
(d) Compliment

20. Supple

(a) Pliant
(b) Pliable
(c) Rigid
(d) Flexible

Directions (21-25): In the following questions’, four alternatives are given for the idiom/phrase and bold italicised in the sentence. Choose the alternative which best expresses the meaning of the idiom/phrase as your answer. -

21. Once the case reached the court, the police washed their hands off it.

(a) waited for a response to
(b) claimed credit for
(c) disassociated themselves from
(d) seemed eager to continue

22. She wanted to go hitch-hiking but her mother put her foot down and now she’s ‘going by bus.

(a) took a firm stand
(b) expressed her displeasure
(c) scolded her badly
(d) got irritated

23. Adolescence is a period of halo cyan days.

(a) hard days
(b) of mental pressure
(c) happy days
(d) days of preparation

24. My sincere advice to my maid-servant fell on stony ground.

(a) was counter productive
(b) had a strong impact
(c) made one stubborn
(d) had little success

25. He has all his ducks in a row, he is complacent.

(a) has everything ready
(b) is wall organised
(c) always scores a zero
(d) never gets confused

Directions (26-30): In the following questions, a part of the sentence is printed in bold. Below are given alternatives to the bold part at (a), (b) and (c) which may improve the sentence. Choose the correct alternative. In case no improvement is needed your answer is (d).

26. You shall have attended if the court had instructed you to do so.

(a) would have had to attend
(b) would attend
(c) would have to
(d) No improvement

27. The relics of Greece over which such a great deal of evidence has been collected should be preserved.

(a) from which
(b) on which
(c) ascent which
(d) No improvement

28. When the beverage was ready, they drank possibly as much as they could.

(a) as much as they possibly could
(b) as much as possibly they could
(c) as much as they could possibly
(d) No improvement

29. A citizen is expected to give allegiance to his country of origin.

(a) homage
(b) loyalty
(c) obedience
(d) No improvement

30. We were with daggers drawn despite attempts to understand each other;

(a) in
(b) on
(c) at
(d) No improvement

Directions (31-35): In the following questions, out of the four alternatives. choose the one which can be substituted for the given words/sentence.

31. A round or cylindrical container used storing things such as food,

(a) tankard
(b) vessel
(c) canister
(d) casket

32. A place of permanent residence

(a) abode
(b) dormitory
(c) domicile
(d) apartment

33. That cannot be altered or withdrawn

(1 ) irrevocable
(b) irretrievable
(c) irrefutable
(d) irresistible

34. Money paid to employees on retirement

(a) gratuity
(b) gift
(c) pension
(d) arrears

35. A place where clothes are kept

(a) closet
(b) drawer
(c) wardrobe
(d) cupboard

Directions (36-40): In the following questions four words are given in each question, out of which only one word is correctly spelt. Find the correctly spelt word as your answer.

36.

(a) garulous
(b) garrulous
(c) garullous
(d) garrullous

37.

(a) marquee
(b) markue
(c) marnuei
(d) marquie

38.

(1 ) puissant
(b) puiscant
(c) puiscent
(d) puissent

39.

(a) disconncerting
(b) disconserting
(c) discuncerting
(d) disconcerting

40.

(a) exilarate
(b) exsilerate
(c) exsilarate
(d) exhilarate

Directions (41-50): In the following questions, you have two brief passages with 5 questions in each passage, Read the passages carefully and choose the best answer to each question out of the four alternatives.

PASSAGE –I
(Question Nos. 41 to 45)

Stuck with be development dilemma? Stay away from management courses. Seriously, one of the biggest complaints that organisations have about management courses is that they fail to impact the participants’ on-the-job behaviour. Some management trainers stress the need for follow-up and reinforcement on the job. Some go so far as briefing the participants’ managers on what behaviour they should be reinforcing back on the job. Others include a follow-up training day to review the progress of the participants. None of this is really going far enough.

The real problem is that course promoters view development as something which primarily, takes place in a classroom. A course is an event and events are, by definition limited in time. When you talk about follow-up after a course, it is seen as a nice idea, but not as an essential part of the participants’ development programme. Any rational, empowered individual should be able to take what has been learnt in a course and transfer it to the work place or so the argument goes. Another negative aspect of the course mindset is that, primarily, development is thought to be about skill-acquisition.

So, it is felt that the distinction between taking the course and behaving differently in the work place parallels the distinction between skill-acquisition and skill-application. But can such a sharp distinction be maintained ? Skills are really acquired only in the context of applying them on the job, finding them effective and therefore, reinforcing them.

The problem with courses is that they are events, while development is an on-going process which, involves, within a complex environment, continual interaction, regular feedback and adjustment. As we tend to equate development with a one-off event, it is difficult to get seriously motivated about the follow-up. Anyone paying for a course tends to look at follow-up as an unnecessary and rather costly frill.

41. What is the passage about?

(a) personal management
(b) development dilemma
(c) management courses
(d) course promoters’ attitude

42. Which of the following statements is false?

(a) Some management trainers stress the need for follow-up and reinforcement on the job
(b) Some suggest a follow-up training day to review the progress of the participants
(c) Some go to the extent of briefing the participants’ managers on what behaviour they should be reinforcing back on the job
(d) The real problem is that course promoters view development as ‘something which does not take place during a course

43. The writer’s attitude, as reflected in the passage, is

(a) critical
(b) ironic
(c) sympathetic
(d) philosophical

44. The course promoters’ attitude is

(a) self-righteous
(b) indifferent
(c) easy-going
(d) unprogressive

45. The words ‘mindset’ here means

(a) determined mind
(b) a (fixed) attitude of mind
(c) an open mind
(d) mindful

PASSAGE II
(Question Nos. 46 to 50)

One may look at life, events, society, history, in another way. A way which might, at a stretch, be described as the Gandhian way, though it may be from times before Mahatma Gandhi came on the scene. The Gandhian reaction to all the grim poverty, squalor and degradation of the human being would approximate to effort at self-change and self-improvement, to a regime of living regulated by discipline from within. To change society, the individual must first change himself. In this way of looking at life and society, words too begin to mean differently. Revolution, for instance, is a term frequently used, but not always in the sense it has been in the lexicon of the militant. So also with words like peace and struggle. Even society may mean differently, being some kind of organic entity for the militant, and more or less a sum of individuals for the Gandhian. There is yet another way, which might, for want of a better description, be called the mystic. The mystic’s perspective measures these concerns that transcend political ambition and the dynamism of the reformer, whether he be militant or Gandhian. The mystic measures the terror of not knowing the remorseless march of time; he seeks to know what was before birth, what comes after death. The continuous presence of death, of the consciousness of death, sets his priorities. and values: militants and Gandhians kings and prophets must leave all that they have built; all that they have un-built and depart when messengers of the buffalo-riding Yama come out of the shadows. Water will to water, dust to dust. Think of impermanence. Everything passes.

46. The Gandhian reaction to poverty is

(a) a total war on poverty
(b) self-discipline
(c) self-abnegation
(d) a regulated distribution of wealth

47. According to Gandhianism, the individual who wants to change society

(a) should destroy the existing society
(b) must re-form society
(c) must change himself
(d) may change society without changing himself

48. Who, according to the passage, finds new meaning for words like revolutions, peace and struggle?

(a) A Gandhian who believes in nonviolent revolution
(b) A militant
(c) A mystic
(d) A Gandhian who disciplines himself from within

49. The expression ‘water will to water, dust to dust’ means

(a) water and dust can mix well
(b) man will become water after death
(c) m an will one day die and become dust
(d) man will become dust and water after death

50. What does society mean to a Gandhian?

(a) a sum of individuals
(b) an organic entity
(c) a regime of living regulated by discipline from within
(d) a disciplined social community

Answer Key

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