that construct a coherent paragraph.
Q1. (A)One of the frequent requests we receive is for a takedown of a particular story from our digital archive.
(B)In philosophy, the accent is on coming up with a right question.
(C)At some level, questioning is cerebral.
(D)The underlying principle is that there is an answer to every right question.
(E)They have to delve deep into available literature, triangulate multiple strands to eliminate internal contradictions, and provide a clue that is consistent with both the legal and ethical frameworks.
(F)However, providing answers is the task of sloggers.
(a)BDCFEA
(b)ADCAEF
(c)DBCEAF
(d)BFCEAD
(e)ACBDEF
S1. Ans. (a)
Sol. B must be the first sentence which is followed by D. C-F makes a combination and E follows F. Hence BDCFEA is the correct sequence to form a meaningful paragraph.
Q2. (A)On many social occasions, readers ask me to explain how I examine specific issues using these broad guidelines.
(B)These questions often force one to look at one’s own craft much more closely.
(C)Curious readers are never short of questions.
(D)Constant interaction with readers leads to new areas of interrogation.
(E)For instance, there are two binding codes that determine my work: Living our Values, which is the code of editorial values of this newspaper, and the Terms of Reference for the Readers’ Editor, which spell out my role.
(F)They are interested in the process and want to know how I, as the custodian of their interests in the newspaper, respond to their queries.
(a)CBDFEA
(b)DBCEFA
(c)ABDCEF
(d)CBEAFD
(e)EFCDBA
S2. Ans. (d)
Sol. C must be the first sentence. B should follow C. B-E makes a combination. Similarly A-F makes another combination. Hence CBEAFD is the correct sequence.
Q3. (A)Many successful joint ventures (JVs) were also formed in the Indian automobile sector.
(B)Over four decades, the initial joint venture led the automobile revolution in the country.
(C)These JVs, with international collaboration, became a preferred route for technology acquisition.
(D)In India, the pharmaceutical sector grew as the government encouraged private drug companies to undertake collaborative research through government-owned institutions.
(E)In the 1980s, the Government of India set up Maruti Udyog Ltd, a JV with Japanese car maker Suzuki having 74 per cent equity.
(F)The company achieved 65 per cent indigenisation of car components by 1991.
(a)DACEFB
(b)ABCDEF
(c)ADBECF
(d)EABDFC
(e)BDCAFE
S3. Ans. (a)
Sol. D must be the first sentence. A-C makes a combination. Similarly, E-F makes another combination. Hence DACEFB is the correct sequence to form a meaningful paragraph.
Directions (4-6): There are three sentences given in each question. Find the sentence(s) which is/are grammatically correct and mark your answer choosing the best possible alternative among the five options given below each question. If all the sentences are correct, choose (e) as your answer.
Q4. (i)No sooner we entered than he got up and left the room.
(ii)It being a fine day, we went out for a picnic at Okhla.
(iii)Yesterday I met an old friend when I was going to the market.
(a)Only (iii) is correct
(b)Both (i) and (ii) are correct
(c)Both (ii) and (iii) are correct
(d)None is correct
(e)All are correct
S4. Ans. (c)
Sol. (i) Use ‘had’ after ‘No sooner’ as the correct syntax is “No sooner+had+Subject+V3” or “No sooner+did+Subject+V1”.
e.g. No sooner had he started (V3) the car…
No sooner did he start (V1) the car…
(ii) The given sentence is grammatically correct.
(iii) The given sentence is grammatically correct.
(ii) The theory of relativity is so complicated as we cannot describe it in a few sentences.
(iii) I know she is having a lot of books on how to improve English.
(a)Only (i) is correct
(b)Only (iii) is correct
(c)Both (i) and (ii) are correct
(d)Both (ii) and (iii) are correct
(e)All are correct
S5. Ans. (a)
Sol. (i) The given sentence is grammatically correct.
(ii) Replace ‘as’ by ‘that’ as the structure of the sentence is based on ‘so…that’.
e.g. He is so poor that he cannot buy even a pen.
(iii)Use ‘has’ in place of ‘is having’ as the Verbs defining ownership or possession (i.e. own, possess, have, belong) are not used in Continuous Tense but in Simple Tense.
e.g. He has two books. [not ‘is having’]
He owns a car. [not ‘is owning’]
The book belongs to me. [not ‘is belonging’]
Q6. (i) It was seven o’clock in the evening when the train steamed into the station.
(ii) We were still talking about what we should do when we heard the children shouting.
(iii) Neither he nor I was able to finish the task within the time limit.
(a)Only (i) is correct
(b)Only (ii) is correct
(c)Only (iii) is correct
(d)Both (i) and (iii) are correct
(e)All are correct
S6. Ans. (e)
Sol. All the given sentences are grammatically correct.
Q7. India saw 1,100 heat-related deaths in 2016, and more than 2,200 in 2015. Most states do not report the deaths and very few cities have heat action plans, said Dr Mavalankar, who was instrumental in Ahmedabad adopting a heat action plan, and becoming the first South Asian city to inform citizens about extreme weather and of ways to take necessary action. In 2010, Ahmedabad faced a severe heat wave, and 274 cases of heatstroke and 65 deaths; by contrast, ______________________________________
(a) there were 57 cases of heatstroke and 11 deaths in 2015, after implementation of the heat action plan.
(b) temperatures must rise above 30 degrees Celsius with a departure of at least 4.5 degrees Celsius.
(c) these “hot spots” have been “at the lower end of various health, education, economic and population growth indicators”.
(d) the increasing recognition of heat as a public health problem, India did not thus far have an HVI.
(e) the maximum temperature exceeds 40 degrees Celsius and the departure from normal is at least 6.5 degrees Celsius.
S7. Ans. (a)
Sol. The given paragraph is about the deaths due to extreme weather conditions in different parts of the country. Read the penultimate sentence of the paragraph, it cites the death tolls in Ahmedabad in 2010 and among the given options, only option (a) makes a valid conclusion. Other options are irrelevant. Hence (a) is the correct option.
Q8. The bicycle was invented in the 19th century and it remains a mode of transport for a large number of people. Developed countries in Europe have brought back the bicycle as a mode of urban commuting in a big way, ________________________________________. It is time for India to promote bicycle culture as well, so that we burn less fossil fuels while improving our health. Medical experts view cycling as an exercise which, while being less strenuous on the body, is a workout for all the major muscles.
(a) while middle-income countries in Latin America are trying to replicate the model.
(b) with the participation of one-fourth of its population of eight million, every Sunday and on other holidays, covering around 68 days of the year.
(c) Cycling culture, which existed in the 1970s and 1980s in India, before the arrival of cars in big numbers, can be revived.
(d) it will reduce our CO2 emissions.
(e) as we gradually move away from fossil fuels, cycling will provide a good alternative for short commutes and also become a sport for the young.
S8. Ans. (a)
Sol. The given paragraph is about the bicycle culture in Europe and the need of the same culture in our country. Read the sentences on either side of the blank space, it can be inferred from there that only option (a) fills the gap more appropriately than any other given options. Hence (a) is the correct option.
Q9. The present-day world needs a philosophy and practice to herald non-exploitative social and economic structures based on compassion, equality, liberty, fraternity and equal opportunity. In terms of both philosophy and practice, Marxism combines in its scope both the dimensions and thereby, provides a comprehensive approach for dealing with complex social and economic issues of our time. Marxism, founded in the 19th century, continues to be equally valid and pertinent for society and economy in the 21st century. ___________________________________________
(a) It is grossly unfair to reduce Marxism to a mere study of the economic dimensions of life.
(b) The comprehensive scope of Marxism, which encompasses not only the materialistic basis of production, but also other finer dimensions of life, makes it a wholesome and holistic method to understand — and transform — the social, economic and cultural aspects of human consciousness.
(c) The capitalism which Marx analysed has today transformed into crony capitalism, leading to more exploitation and causing grave dehumanisation.
(d) This is all the more striking in the context of Europe, where every 20 years, a new philosophy emerges and influences human action and consciousness.
(e) Terrorism and right-wing conservatism, new forms of fascism, global warming and climate change are threatening to take us back to the dark ages of the medieval period.
S9. Ans. (d)
Sol. The paragraph is about the importance of Marxism in the present-day world. Read the last few sentences carefully, among the given options option (d) makes the appropriate conclusion to the paragraph as it can be easily connected with the theme of it. Other options are irrelevant in the context of the meaning and theme of the paragraph. Hence (d) is the correct option.
Q10. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi travels through Sri Lanka for the UN Vesak Day celebrations, he will speak and hear much about the teachings of the world’s greatest ____________, Gautama Buddha. He is also certain to be mindful of Sri Lanka’s _______________with war, victory, militarism, the challenges of conflict resolution, and getting to peace and______________.
(a) peaceful, ignorance, settlement
(b) antagonistic, undergo, agreement
(c) nonviolent, encounter, estrangement
(d) pacifist, experience, reconciliation
(e) conciliatory, unfamiliarity, harmony
S10. Ans. (d)
Sol. Antagonistic means unsympathetic.
Estrangement means disaffection.
Conciliatory means pacific or peaceful.
Q11. Most Tamil parents wanted their children to study and become civil servants, and even in the worst of times, _____________many difficulties to ensure that their sons and daughters attended school. ___________Tamil parents sat on dharna outside militant camps where their children had been________________.
(a) undergo, Ecstatic, recruited
(b) underwent, wailing, conscripted
(c) ignored, lamenting, levied
(d) experienced, mourning, discharged
(e) abided by, cheering, allocated
S11. Ans. (b)
Sol. Conscripted means recruited.
Q12. Rivers, it seems, have gone out of the lives of large numbers of people in India, in cities surely. They do become part of public_________________, but only as items of disputes between riparian states, or as beneficiaries — or victims — of large projects or when they go into _______________and cause havoc, sometimes even when they run dry. But the river as a part of people’s day-to-day experiences is________________ a matter of public conversation.
(a) ignorance, deluge, hardly
(b) speech, shortage, seldom
(c) discourse, spate, rarely
(d) sermon, paucity, scracely
(e) talk, inundation, frequently
S12. Ans. (c)
Sol. Spate means a sudden flood in a river.
Paucity means present in small amount.
Direction (13): In question given below there are two statements, each statement consists of two blanks. You have to choose the option which provides the correct set of words that fits both the blanks in both the statements appropriately and in the same order making them meaningful and grammatically correct.
Q13. (1)Myanmar _______________ the recent terror attacks during the Amarnath Yatra in India as also various acts of terror ______________ by terrorists from across the borders.
(2) He ______________ the scene between Gloucester and his sons as the act was ______________ with an intention to harm the modesty of his family.
(a)condemned, perpetrated
(b)rebuked, persisted
(c)reproached, achieved
(d)reprimanded, enforced
(e)clobbered, responded
S13. Ans. (a)
Sol. The word “condemned” means express complete disapproval of; censure. It fits into both the sentences perfectly as in the first case Myanmar deplored the recent terror attacks in India and in the second case a person criticizes an immoral act.
The other word “perpetrated” means carry out or commit (a harmful, illegal, or immoral action). Once again this word adds meaning to both the sentences. Other words given as options are irrelevant in defining the true meanings of the sentences. Hence “condemned, perpetrated” is the correct set of words.
Direction (14): The following question consists of a sentence which is divided into three parts which may contain grammatical errors. If there is an error in any part of the sentence, find the correct alternatives to replace those parts from the three options given below each question to make the sentence grammatically correct. If there is an error in any part of the sentence and none of the alternatives is correct to replace that part, then choose (d) i.e. None of the (I), (II) and (III) as your answer. If the given sentence is grammatically correct or does not require any correction, choose (e) i.e. No correction required as your answer.
Q14. Suicide is nothing but an ‘escapist’ approach (I)/to life problem which are nothing but part of (II)/a larger divine plan to facilitating our spiritual progress. (III)
(I) Suicide has nothing to do with an ‘escapist’ approach
(II) to life’s problems which are nothing but part of
(III) a larger divine plan to facilitate our spiritual progress
(a)Only (II)
(b)Both (II) and (III)
(c)All (I), (II) and (III)
(d)None of the (I), (II) and (III)
(e)No correction required
S14. Ans. (b)
Sol. The first part of the sentence doesn’t require any correction as the sentence is trying to bring out a generalized view. In the second part, the use of “are” suggests that the noun it defines must be plural. In this case, the phrase “life problem” should be replaced by “life’s problems” to make the sentence grammatically correct. In the third part of the sentence, the infinitive “to” should be followed by the first form of the verb i.e. “facilitate” which means make (an action or process) easy or easier. Hence both the second and the third parts of the sentence require corrections to make the sentence grammatically correct.
Direction (15): In the following question, a part of the sentence is given in bold; it is then followed by three sentences which try to explain the meaning of the phrase given in bold. Choose the best set of alternatives from the five options given below each question which explains the meaning of the phrase correctly without altering the meaning of the sentence given to the question.
Q15. The dichotomy is the striking feature. An estimated 25 per cent of our population is economically advanced with access to the latest technology, while the rest wallows in inhuman conditions.
(I)An estimated 25 per cent of our population has access to the latest technology forming economically advanced populace while the rest still lives a savage life; it makes the difference more evident.
(II)What is more striking is that one-fourth of our population is economically and technologically advanced while the rest is deprived of any such facilities.
(III)It is a distinct feature that around 25 per cent of our population is economically advanced with proficiency in technology and communication while the rest is still reeling under poverty.
(a)Only (I) is correct
(b)Only (III) is correct
(c)Both (II) and (III) are correct
(d)Both (I) and (II) are correct
(e)All are correct
S15. Ans. (a)
Sol. The word “dichotomy” means a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different. It has been used to describe the fact that the accessibility of technology is limited to small part of our population while others are still economically deprived. Among the three given statements, only statement (I) describes the exact meaning of the phrase while the other two statements give the vague idea of the actual meaning. Hence option (a) is correct.
