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In the following items, a pair of words is provided. You are required to select the option that most appropriately describes the meaning of both the words and mark your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly.
Pontoon and Platoon
Invoke and Revoke
Imminent and Eminent
Liable and Libel
Incredible and Incredulous
Climatic and Climactic
Cursor and Cursory
Affect and Effect
Hard and Hardly
Conscious and Conscience
In the following items select the option that is nearest in meaning to the underlined word in the given sentences and mark your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly.
To say that the pandemic is done and dusted with would be an understatement.
The coach was of the opinion that his erstwhile protégé was approaching the nadir of his career.
After the sudden demise of the director of the company, the employees felt stranded.
The Professor assured us that her class lectures would be interspersed with practical demonstrations.
She was effusive in her praise.
It is ingenuous to suppose that money did not play a part in his decision.
The advertisements were all posted in a conspicuous place.
Early humans may have had a rudimentary understanding of certain mathematical concepts.
The poorly conducted workshop was a travesty of the initial vision document.
The abstruse style of the speaker left the students disinterested and fidgety.
Select the most appropriate meaning of the given words from the options provided and mark your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly.
Iconoclast :
Axiom :
Holistic :
Obsequious :
Pachyderm :
Ubiquitous :
Desiccate :
Deleterious :
Equivocate :
Indolent :
In this section each item consists of six sentences that comprise a passage. The first and sixth sentences are given in the beginning as S1 and S6. The sequence of the four sentences in the middle, labelled as P, Q, R, and S, has been jumbled. You are required to find the proper sequence of the four jumbled sentences and mark your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly.
S1 : The word science originates from the Latin verb Scientia meaning “to know”.
S6 : By the middle of the twentieth century, science had become a truly international enterprise, with many cultures and countries contributing to its rapid growth.
P : Science, in a broad sense, is as old as the human species.
Q : From the sixteenth century onwards, great strides were also made in science in Europe.
R : The early civilisations of Egypt, India, China, Greece, Mesopotamia and many others made vital contributions to its progress.
S : The Sanskrit word Vijñāna and the Arabic word Ilm convey a similar meaning, namely knowledge.
S1 : Britain was the first country to experience modern industrialisation.
S6 : This gave people a wider choice of ways to spend their earnings and expanded the market for the sale of goods.
P : Stability meant that the Kingdom had common laws, a single currency and a market that was not fragmented by local authorities levying taxes on goods that passed through their area, thus increasing their price.
Q : It had been politically stable since the seventeenth century, with England, Wales and Scotland unified under a monarchy.
R : By the end of the seventeenth century, money was widely used as the medium of exchange.
S : As a consequence, a large section of the people received their income in the form of wages and salaries, rather than in goods.
S1 : William I had had the land mapped, and distributed it in sections to one hundred eighty Norman nobles who had migrated with him to Britain.
S6 : Thus, Anglo-Saxon peasants became tenants of various levels of landholders.
P : They could not, however, use their knights for private warfare, which was forbidden in England.
Q : They soon began to gift some of their own lands to knights who would serve them just as they in turn served the king.
R : They were obliged to supply a certain number of knights to the king.
S : These noble lords became the chief tenants of the king and were expected to give him military help.
S1 : In an economic sense, feudalism refers to a kind of system of agricultural production.
S6 : Thus, feudalism went beyond economic aspects to cover the social and political aspects of life as well.
P : In fact, the latter cultivated their own land as well as that of the lord.
Q : It is based on the relationship between lords and peasants, who worked on the former’s land.
R : They also had judicial control over the peasants.
S : The peasants also performed other labour for the lords, who in exchange provided military protection.
S1 : The Japanese empire was considered rich.
S6 : Soon, other developments such as the increased use of money and the creation of a stock market in rice show that the economy was developing in new ways.
P : However, paying for these imports with gold and silver strained the economy and led the Tokugawa to put restrictions on the export of precious metals.
Q : Over time, the silk from Nishijin came to be known as the best in the world.
R : They also took steps to develop the silk industry in Nishijin in Kyoto so as to reduce imports.
S : This was because it imported luxury goods like silk from China and textiles from India.
S1 : A seasoned cricketer catches a cricket ball coming in with great speed far more easily than a novice, who can hurt his hands in the act.
S6 : The conclusion is clear: force not only depends on the change in momentum, but also on how fast the change is brought about.
P : The novice, on the other hand, keeps his hands fixed and tries to catch the ball almost instantly.
Q : One reason is that the seasoned cricketer allows a longer time for his hands to stop the ball.
R : Consequently, he needs to provide a much greater force to stop the ball instantly, and this hurts.
S : He does this by drawing his hands backward in the act of catching the ball.
S1 : People fall down from staircases in different ways in different countries.
S6 : This is because for the Americans, their home is usually the only place where they regularly use the stairs.
P : They rely, instead, on the ease and safety of lifts and escalators which are ubiquitous in such places.
Q : This is not because the Japanese are more reckless staircase users, but simply because Americans don’t much use the stairs in public places.
R : Staircase injuries, therefore, happen mostly in the home.
S : For instance, someone in Japan is far more likely to be hurt in a staircase fall in an office, department store or railway station than is anyone in the United States.
S1 : The lantana plant is not native to India.
S6 : However, eradicating lantana is a long and arduous process which can only be carried out with a lot of technical expertise and financial commitment.
P : Since then, it has spread over six lakh square kilometres, covering fifty percent of the country’s natural areas.
Q : Research also shows that the lantana has invaded most pasture lands in the country.
R : It was introduced in the country as an ornamental plant by the British in the 1800s.
S : A 2020 estimate by researchers shows that the plant occupies forty percent of forests, including tiger reserves.
S1 : Biodiversity is crucial for the sustenance of life.
S6 : After all, products that benefit customers must also positively impact the environment.
P : Corporations have a social responsibility to help navigate discourses on biodiversity and leverage opportunities for sustainable development.
Q : Conserving biodiversity requires the urgent collaboration between, and involvement of, individuals and corporations.
R : Further, customers’ demand for greener products can be a catalyst for sustainability.
S : Redesigning manufacturing processes, adopting new technologies, and shifting to a paperless environment are ways to achieve such development.
S1 : Among the momentous watersheds through which human beings have passed since their appearance over 100,000 years ago, none has been more profound in its consequences than the shift to agriculture.
S6 : Unfortunately, such transformations disrupted delicate natural balances as humans sought enhanced control over their new modes of subsistence.
P : They did this by purposefully transforming landscapes with their agricultural fields and pastures.
Q : They lived much like the way in which their own hominid predecessors had lived for millions of years, as integral components of the Earth’s ecosystems.
R : However, with the invention of practices of agriculture, these new farmers and herders began manipulating their surroundings to an unprecedented degree.
S : Before that, for countless generations, nearly all humans had lived as hunters and gatherers, dwelling together in small, stable, nomadic bands that operated in close harmony with nature.
Given below are some idioms/phrases followed by four alternative meanings to each. Select the most appropriate response from the options provided and mark your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly.
Mealy-mouthed
Live in each other’s pockets
Play possum
Work like a dog
Open a can of worms
More than meets the eye
Hold the fort
It’s all Greek to me
To close ranks
Be under a cloud
Select the option that is opposite in meaning to the underlined word in the given sentences and mark your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly.
To him everything I did was considered contemptuous.
Social media trends are ephemeral.
As a person Mohan is generally considered to be parsimonious.
Ramesh has a tempestuous relationship with his neighbours.
Arvind had an arduous task to attend to.
Malaika has been in a perpetual dilemma since the time she heard the disturbing news.
They were distraught on receiving the news.
She is considered to be demure by her family members.
What he got by way of a settlement was a pittance.
His academic papers often are viewed as being ponderous.
Each of the following sentences has an underlined word. Read each sentence carefully, and determine which word class the underlined word belongs to. Mark your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly.
Who came first in the race ?
It is obligatory for all employees to wear protective clothing.
Turn right at the end of the street.
Swimming is good for health.
My arms are aching terribly.
The local council could not finance the project as planned.
We met a lot of interesting people during our winter holidays.
Vicky refused to join the trek to the hills because he is afraid of heights.
The number of boxes sold leapt from 19,400 to 33,542.
Amar ensured the timely delivery of the products.
Each of the following sentences in this section has a blank space with four options. Select the preposition or determiner you consider the most appropriate for the blank space and mark your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly.
The information is available ________ the Internet.
I don’t want ________ more vegetables.
What other sport do you play ________ hockey ?
I called the office two or three times, but ________ time no one responded.
You can park on ________ side of the street.
I’m not speaking to Ravi. I’ve fallen ________ with him.
Dr. Kumar is very busy with her practice. She has ________ time for other things.
Harish wanted to report on the war ________ the danger involved.
________ student could tell you where the college library is located.
The two groups entered ________ an agreement after a protracted discussion.
In the following items similar sounding words are given, followed by sentences wherein in each sentence one of these words has been used, and underlined. You are required to select those sentences in which these words have been used most appropriately and mark your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly.
crops, corps, corpse
What are the benefits of growing GM crops ?
The volunteer corps was organising a blood donation camp.
He was sleeping like a corpse.
In which of the sentences given above has / have the word(s) been used correctly ?
censer, censor, censure
The news reports have been heavily censored.
The censure board must regulate the cinematic content.
Incense was wafting out of the censer carried by the priest.
In which of the sentences given above has / have the word(s) been used correctly ?
pair, pear, pare
My last pair of jeans don’t fit any more.
Dessert was a delicious pear custard.
They had to pare the novel down to make it into a two-hour film.
In which of the sentences given above has / have the word(s) been used correctly ?
fate, fete, faith
The working committee will meet to discuss the fete of the erring employee.
The students organized a fate to felicitate the winners.
The accused person has lost faith in the fairness of the judgement.
In which of the sentences given above has / have the word(s) been used correctly ?
bear, bare, bier
She could not bare the extreme heat of Delhi in the month of May.
The walls of the store looked bear after the oil paintings had been sold.
The body was placed on a bier before the funeral service.
In which of the sentences given above has / have the word(s) been used correctly ?
tire, tier, tyre
The headmaster appealed to the students not to tier the new school master unnecessarily.
Our guest could not visit us yesterday as his car’s tyre got damaged.
My uncle lives on the third tire of the building.
In which of the sentences given above has / have the word(s) been used correctly ?
cite, sight, site
The officer has left for her weekly inspection of the cite.
The fresh flowers at the desk made for a pretty sight.
Journalists should site their sources accurately.
In which of the sentences given above has / have the word(s) been used correctly ?
raze, raise, rays
It is expected that the young executives will ask for a raze pretty soon.
The plan proposes to raise the colonial building and construct a new memorial.
The heat rays emanated from the infrared device.
In which of the sentences given above has / have the word(s) been used correctly ?
idyll, idle, idol
The writer’s words conjure up the idol of a bountiful and peaceful land.
An idle mind is the Devil’s workshop.
An immense idyll was found at the archaeological site yesterday.
In which of the sentences given above has / have the word(s) been used correctly ?
insure, ensure, unsure
One should be wary of visiting websites they are unsure of.
Meena says she always tries to insure that she has some loose cash in her handbag.
Kewal was ensure of the possible consequences of his decision.
In which of the sentences given above has / have the word(s) been used correctly ?
In the following items a pair of sentences (S1, S2) is given. Select the most appropriate and relevant co-relationship of the second sentence to the first from among the options (a), (b), (c) and (d), and mark your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly.
S1 : Summer in Delhi is extremely hot.
S2 : Summer in Shimla is quite cold.
The second sentence :
S1 : Bananas are a good source of potassium.
S2 : Doctors often recommend bananas to maintain healthy levels of potassium.
The second sentence :
S1 : Electric cars produce no exhaust emissions.
S2 : However, the electricity to charge them may come from fossil fuel sources.
The second sentence :
S1 : Mount Everest is the tallest peak in the world.
S2 : K2 in the Karakoram Range is taller than Mount Everest.
The second sentence :
S1 : True knowledge is true power.
S2 : A little knowledge however is a dangerous thing.
The second sentence :
S1 : Slow and steady wins the race.
S2 : Haste makes waste.
The second sentence :
S1 : Many hands make light work.
S2 : Too many cooks spoil the broth.
The second sentence :
S1 : The new laptop model is very desirable.
S2 : The battery life of the laptop could be better.
The second sentence :
S1 : Research shows exercise improves mood.
S2 : A 2022 study links daily walks to reduced depression.
The second sentence :
S1 : Some people doubt that God exists.
S2 : Belief in the existence of God is universal.
The second sentence :
In the following items Match List I with List II and select the answer using the code given below the Lists :
| List I (Word / Expression / Specialised term) | List II (Meaning) |
|---|---|
| A. Fortuitous | 1. Exhibiting exceptional bravery |
| B. Fortitudinous | 2. Daunting |
| C. Formidable | 3. Sad and solitary |
| D. Forlorn | 4. Happening by chance |
| List I (Word / Expression / Specialised term) | List II (Meaning) |
|---|---|
| A. Tautological | 1. Related to knowledge |
| B. Ontological | 2. Repetitious |
| C. Epistemological | 3. Related to diseases |
| D. Epidemiological | 4. Related to existence |
| List I (Word / Expression / Specialised term) | List II (Meaning) |
|---|---|
| A. Epitaph | 1. Words written about a dead person |
| B. Epistle | 2. An adjective to describe character or characteristic |
| C. Epithet | 3. A short phrase expressing an idea in a clever way |
| D. Epigram | 4. A formal letter |
| List I (Word / Expression / Specialised term) | List II (Meaning) |
|---|---|
| A. Nihilism | 1. The belief that pleasure is the most important thing in life |
| B. Fatalism | 2. The fact of accepting that you cannot prevent something from happening |
| C. Hedonism | 3. The fact of thinking that you are better or more important than anyone else |
| D. Egoism | 4. The denial of all reality |
| List I (Word / Expression / Specialised term) | List II (Meaning) |
|---|---|
| A. Blizzard | 1. Tropical cyclones over the western Pacific Ocean |
| B. Tornado | 2. A storm with thunder and lightning, and usually heavy rain |
| C. Thunderstorm | 3. Severe snowstorm with strong winds |
| D. Typhoons | 4. A violently rotating destructive column of air that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground |
| List I (Word / Expression / Specialised term) | List II (Meaning) |
|---|---|
| A. Implication | 1. The act of communicating with / praying to a deity |
| B. Complication | 2. A verbal or written request for an official purpose |
| C. Supplication | 3. A meaning not clearly stated but which can be inferred |
| D. Application | 4. A situation or condition that is complex or confused |
| List I (Word / Expression / Specialised term) | List II (Meaning) |
|---|---|
| A. Ascribe | 1. Associate ownership or authorship with |
| B. Prescribe | 2. Carve, cut or etch into a material or surface |
| C. Proscribe | 3. Lay down a rule |
| D. Inscribe | 4. Officially forbid |
| List I (Word / Expression / Specialised term) | List II (Meaning) |
|---|---|
| A. Pragmatist | 1. Using too many words |
| B. Promethean | 2. Daringly original and creative |
| C. Promontory | 3. A headland that juts into a large water body |
| D. Prolix | 4. A person concerned with practical matters |
| List I (Word / Expression / Specialised term) | List II (Meaning) |
|---|---|
| A. Bequeath | 1. To pledge property as a security |
| B. Mortgage | 2. To leave property for beneficiary via a will |
| C. Endowment | 3. Agreement for use of property against rent |
| D. Lease | 4. To grant funds for running a socially-beneficial institution |
| List I (Word / Expression / Specialised term) | List II (Meaning) |
|---|---|
| A. Incensed | 1. Designed to cause fires |
| B. Incendiary | 2. Unmindful of potential risks |
| C. Incautious | 3. Giving out light when heated |
| D. Incandescent | 4. Enraged |
Each item in this section has a sentence with three underlined parts labelled (a), (b) and (c). Read each sentence to determine whether there is an error in any underlined part and indicate your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly. If there is no error, indicate your response as (d).
Today she was an accomplished singer because she had trained under an acclaimed guru in her youth.
Either my brothers or my friend are coming to receive me at the airport.
The pair of trousers you bought for me do not fit me.
Paridhi knew she still had to buy the groceries pick up dry-cleaning and prepare the presentation for the next day’s meeting.
The spectators thronged the stadium to watch favourite star perform.
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow the passage. Your answers to the questions should be based on the passage only.
As the new century begins, it is becoming evident to urban dwellers, whether in industrial or developing countries, that there is an immanent conflict between the automobile and the city. Urban air pollution, often from automobiles, claims millions of lives. Congestion also takes a direct economic toll in rising costs in time and the use of petrol.
Another cost of cities that are devoted to cars is a psychological one, a deprivation of contact with the natural world — an “asphalt complex”. There is a growing body of evidence that there is an innate human need for contact with nature. Both ecologists and psychologists have been aware of this for some time. Ecologists, led by Harvard University biologist E.O. Wilson, have formulated the “biophilia hypothesis”, which argues that those who are deprived of contact with nature suffer psychologically and that this deprivation leads to a measurable decline in well-being.
Meanwhile psychologists have coined their own term — ecopsychology — in which they make the same argument. Theodore Roszak, a leader in this field, cites a study that documents humans’ dependence on nature by looking at the rate of recovery of patients in a hospital in Pennsylvania. Those whose rooms overlooked gardens with grass, trees, flowers, and birds recovered from illnesses more quickly than those who were in rooms overlooking the parking lot.
The “asphalt complex” refers to :
The passage draws attention to which one among the following ?
The “biophilia hypothesis” :
Which one of the following includes the most appropriate and relevant set of keywords that match the concept of ‘ecopsychology’, as given in the passage ?
In this passage, the word ‘immanent’ is closest in meaning to :