Q1. Choose the synonym of 'RECALCITRANT'.
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Answer: A. Refractory
'Recalcitrant' means obstinately uncooperative; 'refractory' also means stubborn and unmanageable. 'Docile' and 'compliant' are its opposites.
SSC CGL English Comprehension Advanced Practice Set 5
25 advanced questions, suggested time 30 minutes. Tap an option to check it, or open “Show answer” for the explanation.
Topics: Synonyms, Para Jumbles, Reading Comprehension, One-word Substitution, Cloze Test, Antonyms, Sentence Improvement, Spelling, Error Spotting
Score: 0 / 0
Q2. Rearrange the sentences P, Q, R and S to form a coherent paragraph. The first sentence is fixed. (1) Urban flooding has become an annual ritual in many Indian cities. P: Lakes and wetlands that once absorbed excess rain have been encroached upon. Q: The causes, however, are largely man-made. R: Meanwhile, drains choked with plastic cannot carry the water away. S: Heavy downpours are usually blamed.
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Answer: D. SQPR
S gives the common explanation; Q ('however') contrasts it with man-made causes; P and R ('Meanwhile') list those causes.
Q3. Read the passage and answer the question. Passage: Satire has always walked a fine line between entertainment and subversion. By exaggerating the follies of the powerful, the satirist invites laughter, but the laughter is rarely innocent: it strips authority of its solemnity and exposes pretension to ridicule. It is no accident that autocrats, who can tolerate open criticism more easily than mockery, have so often banned cartoons and jailed comedians. A reasoned argument can be refuted; a joke that has captured the public imagination cannot. Yet satire's power is also its limitation. Because it depends on a shared sense of absurdity, it loses its bite in societies too cynical to be shocked by anything. Question: As used in the passage, the word 'subversion' most nearly means:
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Answer: D. undermining of established authority
'Subversion' means the undermining of the power and authority of an established system, which is what satire is described as doing.
Q4. Read the passage and answer the question. Passage: Economists have long warned against the fallacy of composition: the assumption that what is true for a part must be true for the whole. A single household that cuts its spending during hard times acts sensibly, building a cushion against misfortune. But if every household does the same at once, shops sell less, factories cut production and workers lose their jobs. Incomes fall, and the very savings people hoped to accumulate shrink. Thus a virtue at the individual level can become a vice at the collective level. This paradox explains why governments often increase their own spending precisely when private citizens are tightening their belts. Question: The central point of the passage is that:
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Answer: C. behaviour that is sensible for one individual can harm the economy when everyone adopts it
The passage illustrates the fallacy of composition: individual saving is prudent, but collective saving reduces demand, jobs and incomes.
Q5. A person who falsely claims to have special knowledge or skill is called:
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Answer: B. Charlatan
A 'charlatan' is an impostor who pretends to have expertise. A 'neophyte' is a beginner, while a 'connoisseur' and a 'virtuoso' are genuine experts.
Q6. Read the passage and answer the question. Passage: We like to think of memory as a faithful recording, a video we can replay at will. Research suggests otherwise. Each time we recall an event, the brain reconstructs it, filling gaps with assumptions, later knowledge and even suggestions from others. The memory is then stored anew, subtly altered. This is why eyewitnesses who are entirely sincere can nonetheless be entirely wrong, and why two siblings may remember the same childhood holiday in irreconcilable ways. Far from being a flaw, this malleability may serve a purpose: a memory that updates itself helps us adapt to a changing world, even if it sacrifices a measure of accuracy. Question: The passage is chiefly concerned with:
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Answer: B. the reconstructive and changeable nature of memory
The passage explains that memories are rebuilt and altered each time they are recalled; eyewitnesses and siblings are merely examples.
Q7. Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word: The critic's review was scathing; he dismissed the novel as a ________ of clichés strung together without purpose.
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Answer: B. farrago
A 'farrago' is a confused mixture, which fits a scathing dismissal. A 'paragon' is a model of excellence, a 'panegyric' a speech of praise, and a 'pinnacle' the highest point.
Q8. Choose the antonym of 'ZENITH'.
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Answer: A. Nadir
'Zenith' is the highest point; 'nadir' is the lowest point. 'Apex', 'pinnacle' and 'acme' all mean the highest point.
Q9. Read the passage and answer the question. Passage: We like to think of memory as a faithful recording, a video we can replay at will. Research suggests otherwise. Each time we recall an event, the brain reconstructs it, filling gaps with assumptions, later knowledge and even suggestions from others. The memory is then stored anew, subtly altered. This is why eyewitnesses who are entirely sincere can nonetheless be entirely wrong, and why two siblings may remember the same childhood holiday in irreconcilable ways. Far from being a flaw, this malleability may serve a purpose: a memory that updates itself helps us adapt to a changing world, even if it sacrifices a measure of accuracy. Question: With which of the following statements would the author most likely agree?
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Answer: C. A sincere eyewitness may still give an inaccurate account
The passage says sincere eyewitnesses 'can nonetheless be entirely wrong'. It contradicts the other statements: memories are re-stored, inaccuracy need not mean lying, and malleability may help us adapt.
Q10. Choose the antonym of 'BELLIGERENT'.
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Answer: B. Pacific
'Belligerent' means hostile and aggressive; 'pacific' means peaceable. 'Bellicose', 'pugnacious' and 'combative' are synonyms of 'belligerent'.
Q11. Choose the antonym of 'MAGNANIMOUS'.
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Answer: B. Petty
'Magnanimous' means generous and forgiving, especially towards a rival; 'petty' means small-minded and mean. The other options are close in meaning to 'magnanimous'.
Q12. Read the passage and answer the question. Passage: Economists have long warned against the fallacy of composition: the assumption that what is true for a part must be true for the whole. A single household that cuts its spending during hard times acts sensibly, building a cushion against misfortune. But if every household does the same at once, shops sell less, factories cut production and workers lose their jobs. Incomes fall, and the very savings people hoped to accumulate shrink. Thus a virtue at the individual level can become a vice at the collective level. This paradox explains why governments often increase their own spending precisely when private citizens are tightening their belts. Question: It can be inferred that governments increase their spending during downturns in order to:
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Answer: A. make up for the fall in private demand
When private households cut spending, demand falls; government spending compensates for that shortfall, preventing the chain of lost sales and jobs.
Q13. Read the passage and answer the question. Passage: We like to think of memory as a faithful recording, a video we can replay at will. Research suggests otherwise. Each time we recall an event, the brain reconstructs it, filling gaps with assumptions, later knowledge and even suggestions from others. The memory is then stored anew, subtly altered. This is why eyewitnesses who are entirely sincere can nonetheless be entirely wrong, and why two siblings may remember the same childhood holiday in irreconcilable ways. Far from being a flaw, this malleability may serve a purpose: a memory that updates itself helps us adapt to a changing world, even if it sacrifices a measure of accuracy. Question: As used in the passage, the word 'malleability' means:
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Answer: C. capacity to be reshaped
'Malleability' means the quality of being easily shaped or altered; here it refers to memory's tendency to be modified each time it is recalled.
Q14. Choose the best replacement for the bracketed part of the sentence. Choose 'No improvement' if it is already correct. He insisted [on me to attend] the meeting.
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Answer: C. that I should attend
'Insist' cannot take an object + infinitive. The correct form is 'He insisted that I (should) attend the meeting'.
Q15. Read the passage and answer the question. Passage: When a species is declared endangered, the first instinct is to fence off its habitat and keep people out. This fortress model of conservation has saved some animals, but often at a heavy human cost. Communities that had lived alongside forests for generations found themselves evicted, branded as trespassers on land their ancestors had tended. Resentful and impoverished, some turned to the very poachers the fences were meant to exclude. Increasingly, conservationists acknowledge that protection works best when local people are partners rather than obstacles, when they share in the benefits of tourism, help monitor wildlife and have a stake in the forest's survival. Question: The author suggests that the most effective conservation:
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Answer: C. treats local communities as partners with a stake in the forest
The last sentence states that protection works best when local people are partners who benefit from and help protect the forest.
Q16. Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word: The scientist was ________ in her methods, repeating each experiment dozens of times before publishing a single result.
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Answer: C. punctilious
'Punctilious' means showing great attention to detail and correctness. 'Slipshod' means careless, 'cavalier' offhand, and 'capricious' unpredictable.
Q17. Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word: Instead of addressing the charges directly, the spokesperson chose to ________, offering vague answers that committed the government to nothing.
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Answer: C. equivocate
To 'equivocate' is to use ambiguous language to avoid committing oneself. To 'elucidate' is to make clear, the opposite; 'capitulate' means surrender; 'reiterate' means repeat.
Q18. Choose the antonym of 'GREGARIOUS'.
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Answer: D. Reclusive
'Gregarious' means fond of company; 'reclusive' means avoiding the company of others. The other options are similar in meaning to 'gregarious'.
Q19. Choose the correctly spelt word meaning 'a peculiar habit or trait of an individual'.
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Answer: A. Idiosyncrasy
The correct spelling is 'idiosyncrasy', ending in '-crasy' (from Greek 'krasis'), not '-cracy'.
Q20. Identify the segment that contains a grammatical error: 'Inflation has soared, / and experts say that / it is high time / the government takes stringent measures.'
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Answer: D. the government takes stringent measures.
'It is high time' is followed by the past subjunctive (simple past) form: 'it is high time the government took stringent measures'.
Q21. Choose the synonym of 'EQUANIMITY'.
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Answer: B. Composure
'Equanimity' means mental calmness and evenness of temper, i.e. 'composure'.
Q22. Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word: The minister's ________ remarks about the flood victims provoked a nationwide outcry, and he was forced to apologise.
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Answer: A. callous
'Callous' means showing cruel disregard for others, which explains the outcry and the apology. The other options describe praiseworthy remarks.
Q23. Choose the synonym of 'PARSIMONIOUS'.
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Answer: C. Niggardly
'Parsimonious' means excessively careful with money, i.e. 'niggardly' (stingy). 'Munificent' and 'prodigal' suggest lavish giving or spending.
Q24. Choose the best replacement for the bracketed part of the sentence. Choose 'No improvement' if it is already correct. I would rather you [do not tell] him about it.
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Answer: C. did not tell
When 'would rather' is followed by a different subject, the verb takes the past subjunctive for present or future reference: 'I would rather you did not tell him'.
Q25. Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word: His speech, though long, was so ________ that the audience found it difficult to follow any single line of argument.
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Answer: D. discursive
'Discursive' means digressing from subject to subject, which makes an argument hard to follow. 'Cogent', 'incisive' and 'pithy' describe clear, sharp or concise speech.