CDS I 2026 English with Solutions
Q.1 [Confusable Word Pairs]
Pontoon and Platoon
Q.2 [Confusable Word Pairs]
Invoke and Revoke
Q.3 [Confusable Word Pairs]
Imminent and Eminent
Q.4 [Confusable Word Pairs]
Liable and Libel
Q.5 [Confusable Word Pairs]
Incredible and Incredulous
Q.6 [Confusable Word Pairs]
Climatic and Climactic
Q.7 [Confusable Word Pairs]
Cursor and Cursory
Q.8 [Confusable Word Pairs]
Affect and Effect
Q.9 [Confusable Word Pairs]
Hard and Hardly
Q.10 [Confusable Word Pairs]
Conscious and Conscience
Q.11 [Synonyms]
To say that the pandemic is done and dusted with would be an understatement.
An understatement presents something as smaller or less important than it really is.
Q.12 [Synonyms]
The coach was of the opinion that his erstwhile protégé was approaching the nadir of his career.
Nadir is the lowest point; its opposite, zenith, is the distractor.
Q.13 [Synonyms]
After the sudden demise of the director of the company, the employees felt stranded.
Stranded = left helpless, without means of moving on — exactly what marooned (abandoned in an isolated place) conveys.
Q.14 [Synonyms]
The Professor assured us that her class lectures would be interspersed with practical demonstrations.
Interspersed = scattered among or placed at intervals between — lectures mixed with demonstrations.
Q.15 [Synonyms]
She was effusive in her praise.
Q.16 [Synonyms]
It is ingenuous to suppose that money did not play a part in his decision.
Ingenuous = innocent, unsuspecting, artless. Do not confuse with ingenious (clever), which is why (b) is offered.
Q.17 [Synonyms]
The advertisements were all posted in a conspicuous place.
Conspicuous = clearly visible, attracting attention.
Q.18 [Synonyms]
Early humans may have had a rudimentary understanding of certain mathematical concepts.
Rudimentary = basic, undeveloped, at the rudiments (first principles) stage.
Q.19 [Synonyms]
The poorly conducted workshop was a travesty of the initial vision document.
A travesty is a distorted, absurd imitation of something — a mockery of the original plan.
Q.20 [Synonyms]
The abstruse style of the speaker left the students disinterested and fidgety.
Abstruse = obscure, hard to understand; recondite means the same. Erudite (learned) describes a person's scholarship, not an obscure style.
Q.21 [Vocabulary]
Iconoclast :
Q.22 [Vocabulary]
Axiom :
Q.23 [Vocabulary]
Holistic :
Q.24 [Vocabulary]
Obsequious :
Q.25 [Vocabulary]
Pachyderm :
Q.26 [Vocabulary]
Ubiquitous :
Q.27 [Vocabulary]
Desiccate :
Q.28 [Vocabulary]
Deleterious :
Q.29 [Vocabulary]
Equivocate :
Q.30 [Vocabulary]
Indolent :
Q.31 [Sentence Ordering]
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.
S continues the etymology of S1 (Sanskrit, Arabic words); P opens the history; R gives the early civilisations; Q moves to Europe from the sixteenth century, leading into S6.
Q.32 [Sentence Ordering]
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.
Q states the stability; P explains what stability meant; R introduces money as the medium of exchange; S gives its consequence (wages), which S6 then builds on.
Q.33 [Sentence Ordering]
S1 : William I 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.
S picks up the nobles of S1; R specifies the obligation (knights); Q shows them gifting land to those knights; P adds the restriction on using the knights, before S6 sums up the layers of tenancy.
Q.34 [Sentence Ordering]
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.
Q defines the lord–peasant relationship; P's “the latter” refers to the peasants in Q; S adds other labour and protection; R adds judicial control — the social and political reach that S6 concludes with.
Q.35 [Sentence Ordering]
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.
S explains why the empire was thought rich (imports); P gives the strain “these imports” caused; R the response (Nishijin silk); Q the result over time.
Q.36 [Sentence Ordering]
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.
Q gives the reason; S explains how the seasoned player does it; P contrasts the novice; R gives the consequence for the novice, leading to S6's conclusion.
Q.37 [Sentence Ordering]
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.
S gives the example; Q explains it; P's “instead” follows Americans not using public stairs; R's “therefore” draws the conclusion that S6 then explains.
Q.38 [Sentence Ordering]
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.
R tells how it arrived; P's “since then” follows; S gives the 2020 estimate; Q's “research also shows” adds to it.
Q.39 [Sentence Ordering]
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.
Q introduces individuals and corporations; P develops the corporate role; S lists ways to achieve “such development”; R's “further” adds the customer angle that S6 completes.
Q.40 [Sentence Ordering]
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.
S describes life “before that”; Q elaborates on it; R brings in agriculture; P explains how they manipulated surroundings — the “transformations” S6 refers to.
Q.41 [Idioms and Phrases]
Mealy-mouthed
Q.42 [Idioms and Phrases]
Live in each other's pockets
Q.43 [Idioms and Phrases]
Play possum
Q.44 [Idioms and Phrases]
Work like a dog
Q.45 [Idioms and Phrases]
Open a can of worms
Q.46 [Idioms and Phrases]
More than meets the eye
Q.47 [Idioms and Phrases]
Hold the fort
Q.48 [Idioms and Phrases]
It's all Greek to me
Q.49 [Idioms and Phrases]
To close ranks
Q.50 [Idioms and Phrases]
Be under a cloud
Q.51 [Antonyms]
To him everything I did was considered contemptuous.
Contemptuous = showing scorn; its opposite is showing deep respect, reverential. The other three are near-synonyms of the given word.
Q.52 [Antonyms]
Social media trends are ephemeral.
Ephemeral = short-lived; evanescent, transient and fleeting all mean the same, so the opposite is everlasting.
Q.53 [Antonyms]
As a person Mohan is generally considered to be parsimonious.
Parsimonious = extremely unwilling to spend; the opposite is extravagant. Partisan is a sound-alike distractor.
Q.54 [Antonyms]
Ramesh has a tempestuous relationship with his neighbours.
Tempestuous = stormy, turbulent; tranquil = calm.
Q.55 [Antonyms]
Arvind had an arduous task to attend to.
Arduous = demanding great effort; only (d) reverses it.
Q.56 [Antonyms]
Malaika has been in a perpetual dilemma since the time she heard the disturbing news.
Perpetual = never ending; transitory = lasting only a short time.
Q.57 [Antonyms]
They were distraught on receiving the news.
Distraught = deeply agitated; composed = calm and in control.
Q.58 [Antonyms]
She is considered to be demure by her family members.
Demure = reserved, modest, shy; brazen = bold and shameless.
Q.59 [Antonyms]
What he got by way of a settlement was a pittance.
A pittance is a very small sum; a bonanza is a windfall of great value. (b) and (d) are synonyms, not opposites.
Q.60 [Antonyms]
His academic papers often are viewed as being ponderous.
Writing that is ponderous is heavy, laboured and dull; elegant writing is graceful and light. Profound concerns depth, not style.
Q.61 [Parts of Speech]
Who came first in the race?
Here first modifies the verb came (came in what position?), so it is an adverb. As an adjective it would modify a noun (the first runner).
Q.62 [Parts of Speech]
It is obligatory for all employees to wear protective clothing.
Obligatory describes the subject it after the linking verb is — a predicative adjective.
Q.63 [Parts of Speech]
Turn right at the end of the street.
Right tells in which direction to turn, modifying the verb.
Q.64 [Parts of Speech]
Swimming is good for health.
An -ing form used as the subject of a sentence is a gerund (verbal noun). A participle would describe a noun (a swimming pool).
Q.65 [Parts of Speech]
My arms are aching terribly.
Terribly modifies the verb phrase are aching (aching how much?).
Q.66 [Parts of Speech]
The local council could not finance the project as planned.
After the modal could not, finance is the base form of the verb (to provide money for). The same word is a noun in 'the finance department'.
Q.67 [Parts of Speech]
We met a lot of interesting people during our winter holidays.
During links the noun phrase our winter holidays to the rest of the sentence — a preposition of time.
Q.68 [Parts of Speech]
Vicky refused to join the trek to the hills because he is afraid of heights.
Heights is the object of the preposition of; objects of prepositions are nouns.
Q.69 [Parts of Speech]
The number of boxes sold leapt from 19,400 to 33,542.
Leapt is the past tense of leap, the main verb of the sentence (the number ... leapt).
Q.70 [Parts of Speech]
Amar ensured the timely delivery of the products.
Despite the -ly ending, timely modifies the noun delivery; like friendly and lovely, it is an adjective.
Q.71 [Fill in the Blanks]
The information is available ______ the Internet.
Things are available on the Internet, as they are on a website or on television.
Q.72 [Fill in the Blanks]
I don't want ______ more vegetables.
In a negative sentence the determiner is any: I don't want any more. Much/many cannot precede more here.
Q.73 [Fill in the Blanks]
What other sport do you play ______ hockey?
Besides = in addition to; beside = next to (position). Instead needs of, and expect is a mis-spelling of except.
Q.74 [Fill in the Blanks]
I called the office two or three times, but ______ time no one responded.
With the singular noun time and the sense of 'every single occasion', the determiner is each.
Q.75 [Fill in the Blanks]
You can park on ______ side of the street.
Side is singular, so either (one or the other of two) fits; both would need sides.
Q.76 [Fill in the Blanks]
I'm not speaking to Ravi. I've fallen ______ with him.
To fall out with someone is to quarrel with them. Fall through = fail (of plans); fall back = retreat.
Q.77 [Fill in the Blanks]
Dr. Kumar is very busy with her practice. She has ______ time for other things.
Time is uncountable, so little/a little; the context (very busy) demands the negative sense 'hardly any' — little, not a little.
Q.78 [Fill in the Blanks]
Harish wanted to report on the war ______ the danger involved.
The blank is followed by a noun phrase (the danger involved), so it needs a preposition — in spite of. Though, although and even though are conjunctions that need a clause.
Q.79 [Fill in the Blanks]
______ student could tell you where the college library is located.
The singular student rules out all, some and few; any student = whichever one you ask.
Q.80 [Fill in the Blanks]
The two groups entered ______ an agreement after a protracted discussion.
The fixed expression is enter into an agreement.
Q.81 [Similar Sounding Words]
crops, corps, corpse
1. What are the benefits of growing GM crops?
2. The volunteer corps was organising a blood donation camp.
3. He was sleeping like a corpse.
In which of the sentences given above has/have the word(s) been used correctly?
Crops (plants grown), corps (an organised body of people, pronounced 'core') and corpse (a dead body) are all used correctly.
Q.82 [Similar Sounding Words]
censer, censor, censure
1. The news reports have been heavily censored.
2. The censure board must regulate the cinematic content.
3. 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?
Reports are censored and incense burns in a censer. The film body is the censor board; censure means severe criticism.
Q.83 [Similar Sounding Words]
pair, pear, pare
1. My last pair of jeans don't fit any more.
2. Dessert was a delicious pear custard.
3. They had to pare the novel down to make it into a decent film.
In which of the sentences given above has/have the word(s) been used correctly?
A pair of jeans, a pear (the fruit) custard, and to pare down (trim, reduce) — all three are correct.
Q.84 [Similar Sounding Words]
fate, fete, faith
1. The working committee will meet to discuss the fete of the erring employee.
2. The students organized a fate to felicitate the winners.
3. 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?
Sentences 1 and 2 swap the words: the committee discusses the employee's fate, and the students organise a fete (a celebration). Only faith is used correctly.
Q.85 [Similar Sounding Words]
bear, bare, bier
1. She could not bare the extreme heat of Delhi in the month of May.
2. The walls of the store looked bear after the oil paintings had been sold.
3. 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?
To endure heat is to bear it; empty walls look bare; a coffin rests on a bier. Sentences 1 and 2 have the words swapped.
Q.86 [Similar Sounding Words]
tire, tier, tyre
1. The headmaster appealed to the students not to tier the new school master unnecessarily.
2. Our guest could not visit us yesterday as his car's tyre got damaged.
3. 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?
Students should not tire (exhaust) the master; one lives on the third tier (level). Only the car's tyre is correct.
Q.87 [Similar Sounding Words]
cite, sight, site
1. The officer has left for her weekly inspection of the cite.
2. The fresh flowers at the desk made for a pretty sight.
3. Journalists should site their sources accurately.
In which of the sentences given above has/have the word(s) been used correctly?
One inspects a site (place) and journalists cite (quote) sources — sentences 1 and 3 swap them. A pretty sight is correct.
Q.88 [Similar Sounding Words]
raze, raise, rays
1. It is expected that the young executives will ask for a raze pretty soon.
2. The plan proposes to raise the colonial building and construct a new memorial.
3. The heat rays emanated from the infrared device.
In which of the sentences given above has/have the word(s) been used correctly?
Executives ask for a raise; a building to be replaced is razed (demolished). Only heat rays is right.
Q.89 [Similar Sounding Words]
idyll, idle, idol
1. The writer's words conjure up the idol of a bountiful and peaceful land.
2. An idle mind is the Devil's workshop.
3. 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?
A picture of a peaceful land is an idyll; a statue dug up at a site is an idol — sentences 1 and 3 have them swapped. Idle mind is correct.
Q.90 [Similar Sounding Words]
insure, ensure, unsure
1. One should be wary of visiting websites they are unsure of.
2. Meena says she always tries to insure that she has some loose cash in her handbag.
3. 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?
Meena ensures (makes certain) she has cash; Kewal was unsure (uncertain). Insure is for insurance policies. Only sentence 1 is correct.
Q.91 [Sentence Relationship]
S1 : Summer in Delhi is extremely hot.
S2 : Summer in Shimla is quite cold.
The second sentence :
Two different places are set against each other; both statements can be true, so there is no contradiction — only contrast.
Q.92 [Sentence Relationship]
S1 : Bananas are a good source of potassium.
S2 : Doctors often recommend bananas to maintain healthy levels of potassium.
The second sentence :
The doctors' recommendation supports and reinforces the claim in S1.
Q.93 [Sentence Relationship]
S1 : Electric cars produce no exhaust emissions.
S2 : However, the electricity to charge them may come from fossil fuel sources.
The second sentence :
S2 accepts S1 but limits its significance by adding a condition — that is qualification, not contradiction.
Q.94 [Sentence Relationship]
S1 : Mount Everest is the tallest peak in the world.
S2 : K2 in the Karakoram Range is taller than Mount Everest.
The second sentence :
Both cannot be true: if K2 were taller, Everest could not be the tallest.
Q.95 [Sentence Relationship]
S1 : True knowledge is true power.
S2 : A little knowledge however is a dangerous thing.
The second sentence :
S2 does not deny that knowledge is power; it restricts the claim to true (complete) knowledge by warning about partial knowledge.
Q.96 [Sentence Relationship]
S1 : Slow and steady wins the race.
S2 : Haste makes waste.
The second sentence :
Both proverbs make the same point from opposite ends — patience succeeds, hurry fails — so S2 reinforces S1.
Q.97 [Sentence Relationship]
S1 : Many hands make light work.
S2 : Too many cooks spoil the broth.
The second sentence :
One proverb says more people help; the other says more people harm — directly opposed claims.
Q.98 [Sentence Relationship]
S1 : The new laptop model is very desirable.
S2 : The battery life of the laptop could be better.
The second sentence :
S2 keeps the overall praise but adds a reservation — a qualification.
Q.99 [Sentence Relationship]
S1 : Research shows exercise improves mood.
S2 : A 2022 study links daily walks to reduced depression.
The second sentence :
A specific study supporting the general finding is confirmation.
Q.100 [Sentence Relationship]
S1 : Some people doubt that God exists.
S2 : Belief in the existence of God is universal.
The second sentence :
If belief were universal, no one could doubt — the two statements cannot both hold.
Q.101 [Vocabulary — Matching]
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 |
Fortuitous = by chance; fortitudinous = showing fortitude (courage); formidable = daunting; forlorn = sad and lonely.
Q.102 [Vocabulary — Matching]
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. Tautological | 1. Related to knowledge |
| B. Ontological | 2. Repetitious |
| C. Epistemological | 3. Related to diseases |
| D. Epidemiological | 4. Related to existence |
Tautology = needless repetition; ontology = the study of being/existence; epistemology = the theory of knowledge; epidemiology = the study of disease patterns.
Q.103 [Vocabulary — Matching]
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. 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 |
Epitaph = inscription on a tomb; epistle = a letter; epithet = a descriptive word or phrase (Richard the Lionheart); epigram = a witty saying.
Q.104 [Vocabulary — Matching]
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. 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 |
Nihilism rejects all values and reality; fatalism accepts that events are predetermined; hedonism puts pleasure first; egoism puts oneself first.
Q.105 [Vocabulary — Matching]
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. 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 |
Blizzard = snowstorm; tornado = rotating column of air; thunderstorm = thunder, lightning and rain; typhoon = the western-Pacific name for a tropical cyclone.
Q.106 [Vocabulary — Matching]
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. 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 |
Implication = implied meaning; complication = a confused, complex state; supplication = humble prayer or plea; application = a formal request.
Q.107 [Vocabulary — Matching]
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. 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 |
Ascribe = attribute to; prescribe = lay down as a rule (a doctor prescribes); proscribe = forbid, outlaw; inscribe = carve or write on a surface.
Q.108 [Vocabulary — Matching]
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. 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 |
Pragmatist = practical person; Promethean (after Prometheus) = boldly creative; promontory = headland; prolix = wordy.
Q.109 [Vocabulary — Matching]
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. 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 |
Bequeath = leave by will; mortgage = pledge property as security for a loan; endowment = funds granted to an institution; lease = rental agreement.
Q.110 [Vocabulary — Matching]
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. 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 |
Incensed = furious; incendiary = fire-causing (an incendiary bomb); incautious = careless; incandescent = glowing with heat.
Q.111 [Error Spotting]
Find the part with the error; if there is none, choose (d).
Today she was an accomplished (a) / singer because she had trained (b) / under an acclaimed guru in her youth. (c) / No error. (d)
Q.112 [Error Spotting]
Find the part with the error; if there is none, choose (d).
Either my brothers (a) / or my friend (b) / are coming to receive me at the airport. (c) / No error. (d)
Q.113 [Error Spotting]
Find the part with the error; if there is none, choose (d).
The pair of trousers (a) / you bought for me (b) / do not fit me. (c) / No error. (d)
Q.114 [Error Spotting]
Find the part with the error; if there is none, choose (d).
Paridhi knew she still had to buy the groceries (a) / pick up dry-cleaning (b) / and prepare the presentation for the next day's meeting. (c) / No error. (d)
The three infinitive phrases — buy, pick up, prepare — are parallel, the tense sequence (knew … had to) is right, and dry-cleaning needs no article.
Q.115 [Error Spotting]
Find the part with the error; if there is none, choose (d).
The spectators (a) / thronged the stadium to watch (b) / favourite star perform. (c) / No error. (d)
Q.116 [Reading Comprehension]
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.
Q.117 [Reading Comprehension]
The passage draws attention to which one among the following?
Q.118 [Reading Comprehension]
The “biophilia hypothesis” :
Q.119 [Reading Comprehension]
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?
Q.120 [Reading Comprehension]
In this passage, the word ‘immanent’ is closest in meaning to :
Immanent = existing within, built in — the conflict is inherent in the relationship between cars and cities. Do not confuse it with imminent (about to happen), which would suggest (a).