English Comprehension PYQs

The correct answer is 'QPSR'.

Key Points

• The rearranged sentence is: "With time (Q), India has become the world's largest extractor of groundwater (P), accounting for 25 per cent of the total available water (S), accounting for 25 per cent of the total available water (R)."
• This rearrangement creates a grammatically correct and coherent sentence.
• The phrase "with time" introduces the idea that India's status as the world's largest extractor of groundwater is a development that has happened over a period of time.
• The sentence then goes on to provide supporting information in the form of India's extraction of 25% of the total available water, before concluding with the main point of the sentence - that India is the largest extractor of groundwater in the world.

The correct answer is 'RSPQ'.

Key Points

• The given sentence is talking about the dangers posed by the extremes of climate change all over the world. Let's break down the sentence into its constituent parts:
• "The extremes": This refers to the most severe effects of climate change, such as extreme weather events (e.g. heat waves, hurricanes, droughts), rising sea levels, and more.
• "of climate change": This specifies that the sentence is referring to the effects of climate change, which is the long-term change in the Earth's climate that is primarily caused by human activities like burning fossil fuels.
• "present existential perils": This means that the extremes of climate change pose a serious threat to the existence of human beings and other living organisms. For example, rising temperatures can lead to crop failures, water shortages, and the spread of diseases, which can in turn lead to famine, displacement, and conflict.
• "all over the world": This emphasizes that climate change is a global issue that affects all countries, regardless of their level of development or geographic location.
• So, when we put these parts together in the correct sequence, we get the following sentence: "The extremes (R) of climate change (S) present existential perils (P) all over the world (Q)." This sentence clearly conveys the message that the most severe effects of climate change are posing a serious threat to the survival of human beings and other living organisms all around the world.

The correct answer is 'PSQR'.

Key Points

 

• "The company forecasts (P) that India will be the fastest growing (S) aviation market amongst (Q) the G20 countries (R)."
• This sentence is discussing the growth of the aviation market in India in comparison to other G20 countries, as predicted by a company's forecast. The sentence can be broken down into the following parts:
• "The company forecasts": This indicates that a company has made a prediction about something.
• "that India will be the fastest growing": This specifies what the company has predicted - that India's aviation market will grow faster than that of any other G20 country.
• "aviation market amongst": This describes what the prediction is specifically about - the aviation market in India as compared to other G20 countries.
• "the G20 countries": This specifies the group of countries being compared - the G20, which is a forum of the world's major economies.
• Putting these parts together in the correct sequence, we get: "The company forecasts (P) that India will be the fastest growing (S) aviation market amongst (Q) the G20 countries (R)." This sentence clearly conveys the message that the company is predicting that India's aviation market will grow faster than any other G20 country's aviation market.

The correct answer is 'QSRP'.

Key Points

• The correct answer is indeed QSRP: "Shangdongs are traditional (Q) trapping pits with inverted funnel-shaped (S) stonewalls, usually built (R), near villages or herder camps (P)."
• The sentence is discussing the traditional method of trapping using shangdongs, which are funnel-shaped pits, and stonewalls. The sentence describes how this trapping method is typically located near villages or herder camps, and that it is a traditional method.
• Breaking the sentence down into its parts, we have:
• "Shangdongs are traditional": This introduces the topic of the sentence, which is the traditional trapping method using shangdongs.
• "trapping pits with inverted funnel-shaped": This describes the shape of the shangdongs, which are funnel-shaped pits.
• "stonewalls, usually built": This describes the additional element of the trapping method, which involves constructing stonewalls.
• "near villages or herder camps": This specifies the location of the trapping method, which is typically near villages or herder camps.

The correct answer is 'RSPQ'.

Key Points

• The sentence is discussing how India has brought back several antiquities from other nations over the years. Breaking the sentence down into its parts, we have:
• "India has": This introduces the subject of the sentence, which is India.
• "brought back": This describes the action that India has taken, which is bringing back antiquities.
• "several antiquities": This specifies what India has brought back, which is several antiquities.
• "from other nations over the years": This specifies where India has obtained the antiquities from, which is from other nations over the years.
• Therefore, the correct sequence is RSPQ.

The correct answer is 'SRQP'.

Key Points

• To make sense of the sentence, we need to figure out the right order in which to place these phrases.
• Looking at the options provided, we see that option (3) - SRQP - is the correct answer.
• First, we start with the phrase that describes the location: "the biodiversity parks (S) of the Yamuna river and (R) the natural landscapes".
• Next, we mention what the parks are located on or around: "are spread out over (Q) the Aravalli hill ranges (P)".
• So the complete sentence reads: "The biodiversity parks (S) of the Yamuna river and (R) the natural landscapes are spread out over (Q) the Aravalli hill ranges (P)."

The correct answer is 'PRQS'.

Key Points

• Looking at the sentence chunks, it becomes clear that 'the family found out' (P) is a leading part because it sets up the action, what the family did. This chunk is independent and makes sense on its own so it should start the sentence.
• The phrase 'that some of' (R) fits well after 'the family found out' (P) because it brings out the essence of what the family came to know about. This connection gives a sense of someone's action that the family discovered or found out.
• After PR, 'their mother's friends were going to' (Q) gives us an idea of what the family just found out, revealing the action performed by 'their mother's friends'. This chunk essentially provides the verb (were going to) for the subject introduced in R (some of their mother's friends).
• Finally, 'Poland in a car' (S) is the concluding part of the sentence - it gives the destination of the mother's friends and the mode they planned to use, adding depth to the action mentioned in Q.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1.

The correct answer is 'QSPR'.

Key Points

• The original sentence is "From the perspective of humans, earth may seem immense and almost limitless living on its surface." The sentence has been divided into four chunks - P, Q, R and S - and jumbled up.
• The correct rearrangement of the chunks is QSPR, which gives us the sentence "From the perspective of humans (Q), living on its surface (S) earth may seem immense (P) and almost limitless (R) ."
• This rearrangement maintains the proper subject-verb-object order of the sentence and gives us a coherent and grammatically correct sentence. The sentence starts with the perspective of humans (Q), "living on its surface" (S) followed by the description of the earth seeming immense (P) and ends with the phrase 'almost limitless'(R).

The correct answer is 'SQPR'.

Key Points

• The correct rearrangement is 4) SQPR: "The Indian financial markets (S) have grown substantially (Q), in terms of trading volumes (P), market capitalization and turnover  (R).
• This rearrangement provides a clear and concise sentence structure, starting with the subject (the Indian financial markets), followed by the three components in order - trading volumes, turnover, and market capitalization - which have grown substantially.

The correct answer is 'QSPR '.

Key Points

• Let's break down the jumbled sentence and the correct rearrangement.
• The sentence talks about a transition from a valley of darkness to a beautiful country. Here are the chunks:
• P: "emerge at last into a"
• Q: "those who passed through"
• R: "country of unearthly beauty"
• S: "that valley of darkness"
• To form a grammatically correct sentence, we need to arrange these chunks in the correct order.
• Option (1) PRQS puts the chunks in the order "emerge at last into a country of unearthly beauty that valley of darkness those who passed through," which doesn't make sense because it places the valley of darkness after the country of beauty.
• Option (2) QSPR puts the chunks in the order "those who passed through that valley of darkness emerge at last into a country of unearthly beauty," which is a valid sentence and conveys the intended meaning.
• Option (3) RPQS puts the chunks in the order "Those who passed through that valley of darkness emerge at last into a country of unearthly beauty," which is the same as option (2) but with the subject (those who passed through) at the end. Although it is still a valid sentence, it places a greater emphasis on the beauty of the country rather than the people who went through the difficult journey.
• Option (4) SQRP puts the chunks in the order "that valley of darkness emerge at last into a country of unearthly beauty those who passed through," which is grammatically incorrect because it places the verb "emerge" before its subject "those who passed through."

Therefore, the most appropriate option is QSPR.

The correct answer is 'to have a selfish aim or motive'.

Key Points

• The idiom "have an axe to grind" means to have a selfish or ulterior motive for doing something. It is often used to describe someone who is pursuing a particular goal or agenda that may not be immediately obvious to others, or who has a personal interest in a matter that goes beyond what is apparent on the surface.
• The phrase can also imply a certain level of deception or hidden agenda, as the person with the "axe to grind" may not be forthcoming about their true motivations.
• For example, "He has an axe to grind with the company, so he's always looking for ways to criticize their decisions."

The correct answer is 'to accept something unpleasant and difficult'.

Key Points

• The idiom "bite the bullet" means to confront and endure an unpleasant or difficult situation or decision with courage and determination. It is often used to describe a situation where someone has to face a difficult or painful choice, but decides to face it head-on, even though it may be uncomfortable or painful.
• The origin of this idiom can be traced back to the days before modern anesthesia, when soldiers had to bite on a bullet during surgery to help them endure the pain.
• It was a way for them to show their courage and determination in the face of a difficult situation.
• In modern usage, the phrase "bite the bullet" is often used to encourage someone to face a difficult situation with courage and determination.
• For example, if a person has to go through a painful medical procedure, someone might encourage them to "bite the bullet" and endure the discomfort, knowing that it will be better for them in the long run.

The correct answer is 'someone who does something very stupid and is made fun of'.

Key Points

• The phrase "laughing stock" means a person or thing that is ridiculed or made fun of by others. It refers to a person who is seen as foolish or incompetent, and is therefore an object of ridicule or amusement. (व्‍यक्ति या वस्‍तु जिसका लोग मज़ाक़ उड़ाएँ; हँसी का पात्र, हास्‍यास्‍पद)
• This idiom is often used to describe a person who has done something embarrassing or silly, and as a result, has become the subject of mocking and laughter by others. It does not imply any sense of respect or admiration.

The correct answer is 'to pay more for something than it is worth'.

Key Points

• To expand further on the meaning of "paying over the odds", it is an idiomatic expression that is used to describe a situation where someone pays more for something than it is actually worth.
• This can happen for a variety of reasons, such as a lack of knowledge about the item's value, a desire to own the item regardless of cost, or simply being taken advantage of by a seller.
• Here's an example sentence that uses the idiom "pay over the odds":

"I really wanted that designer handbag, so I ended up paying over the odds for it at the luxury boutique."

The correct answer is 'to say things that will make people admire you'.

Key Points

• The idiom "play to the gallery" means to do or say something that will win approval or admiration from an audience, rather than acting sincerely or honestly.
• The phrase originates from the practice of actors performing for the audience seated in the gallery of a theater, and thus trying to win their approval by overacting or delivering lines that are designed to impress them.
• In other words, when someone is said to be "playing to the gallery", they are trying to gain attention, popularity, or applause from others by saying or doing things that they think the audience will like, even if those actions or words do not reflect their true feelings or opinions.

The correct answer is 'to be in trouble'.

Key Points

• The idiom "be in the soup" means to be in trouble or difficulty, often due to one's own mistakes or misjudgments. It can refer to a variety of situations, such as being caught in a lie, facing a difficult problem or challenge, or experiencing financial or personal troubles.
• When someone is said to be "in the soup", it means they are facing a difficult situation that they may struggle to get out of without help. The phrase often implies that the situation is of their own making, and that they may have to face the consequences of their actions or decisions.

The correct answer is 'an action which makes a bad situation worse'.

Key Points

• The idiom "a turn of the screw" means to make a bad situation worse by adding further complications or difficulties to it. It is often used to describe a situation where things are already bad, but someone or something makes it even worse by taking an action that aggravates the situation.
• For example, imagine a company that is struggling financially. The CEO decides to lay off a large number of employees, which causes widespread outrage and negative publicity. This action could be described as "a turn of the screw" because it made an already bad situation worse by adding more problems to the mix.
• Therefore, the most appropriate meaning of "a turn of the screw" is (4) an action which makes a bad situation worse.

The correct answer is 'something that has cost a lot of money but has no useful purpose'.

Key Points

• The idiom "white elephant" refers to something that is expensive and impressive, but ultimately useless or burdensome to the owner. It may also refer to a costly possession that is difficult to maintain or dispose of.
• The term comes from the practice of the Kings of Siam (now Thailand) who would give white elephants as gifts to courtiers who had displeased them, as a way of causing financial ruin to the recipient due to the high cost of caring for the animal.
• Therefore, the most appropriate meaning of this idiom from the given options is "something that has cost a lot of money but has no useful purpose."

The correct answer is 'something that is difficult to deal with'.

Key Points

• The idiom "a hot potato" means something that is difficult or risky to handle or deal with. Just like a hot potato is difficult to hold and handle because it's hot and might burn you, a difficult or controversial topic or situation can be described as a "hot potato" because it is sensitive and can cause problems if handled improperly.
• For example, a political issue or a scandal involving a company might be described as a "hot potato" for those involved because it's a difficult and potentially dangerous situation to handle.

The correct answer is 'people who are different and thus incomparable'.

Key Points

• The idiom "apples and oranges" is used to compare two things that are so different from each other that they cannot be compared in a meaningful way.
• Just as apples and oranges are two different types of fruit that have distinct differences in taste, texture, and appearance, two things or people that are very different from each other may also be described as "apples and oranges".
• For example, you cannot compare the intelligence of a dog and a cat because they are different types of animals, just like you cannot compare the skills of a chef and a mathematician because they have different areas of expertise.