Search Previous Year Questions

The correct answer is 'Option 2'.

Key Points

• Twentieth century advances in agriculture do not seem sustainable due to the increased cost of agricultural production.
• The passage states: "Since twentieth century advances, given increasing costs, do not seem sustainable..." This directly links the lack of sustainability to increased costs.
• Other options are not supported by the passage.
• Option 1: The passage does not say that the advances fail to meet human needs.
• Option 3: The passage does not mention that these advances are outdated.
• Option 4: The passage does not state that the advances are sustainable because they are intensive.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 2.

Additional Information

• Option 1: Incorrect, as the passage does not say that advances fail to meet human needs.
• Option 3: Incorrect, as there is no mention of the advances being outdated.
• Option 4: Incorrect, as intensity is not the reason for unsustainability given in the passage.

The correct answer is 'Option 1'.

Key Points

• The passage directly states that global population growth has pushed farmers and herders into areas unsuited to intensive agriculture.
• The relevant line is: "Global population growth, while showing signs of slowing down, has pushed farmers and herders into areas unsuited to intensive agriculture..."
• Other options are not supported by the passage in this context.
• Option 2: Industrialisation is not mentioned as a cause for this migration.
• Option 3: Water scarcity is mentioned as a problem, but not as the reason for farmers moving to unsuitable areas.
• Option 4: Desertification is described as an effect, not the primary cause pushing farmers into new areas.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1.

Additional Information

• Option 2: Incorrect, as industrialisation is not cited as the reason in the passage.
• Option 3: Incorrect, as water scarcity is a problem mentioned, but not the direct cause.
• Option 4: Incorrect, as desertification is a described outcome, not the push factor.

The correct answer is 'Option 4'.

Key Points

• The passage lists several causes for ecological degradation, including global population growth, chemical runoffs, and desertification.
• Option 1: Global population growth is mentioned as a factor accelerating ecological disruptions.
• Option 2: Excess use of chemicals (chemical runoffs) is said to have compounded pollution problems.
• Option 3: Desertification is described as severe in the last hundred years.
• Option 4: World War II
• World War II is referenced only in relation to the shrinking of tropical forests since then, not as a direct cause of ecological degradation according to the passage.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 4.

Additional Information

• Option 1: Incorrect, as it is clearly stated as a cause of ecological problems.
• Option 2: Incorrect, as chemical runoffs are directly linked to pollution and ecological degradation.
• Option 3: Incorrect, as desertification is specifically described as an ecological problem in the passage.

The correct answer is 'Option 4'.

The correct answer is 'Option 1'.

Key Points

• The passage concludes: "we may remain hopeful about humankind's agricultural prospects, but we can scarcely look forward optimistically at the end of the first quarter of the twenty-first century."
• This shows the author maintains hope, but is also sceptical about the future, reflecting a mixed outlook.
• Other options do not accurately capture the author's nuanced view.
• Option 2: Incorrect, as the author is not "very hopeful."
• Option 3: Incorrect, as the author is not solely sceptical.
• Option 4: Incorrect, as the author expresses both hope and scepticism.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1.

Additional Information

• Option 2: Incorrect, as the author has reservations and is not wholly hopeful.
• Option 3: Incorrect, as the author does not express only scepticism.
• Option 4: Incorrect, as the author clearly demonstrates both hope and scepticism.

The correct answer is: Option (Invasion) i.e. Invasion.

Key Points

• The word “incursion” means a sudden or brief invasion or attack, especially a hostile one; an act of entering a place that is not yours. (आक्रमण / हमला)
• Example: There was an incursion into enemy territory by the special forces.
• “Invasion” refers to the act of entering a place with the intention of taking control, often by force; it is a hostile entry. (आक्रण / चढ़ाई)
• Example: The invasion of natural habitats has led to the extinction of many species.
• Therefore, “invasion” is the word from the passage that means “incursion”.

Therefore, the correct answer is- Invasion

Additional Information

Here are the other options explained along with their Hindi meanings and example sentences:

• Reserves (भंडार): Supplies of a commodity not needed for immediate use but available if required.
• Example: The country maintains large reserves of oil for emergencies.
• Desertification (मरुस्थलीकरण): The process by which fertile land becomes desert.
• Example: Overgrazing has led to severe desertification in the region.
• Catastrophes (आपदा/प्रलय): Sudden events causing great damage or suffering; disasters.
• Example: The earthquake and subsequent flood were true catastrophes for the city.

The correct answer is Option 1.

Key Points

• Indirect Speech: Ayushi told the group that they had had enough of suffering that day and it was time to march forward.
• Key Conversions:
• "We have had enough of suffering today" becomes "they had had enough of suffering that day"
• Pronoun "we" changes to "they" to match indirect speech.
• Present perfect tense "have had" changes to past perfect "had had" in indirect speech.
• Time reference "today" changes to "that day" in indirect speech.
• "It is time to march forward" becomes "it was time to march forward"
• Present tense "is" changes to past tense "was" in indirect speech.
• Reporting verb:
• Direct: "said to"
• Converted to: "told" to maintain proper reporting style in indirect speech.
• Punctuation and Format:
• No quotation marks in indirect speech.
• Proper use of conjunctions like "that" to introduce the reported statement.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1.

Correct Sentence: Ayushi told the group that they had had enough of suffering that day and it was time to march forward.

Additional Information

• Option 2: "Ayushi asked the group that they had had enough of suffering this day and it was time to march forward."
• Incorrect reporting verb "asked" instead of "told" alters meaning.
• Time reference "this day" is not correctly converted to "that day."
• Option 3: "Ayushi told the group that they had enough of suffering and that it is time to march forward."
• Tense inconsistency: "had enough" should be "had had enough" in indirect speech.
• Present tense "is" should be changed to past tense "was."
• Option 4: "Ayushi told the group that we had had enough of suffering this day and it was time to march forward."
• Incorrect pronoun "we" instead of "they."
• Time reference "this day" should be "that day."

The correct answer is Option 1.

Key Points

• Indirect Speech: The Captain regretted that they had lost the match by one point.
• Key Conversions:
• "Alas!" is converted to "regretted"
• Direct expression of sorrow ("Alas!") is appropriately conveyed as "regretted" in indirect speech.
• Tense:
• Direct: "lost"
• Indirect: "had lost"
• The past perfect tense ("had lost") is used in indirect speech to show that the action was completed in the past.
• Pronouns:
• "We" (direct speech) is converted to "they" (indirect speech), maintaining third-person perspective.
• Punctuation and Format:
• In indirect speech, quotation marks are removed.
• The sentence structure is adjusted to maintain a clear flow in indirect speech.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1.

Correct Sentence: "The Captain regretted that they had lost the match by one point."

Additional Information

• Option 2: "The Captain regretted that they lost the match by one point."
• Incorrect tense: "lost" should be "had lost" to align with the rules of indirect speech.
• Option 3: "The Captain exclaimed that they had lost the match by one point."
• Incorrect reporting verb: "exclaimed" does not convey the sense of sorrow as accurately as "regretted."
• Option 4: "The Captain told the team that they had lost the match by one point."
• Incorrect reporting verb: "told" does not convey the emotion of regret.

The correct answer is Option 2.

Key Points

• Indirect Speech: Alok asked Sheela where she had been the week before.
• Key Conversions:
• "Where were you last week" becomes "where she had been the week before"
• Direct question "Where were you" is converted to indirect question "where she had been".
• Pronoun "you" is changed to "she" to match indirect speech.
• Time expression "last week" is changed to "the week before".
• Reporting verb:
• Direct: "asked"
• Indirect: "asked", maintaining the questioning tone.
• Punctuation and Format:
• Direct speech is enclosed in quotation marks.
• Starts with a capital letter "Where" and ends with a question mark "?".
• Reporting clause follows the quoted speech.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 2.

Correct Sentence: "Alok asked Sheela where she had been the week before."

Additional Information

• Option 1: "Alok told Sheela where she had been the week before."
• The verb "told" is incorrect in the context of asking a question; "asked" is appropriate.
• Option 3: "Alok asked Sheela where she was the week before."
• The verb tense "was" is incorrect; it should be "had been".
• Option 4: "Alok asked Sheela where she had been the last week."
• Time expression "the last week" is less standard and less accurate than "the week before".

The correct answer is Option 1.

Key Points

• Passive voice structure: The object of the active voice sentence becomes the subject of the passive voice sentence.
• In the active voice, the sentence is: "The king who the people loved built the castle five centuries ago."
• To convert to passive voice: Place the object "the castle" at the beginning.
• Change the active verb form "built" to "was built" (past simple passive).
• Add the preposition "by" followed by the original subject "the king who was loved by the people."
• Ensure the time phrase "five centuries ago" remains at the end of the sentence for clarity.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1.

Correct Sentence: "The castle was built five centuries ago by the king who was loved by the people."

Additional Information

• Option 2: "The castle was built five centuries ago by the king who loved the people." – Incorrect as it changes the meaning of the original sentence.
• Option 3: "The castle built five centuries ago by the king loved by the people." – Incorrect as it does not follow proper passive voice structure.
• Option 4: "The castle was built five centuries ago by the people who were loved by the king." – Incorrect as it changes the subject and meaning of the sentence.

The correct answer is Option 1.

Key Points

• Passive voice structure: The object of the active voice sentence becomes the subject of the passive voice sentence.
• In the active voice, the sentence is: "The company has recruited four hundred engineers who will have to complete an internship for three weeks."
• To convert to passive voice: Place the object "four hundred engineers" at the beginning.
• Change the active verb form "has recruited" to "have been recruited" (present perfect passive).
• Ensure that the second clause is restructured correctly to retain the meaning in passive voice.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1.

Correct Sentence: "Four hundred engineers have been recruited by the company and an internship of three weeks will have to be completed by them."

Additional Information

• Option 2: "Four hundred engineers have been recruited by the company and they will have to complete an internship of three weeks." – Incorrect as the second clause remains in active voice.
• Option 3: "The company has been recruited by four hundred engineers and an internship of three weeks will have to be completed by them." – Incorrect as it changes the meaning of the sentence.
• Option 4: "Four hundred engineers have been recruited by the company. Internship of three weeks will have had to be completed by them." – Incorrect as it misuses the tense ("will have had to be completed").