Search Previous Year Questions

Question: Select the most appropriate synonym of the given word. PREFUNCTORY

The correct answer is Option (4) i.e. Cursory.

Key Points

• The word "Perfunctory" (often misspelled as Prefunctory) means an action or gesture carried out with a minimum of effort or reflection; it refers to something done merely as a formality. (बेमन से किया गया/सतही)
• Example: He gave the document a perfunctory glance before signing it.
• "Cursory" refers to something done hastily and therefore not thorough or detailed. It is the most appropriate synonym for perfunctory as both imply a lack of depth or care. (सरसरी/जल्दबाजी में किया गया)
• Example: A cursory inspection of the vehicle revealed several dents that were previously unnoticed.
• Therefore, the correct answer is- Cursory.

Additional Information

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

• Elaborate (विस्तृत): Involving many carefully arranged parts or details; detailed and complicated.
• Example: They made elaborate preparations for the wedding ceremony.
• Meticulous (अति सावधान): Showing great attention to detail; very careful and precise.
• Example: The painter was meticulous in recreating every tiny detail of the landscape.
• Earnest (गंभीर/ईमानदार): Resulting from or showing sincere and intense conviction.
• Example: She made an earnest attempt to apologize for her mistake.

The correct answer is Mr. Sam teaches us geometry.

Key Points

• The given sentence is in the Passive Voice and follows the structure of the Simple Present Tense.
• The passive structure for the Simple Present Tense is: Subject + is/am/are + V3 (Past Participle) + by + Agent.
• To convert it into the Active Voice, we must follow the structure: Subject + V1 (s/es) + Object.
• In the passive sentence 'Geometry is taught to us by Mr. Sam', the agent is Mr. Sam, the verb is is taught, and the objects are us and geometry.
• Step-by-step conversion:

1. The agent Mr. Sam becomes the Subject of the active sentence.
2. The verb is taught changes to the Simple Present form teaches (since Mr. Sam is a singular subject).
3. The recipient us and the subject geometry become the Objects.

• Option 1 is incorrect because it uses will teach (Simple Future).
• Option 2 is incorrect because it uses is teaching (Present Continuous).
• Option 4 is incorrect because it uses has been teaching (Present Perfect Continuous).

Additional Information

• When changing the voice of a sentence, the Tense must never change. Only the structure of the sentence is altered to shift focus from the action to the doer or vice versa.
• In Active Voice, the subject performs the action. In Passive Voice, the subject receives the action.
• For Subject-Verb Agreement, singular subjects like Mr. Sam require the verb to end in -s or -es in the Simple Present Tense.

Question 1: Fill in the blank with the correctly spelt word. The speaker was lauded for her ________ delivery, responding without notes.

The correct answer is Option (4) i.e. extemporaneous.

Key Points

• The word required in the blank should describe a speech or action performed without any prior preparation or notes. (बिना तैयारी के किया हुआ)
• Example: The principal gave an extemporaneous speech at the graduation ceremony when the guest speaker was late.
• "Extemporaneous" is the correctly spelt word which means spoken or done without preparation. (तात्कालिक/बिना तैयारी के)
• Example: His extemporaneous remarks were more impressive than his prepared presentation.
• Therefore, the correct answer is- extemporaneous.

Additional Information

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

• extemporeaneous (गलत वर्तनी): This is an incorrect spelling as it adds an extra 'e' after 'extempore'.
• Example: This spelling is incorrect and should not be used in formal writing.
• extemporanious (गलत वर्तनी): This is an incorrect spelling where 'e' is replaced by 'i' before 'ous'.
• Example: The suffix '-eous' is required here, making this version wrong.
• exemporaneous (गलत वर्तनी): This is an incorrect spelling as it misses the letter 't' after 'ex'.
• Example: Always ensure the 't' is present when writing 'extemporaneous'.

Question 1: Which of the following is the correct spelling of the word? Options: (1) Aesthetic (2) Aesthatic (3) Aesthettic (4) Easthetic

The correct answer is: Option (1) i.e. Aesthetic.

Key Points

• The word "Aesthetic" refers to something concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty. (सौंदर्यात्मक)
• Example: The new furniture was chosen for its aesthetic appeal rather than its utility.
• "Aesthetic" is the correct spelling among the given options. It is used to describe the set of principles underlying the work of a particular artist or artistic movement. (सौंदर्य संबंधी)
• Example: The filmmaker has a very specific dark and moody aesthetic in all his movies.
• Therefore, the correct answer is- Aesthetic.

Additional Information

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

• Aesthatic (गलत वर्तनी): This is an incorrect spelling of the word 'Aesthetic'.
• Aesthettic (गलत वर्तनी): This is an incorrect spelling with an extra 't'.
• Easthetic (गलत वर्तनी): This is an incorrect spelling starting with 'E'.

The correct answer is 'the, a'.

Key Points

• The definite article "the" is used before "majority" to refer to the greater part of a specific group (scholars).
• The indefinite article "a" is used in the idiomatic expression "a handful," which means a small number of people or things.
• Options 1, 3, and 4 are incorrect because they do not follow the standard idiomatic usage of these phrases in English.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 2.

Complete Sentence: "While the majority of scholars advocate for interdisciplinary research, only a handful of institutions have successfully implemented such models."

Additional Information

• The majority: Usually takes a plural verb when followed by "of" and a plural noun (e.g., The majority of scholars advocate...).
• A handful: This is a fixed phrase; "the handful" is only used when referring back to a specific small group already mentioned.

Question: Which of the following is incorrectly spelled?

The correct answer is: Option (3) i.e. Obsolesence.

Key Points

• The word "Obsolesence" is incorrectly spelled in the given options. It refers to the state of being no longer useful or out of date. (अप्रचलन)
• Example: The company struggled to keep up with the rapid obsolesence of its software.
• The correct spelling is "Obsolescence", which means the process of becoming obsolete or outdated and no longer used. (अप्रचलन)
• Example: Technological obsolescence is a major concern for manufacturers of electronic goods.
• Hence, we can infer that the incorrectly spelled word is 'Obsolesence'.

Therefore, the correct answer is: Obsolesence.

Additional Information

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

• Scrumptious (स्वादिष्ट): Extremely tasty; delicious.
• Example: My grandmother baked a scrumptious apple pie for the family gathering.
• Capitulation (आत्मसमर्पण): The action of surrendering or ceasing to resist an opponent or demand.
• Example: The army's capitulation marked the end of the long and bloody war.
• Vanquish (पराजित करना): To defeat thoroughly or overcome.
• Example: The knight vowed to vanquish the enemy and restore peace to the land.

The correct answer is A formal legal agreement between two states to reduce customs tariffs.

Key Points

• The word racket is a homonym, which means it is a word that has multiple distinct meanings despite having the same spelling and pronunciation.
• One primary meaning of racket is a loud and unpleasant noise or a disturbing commotion. For example, 'The neighbors were making a terrible racket last night.'
• Another common meaning refers to sports equipment. It is a light framework with a net of strings (also spelled racquet), used to strike a ball or shuttlecock in sports such as tennis, badminton, or squash.
• A third meaning involves criminal activity. It refers to an illegal enterprise or a fraudulent scheme, often involving extortion, bribery, or organized crime (e.g., a 'protection racket').
• The option describing a formal legal agreement between states to reduce customs tariffs refers to a Trade Agreement or a Treaty. This definition does not apply to the word 'racket' in any standard English context, making it the correct answer for this 'NOT' type question.

Additional Information

• Homonyms are a category of words that can be broken down into homographs (same spelling) and homophones (same sound). 'Racket' is a perfect homonym because it satisfies both conditions.
• The term racketeering is a legal term derived from the 'illegal enterprise' definition of racket. It was famously targeted in the United States by the RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act of 1970.
• Etymologically, the sports racket comes from the Middle French word 'raquette', which originated from the Arabic word 'rahat', meaning the palm of the hand. The meaning related to noise is thought to be onomatopoeic in origin, mimicking a loud sound.

The correct answer is 'most magnificent'.

Key Points

• The sentence requires the superlative degree of comparison because it compares one specific painting against all other examples of post-modern expressionism from the late 20^th century.
• For adjectives with three or more syllables, such as "magnificent," the superlative degree is formed by adding the word "most" before the adjective.
• The phrase "to emerge in the late 20^th century" indicates a comparison within a large group, which necessitates the use of the superlative form.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 2.

Complete Sentence: "This painting is undoubtedly most magnificent example of post-modern expressionism to emerge in the late 20^th century."

Additional Information

• Option 1: "magnificently" is an adverb and is used to modify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, but not a noun like "example."
• Option 3: "magnificent" is the positive degree, used to describe a single subject without making a comparison.
• Option 4: "more magnificent" is the comparative degree, used when comparing only two specific things.

The correct answer is Option 3.

Key Points

• Direct Speech: Purna said, "Bravo! I have passed the entrance test."
• Key Conversions:
• Reporting Verb: The word "Bravo!" expresses joy, approval, or triumph. In indirect speech, "said, 'Bravo!'" is typically converted to "exclaimed joyfully" or "applauded saying."
• Tense Change: The Present Perfect tense "have passed" changes to the Past Perfect tense "had passed".
• Pronoun Change: The first-person pronoun "I" changes to the third-person pronoun "she" to match the subject (Purna).
• Conjunction: The conjunction "that" is used to connect the reporting verb with the reported clause.
• Sentence Structure: The exclamation mark is removed, and the sentence is converted into an assertive structure.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 3.

Correct Sentence: "Purna joyfully exclaimed that she had passed the entrance test."

Additional Information

• Option 1: "Purna happily announced that she have had passed..."
• Incorrect grammar: "have had passed" is not a standard tense construction in this context.
• Option 2: "Purna said with joy that she had passed..."
• While grammatically correct, "exclaimed" is a more precise reporting verb for an exclamatory sentence starting with "Bravo!".
• Option 4: "Purna expressed with excitement that she had passed..."
• "Expressed with excitement" is less conventional than "joyfully exclaimed" for the specific exclamation "Bravo!".

The correct answer is Option (3) i.e. 2-1-3-5-4

Key Points

• The paragraph follows a chronological and logical sequence. It begins with sentence (2), which establishes the historical context and the necessity for a global organization following World War II.
• Sentence (1) follows logically, describing the immediate action taken in 1945 where representatives met to draft the Charter based on the need mentioned in the previous sentence.
• Sentence (3) marks the next step in the timeline, stating when the UN officially came into existence (October 24, 1945) as a result of that meeting.
• Sentence (5) describes the evolution of the organization "over time," showing how its scope grew beyond just preventing conflict to include humanitarian aid and human rights.
• The sequence concludes with sentence (4), which uses the word "Today" to describe the current status and relevance of the institution in the modern world.

Therefore, the correct sequence is 2-1-3-5-4.

Additional Information

• Option 1 (3-4-1-5-2): This starts with the official existence of the UN before explaining why it was needed, creating a disjointed narrative.
• Option 2 (1-3-4-2-5): This sequence places the "Today" statement in the middle of the historical timeline and puts the cause (WWII devastation) near the end, which is logically incorrect.
• Option 4 (4-2-1-3-5): This starts with the conclusion ("Today") and then jumps back to the past, which breaks the flow of a developmental paragraph.