English Comprehension PYQs

The correct answer is: Someone or something that disappoints or does not meet expectations..

Key Points

• The idiom 'a damp squib' refers to an event or situation that is expected to be exciting, impressive, or successful but ends up being a complete failure or disappointment. (निराशाजनक परिणाम)
• Example: The fireworks display turned out to be a damp squib because most of the crackers were wet from the rain.
• 'Someone or something that disappoints or does not meet expectations' describes a person or an event that fails to fulfill the promise or anticipation surrounding it. (वह जो उम्मीदों पर खरा न उतरे)
• Example: The highly anticipated sequel to the movie was a damp squib and failed to impress the critics.
• Hence, we can conclude that the idiom 'a damp squib' is used to describe a disappointing outcome.

Therefore, the correct answer is- Someone or something that disappoints or does not meet expectations.

Additional Information

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

• Someone or something that is pleasing and more than expected (सुखद और अपेक्षा से अधिक): This refers to a positive surprise where the outcome is better than what was hoped for.
• Example: The bonus I received at the end of the year was pleasing and more than expected.
• Someone who has been dead after overexposure to water (पानी के अत्यधिक संपर्क के कारण मृत्यु): This refers to a tragic situation involving drowning or prolonged exposure to water leading to death.
• Example: The search team found the body of someone who had been dead after the boat capsized in the storm.
• Someone who has been sick after overexposure to water (पानी के अत्यधिक संपर्क के कारण बीमार): This refers to falling ill due to being in water or rain for a very long time.
• Example: He became severely sick after overexposure to water during the rescue operations in the flooded area.

The correct answer is Option (2) i.e. Force.

Key Points

• The word 'compel' means to force or oblige someone to do something; to drive or urge forcefully or irresistibly. (विवश करना / मजबूर करना)
• Example: High prices may compel many people to change their shopping habits.
• 'Force' refers to making someone do something against their will, often by using physical strength, power, or influence. (मजबूर करना)
• Example: The kidnappers tried to force him into the car.
• Hence, we can infer that the closest synonym of 'compel' is 'force'.

Therefore, the correct answer is- Force.

Additional Information

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

• Invite (आमंत्रित करना): To request the presence or participation of someone in a polite or formal manner.
• Example: They decided to invite all their neighbors to the housewarming party.
• Refuse (मना करना / अस्वीकार करना): To show or state that one is unwilling to do, accept, or grant something.
• Example: He had to refuse the job offer because the salary was too low.
• Encourage (प्रोत्साहित करना): To give support, confidence, or hope to someone so they can achieve something.
• Example: My teachers always encourage me to ask questions and think critically.

The correct answer is zoonotick.

Key Points

• The word zoonotick is the misspelt term in the provided sentence. The suffix -ic is a common linguistic ending used to form adjectives from nouns, and the addition of the letter k is orthographically incorrect in modern English.
• The correct spelling is zoonotic, which is derived from the noun zoonosis. A zoonosis is any disease or infection that is naturally transmissible from vertebrate animals to humans.
• Etymologically, the term comes from the Greek words zoon (animal) and nosos (disease). Zoonotic diseases represent a major public health threat globally, accounting for a large percentage of all newly identified infectious diseases.
• Pathogens involved in zoonotic transmission can include viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. Common examples of such diseases include Rabies, Ebola, and Avian Influenza.

 Additional Information

• Experts:
• This term refers to individuals with extensive skill or knowledge in a particular field. In the context of the sentence, global health experts are professionals like epidemiologists and virologists who study disease patterns.
• Pandemic:
• A pandemic is an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area (such as multiple countries or continents) and typically affects a significant proportion of the population. The World Health Organization (WHO) is responsible for declaring such events.
• Transmitted:
• This is the past participle of transmit, meaning to pass on from one person or place to another. In biology, it describes how pathogens move between hosts. The spelling follows the rule of doubling the final consonant when the last syllable is stressed and contains a single vowel.

The correct answer is 'Option 1' i.e. 'Rambuntious'.

Key Points

• The word 'Rambuntious' is misspelt in the given options; it lacks the letter 'c' after the letter 'n'. It is meant to describe someone who is noisy, energetic, and difficult to control. (गलत वर्तनी)
• Example: The editor pointed out that the word 'rambuntious' was misspelt in the first draft of the novel.
• 'Rambunctious' is the correct spelling, which means behaving in a wild and noisy way or being full of energy. (ऊधमी / कोलाहलपूर्ण)
• Example: The rambunctious children were seen running and shouting all over the playground.
• Hence, we can infer that the misspelt word among the choices is 'Rambuntious'.

Therefore, the correct answer is- Rambuntious.

Additional Information

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

• Reconciliation (सुलह / मेल-मिलाप): The restoration of friendly relations or the action of making one view or belief compatible with another.
• Example: The reconciliation between the two former rivals brought peace to the region.
• Remuneration (पारिश्रमिक / मुआवजा): Money paid for work or a service rendered.
• Example: The workers were satisfied with the high remuneration offered for the overtime shifts.
• Repercussion (प्रतिक्रिया / दुष्परिणाम): An unintended consequence occurring some time after an event or action, especially an unwelcome one.
• Example: The sudden change in policy had a significant repercussion on the local economy.

The correct answer is: Dissuade.

Key Points

• The word 'Persuade' means to induce someone to do something through reasoning or argument. (राजी करना)
• Example: I managed to persuade my friend to join the photography club with me.
• 'Dissuade' means to persuade someone not to take a particular course of action or to advise against it. (रोकना/मना करना)
• Example: They tried to dissuade him from climbing the mountain during the storm.
• Hence, we can infer that the opposite or antonym of 'Persuade' is 'Dissuade'.

Therefore, the correct answer is: Dissuade.

Additional Information

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

• Convince (आश्वस्त करना): To cause someone to believe firmly in the truth of something.
• Example: It was difficult to convince the jury of his innocence.
• Urge (आग्रह करना): To try earnestly or persistently to persuade someone to do something.
• Example: The doctor continued to urge him to quit smoking for his health.
• Influence (प्रभावित करना): The capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something.
• Example: Social media can heavily influence the opinions of young teenagers.

The correct answer is 'shear'.

 

Key Points

• The word 'shear' means to cut the wool off a sheep or other animal. (ऊन कतरना)
• In the context of the sentence, the farmer is using a sharp tool specifically for this purpose.
• The process of removing the fleece is a standard agricultural practice known as sheep shearing.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 1'.

Complete Sentence: The farmer used a sharp tool to shear the sheep.

Additional Information

• Sheer (निर्मल/सरासर): means nothing other than; complete; or (of a cliff or wall) very steep.
• Seer (द्रष्टा/पैगंबर): means a person who is supposed to be able, through supernatural insight, to see what the future holds.
• Seal (मुहर/सील): means a device or substance used to join two things together or to prevent anything from coming out or entering; also refers to a fish-eating sea mammal.

The correct answer is: Travesty.

Key Points

• The phrase 'A false, absurd or distorted representation of something' refers to a poor or mocking imitation that misrepresents the original subject. (किसी वस्तु का गलत, हास्यास्पद या विकृत चित्रण)
• Example: The remake of the classic film was such a travesty that most fans walked out of the theater.
• 'Travesty' refers to a situation, or an account of something, that is so bad or unfair that it seems ridiculous; it is a distorted representation of the reality. (प्रहसन या विकृत रूप)
• Example: The trial was a travesty of justice as the evidence was completely ignored.
• Hence, we can infer that the most suitable one-word substitution for the given phrase is 'travesty'.

Therefore, the correct answer is: Travesty.

Additional Information

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

• Solipsism (आत्मवाद): The philosophical theory that only the self exists, or can be proved to exist.
• Example: In his state of extreme solipsism, he felt as though the entire world was merely a dream of his own making.
• Prevarication (छल-कपट): The act of speaking or acting in an evasive or misleading way to avoid telling the truth.
• Example: After several minutes of prevarication, the witness finally admitted he was not at the scene.
• Quiescence (मौन या निष्क्रियता): A state of quietness, stillness, or inactivity.
• Example: The volcano entered a period of quiescence after centuries of frequent eruptions.

The correct answer is The auditorium is being decorated by the students for the function..

Key Points

• The sentence 'The students are decorating the auditorium for the function' is in the Present Continuous Tense, which describes an action currently in progress.
• In the active voice, the structure follows: Subject (The students) + is/am/are + Verb+ing (decorating) + Object (the auditorium).
• To convert a Present Continuous sentence into Passive Voice, the standard grammatical formula is: New Subject + is/am/are + being + V3 (Past Participle) + by + New Object.
• The Object of the active sentence, the auditorium, becomes the Subject of the passive sentence. Because 'the auditorium' is a singular noun, it must be paired with the singular auxiliary verb is.
• The word being must be inserted to maintain the continuous aspect of the original statement; without it, the tense would change.
• The Present Participle 'decorating' is converted into its Past Participle (V3) form, which is decorated.
• The original Subject 'the students' becomes the Agent in the passive voice, preceded by the preposition by.
• The phrase 'for the function' remains an adverbial adjunct and retains its position in the sentence.

 Additional Information

• Comparison with other forms:
• Simple Present Passive: Uses is/am/are + V3 (e.g., 'The auditorium is decorated'). This implies a general fact or habit rather than an ongoing action.
• Present Perfect Passive: Uses has/have + been + V3 (e.g., 'The auditorium has been decorated'). This indicates an action that was completed recently.
• Common Errors:
• Using been instead of being is a common mistake; been is reserved for Perfect Tenses, while being is strictly for Continuous Tenses in passive voice.
• Omitting being entirely results in a Simple Present Passive, which changes the chronological meaning of the sentence.
• Syntactic Rule: In all passive constructions, the Main Verb must always be in the Past Participle (V3) form to correctly indicate the passive state.

The correct answer is Almost every museum in the city has been visited by her.

Key Points

• The original sentence is in the Present Perfect Tense, which follows the active voice structure: Subject + has/have + V3 (Past Participle) + Object.
• To convert a Present Perfect sentence into Passive Voice, the structure must change to: New Subject + has/have + been + V3 + by + New Agent.
• The Object of the active sentence, almost every museum in the city, becomes the Subject in the passive sentence. Because the word every identifies a singular unit, the singular auxiliary verb has been is required.
• The Subject of the active sentence, She, is converted into its objective case pronoun, her, and placed after the preposition by to act as the agent.
• Following these grammatical rules, the verb has visited correctly transforms into has been visited to reflect the passive state.

 Additional Information

• Understanding other tense transformations in Passive Voice:
• Simple Present Passive: Uses is/am/are + V3. This would change the meaning to a habitual action rather than a completed one.
• Past Perfect Passive: Uses had + been + V3. This is only used when the active sentence is in the Past Perfect tense (had visited).
• Simple Future Passive: Uses will + be + V3. This indicates an action that has not happened yet, whereas the original sentence describes a completed action.
• Pronoun Changes: When moving from subject to object position in passive voice, I becomes me, He becomes him, She becomes her, They become them, and We become us.

The correct answer is Option 2.

 

Key Points

• The phrase 'with a view to' is a fixed idiomatic expression meaning 'with the intention or hope of'.
• A crucial grammatical rule for this idiom is that it must be followed by a gerund (a verb ending in -ing that functions as a noun) rather than an infinitive.
• In the given sentence, the gerund 'promoting' correctly follows the phrase 'with a view to'.
• Furthermore, the preposition 'between' is used correctly when referring to a relationship or action involving two distinct entities (the two countries).
• The original usage 'with a view of' is less common and often considered incorrect in formal English when expressing purpose.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 2.

 

Correct Sentence: 'The memorandum of understanding was signed with a view to promoting bilateral trade relations between the two countries.'

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: The preposition 'for' is not used with the phrase 'with a view' to indicate purpose.
• Option 3: The word 'among' is used for more than two entities, whereas the sentence specifies 'two countries'. Additionally, it uses the singular 'relation' which is less appropriate than the plural 'relations' in a trade context.
• Option 4: Improvement is required because the standard idiom 'with a view to' is preferred over 'with a view of' when followed by a gerund.

The correct answer is 'by'.

 

Key Points

• The preposition 'by' is used to indicate the agent or the cause of an action or emotion, particularly in passive constructions.
• In the given sentence, the roaring of a tiger is the external cause or agent that made Hariharan feel terrified.
• When describing being frightened or scared by a specific sound or action, 'by' is the most appropriate preposition to connect the emotion to its source.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1.

 

Complete Sentence: 'Hariharan was terrified by the roaring of a tiger just in front of his room.'

 

Additional Information

• Option 2: 'at' can be used with emotions (e.g., surprised at, terrified at the thought), but 'by' is preferred when emphasizing the roaring as the direct agent of the terror.
• Option 3: 'in' is typically used for locations or internal states (e.g., in fear), but it does not fit as a link to the cause here.
• Option 4: 'on' is used for surfaces or specific days and is grammatically incorrect in this context.

The correct answer is Option 4.

Key Points

• The paragraph follows a narrative sequence describing the arrival of winter elements in a garden, starting with Snow and Frost.
• Sentence D is the first sentence after S1: It introduces the next character, the North Wind, who is invited by 'they' (referring to the Snow and Frost mentioned in S1).
• 'Then they invited the North Wind to stay with them, and he came.'
• Sentence C follows D: Once the North Wind arrives, this sentence provides a description of his appearance and his initial actions in the garden.
• 'He was wrapped in furs, and he roared all day about the garden, and blew the chimney pots down.'
• Sentence B follows C: It features the North Wind speaking, expressing his enjoyment of the location and suggesting the invitation of yet another element, the Hail.
• 'This is a delightful spot, he said, we must ask the Hail on a visit.'
• Sentence A follows B: It confirms the arrival of the Hail as a direct result of the North Wind's suggestion.
• 'So, the Hail came.'
• Sentence S2 then concludes the sequence by describing the daily behavior of the Hail, specifically how he rattled on the roof of the castle.
• The correct logical sequence is DCBA.

Coherent paragraph after rearrangement:

'The Snow covered up the grass with her great white cloak, and the Frost painted all the trees silver. Then they invited the North Wind to stay with them, and he came. He was wrapped in furs, and he roared all day about the garden, and blew the chimney pots down. This is a delightful spot, he said, we must ask the Hail on a visit. So, the Hail came.

Every day for three hr he rattled on the roof of the castle till he broke most of the slates, and then he ran round and round the garden as fast as he could go.'

The correct answer is Option 1.

Key Points

• The paragraph describes a historical military setting involving Semyon and his duties during a conflict.
• Sentence B follows S1 as it elaborates on the situation at the firing line mentioned in the first sentence:
• ''''For a whole week there had been skirmishing with the Turks, with only a deep ravine separating the two hostile armies, and from morn till eve there had been a steady crossfire.''''
• Sentence A follows B because it introduces Semyon's role within the physical context of the ravine established in the previous sentence:
• ''''Thrice daily Semyon carried a steaming samovar and his officer's meals from the camp kitchen to the ravine.''''
• Sentence C is the third sentence as it describes the immediate danger Semyon faced while performing the duty mentioned in A:
• ''''The bullets hummed about him and rattled viciously against the rocks.''''
• Sentence D is the fourth sentence as it details Semyon's emotional reaction to the danger in C and his persistence:
• ''''Semyon was terrified and cried sometimes, but still he kept right on.''''
• The sequence concludes with S2, which explains that the officers were pleased because of the hot tea (from the samovar mentioned in A) that Semyon brought despite the danger.
• The correct sequence is BACD.

Coherent paragraph after rearrangement:

''''Semyon's regiment had once been on the firing line. For a whole week there had been skirmishing with the Turks, with only a deep ravine separating the two hostile armies, and from morn till eve there had been a steady crossfire. Thrice daily Semyon carried a steaming samovar and his officer's meals from the camp kitchen to the ravine. The bullets hummed about him and rattled viciously against the rocks. Semyon was terrified and cried sometimes, but still he kept right on. The officers were pleased with him because he always had hot tea ready for them.''''

The correct answer is Option 3.

 

Key Points

• The sentence uses the correlative conjunction neither...nor to join two subjects: the manager and his assistants.
• According to the Rule of Proximity, when subjects are joined by neither...nor or either...or, the verb must agree with the subject closest to it.
• In this sentence, the closer subject is his assistants, which is plural. Therefore, the verb must also be plural.
• The singular verb was must be replaced with the plural verb were to ensure subject-verb agreement.
• Additionally, the past tense must be maintained to match the context provided by the phrase which was disappointing.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 3.

 

Correct Sentence: 'Neither the manager nor his assistants were able to attend the conference, which was disappointing for the entire team.'

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: 'is able to attend' is incorrect because it uses a singular verb and changes the tense to present, which contradicts the past tense used in the rest of the sentence.
• Option 2: 'was able to attended' is incorrect because was is singular, and the phrase to attended violates the rule of infinitives (to + base form of the verb).
• Option 4: 'No improvement required' is incorrect because the original sentence contains a subject-verb agreement error where a singular verb is paired with a plural subject.

The correct answer is Regardless of the heavy rain and the muddy trails.

Key Points

• The term Regardless is a standard English adverb and prepositional part meaning 'without being hindered by' or 'in spite of'. In this sentence, it correctly introduces the environmental obstacles (rain and mud) that the hikers faced.
• The phrase Regardless of functions as a concessive preposition, establishing a logical contrast between the difficult weather conditions and the determination of the subjects to reach the summit.
• The nouns heavy rain and muddy trails are contextually and collogically accurate descriptions of poor hiking conditions. Heavy is the standard adjective for high-intensity precipitation, and muddy is the logical result of such rain on a dirt path or trail.
• The sentence structure uses an introductory prepositional phrase followed by a comma and a main clause (they pressed on), which is a grammatically sound construction for providing context before the primary action.
• Since the original sentence is already grammatically correct and uses the most appropriate vocabulary for the scenario, the selected phrase serves as the most accurate version for the sentence.

 Additional Information

• Analysis of incorrect terminologies:
• Irregardless: This is widely considered a non-standard or incorrect word in formal writing. It is a double negative (using both the prefix 'ir-' and the suffix '-less'), making it redundant compared to the correct term, regardless.
• Reins and Trains: These are malapropisms in this context. Reins refers to straps for horse control, and trains refers to railway vehicles. Neither fits the description of weather or hiking paths.
• Heavenly and Mighty: While these are valid English words, heavenly rains (implying something divine or pleasant) and mighty trails (implying power) do not align with the adversarial context of a difficult hike that requires grit and determination.
• Language Collocation: In English idiomatics, heavy rain is a standard collocation, whereas heavenly rain is poetic and rarely used to describe a physical hindrance during an outdoor activity.

The correct answer is Option 1.

 

Key Points

• Sociological criticism is an approach that analyzes a literary work as a direct product of the social factors and ideologies existing at the time of its creation.
• According to the passage, it rejects the idea of literature as an isolated entity and instead inspects it within the context of social and historical conditions.
• The primary focus is understanding how external influences like the era, culture, and economic environment shape the author's work.
• Therefore, the correct focus of this criticism is viewing literary work as a product of social factors.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1.

 

**Key

Conclusion:

** "Sociological criticism regards a literary work as a product of the social factors and ideologies prevailing at a given time."

 

Additional Information

• Hippolyte Adolphe Taine: A French thinker who argued that literature is shaped by the moment, the race, and the milieu (environment).
• Karl Marx: Believed literature holds value in promoting social and economic revolution and is influenced by the struggle between capitalists and the working class.
• Author-Society Relationship: The passage identifies three basic factors: the author's social status, the social content of the work, and the role of the audience.
• Other options like isolated artistic creation or purely linguistic structure refer to different schools of criticism, such as Formalism or New Criticism, which ignore external social contexts.

The correct answer is Option 2.

 

Key Points

• The passage explicitly states that Hippolyte Adolphe Taine, a renowned French thinker, proposed the theory that literature is shaped by three primary factors.
• These three factors are defined as the moment (the specific historical time), the race (the national or hereditary characteristics), and the milieu (the social and physical environment).
• This approach is a fundamental aspect of sociological criticism, which treats literary works as products of the social factors and ideologies prevailing at the time they are written.
• By analyzing these three elements, Taine aimed to provide a scientific and historical context for understanding the evolution of literature.

Therefore, the correct answer is Hippolyte Adolphe Taine.

 

Direct Quote: 'Hippolyte Adolphe Taine, a French thinker, pronounced that literature is extremely influenced by the moment, the race, and the milieu.'

 

Additional Information

• Karl Marx: According to the text, Marx focused on the role of literature in promoting social and economic revolution and believed thinking is determined by economic factors.
• Friedrich Engels: Although not explicitly mentioned in this passage, Engels co-founded Marxist theory and contributed to the understanding of how class struggle and economics influence the superstructure of society, including art.
• Matthew Arnold: Arnold was a Victorian critic who viewed literature as a 'criticism of life' and emphasized its moral and aesthetic value, rather than the deterministic factors of race and milieu.

The correct answer is Option 3.

 

Key Points

• The passage explicitly states that Karl Marx sees the value of literature in promoting social and economic revolution.
• Marx believed that literature possesses a revolutionary nature that can be used to challenge and eventually overthrow the dominant capitalist ideology.
• His perspective suggests that literature is a tool for the working class to resist exploitation by those who own and control major industries.
• Therefore, the role of literature, from a Marxist sociological perspective, is to facilitate significant social change rather than just providing aesthetic pleasure.

Therefore, the correct answer is Promoting social and economic revolution.

 

Correct Sentence: "Karl Marx also sees the value of literature in promoting social and economic revolution."

 

Additional Information

• Reinforcing capitalist ideology: This is the opposite of Marx's view; he believed literature should help dismantle the power held by capitalists.
• Eliminating all forms of art: The text does not suggest the elimination of art; instead, it highlights the value and function of literature within society.
• Ignoring class struggles: Marx's theory is centered on the exploitation of the working class, making class struggle a central theme in his analysis of society and literature.

The correct answer is Option 4.

 

Key Points

• The passage discusses sociological criticism, which examines a literary work as a product of social factors and historical conditions.
• It explicitly states that the relation between the author and society involves three basic factors.
• These factors are:

(1) the author's social status, (2) the social content of a work (the values presented), and (3) the role of the audience in shaping the literature.

• Author's psychological health is not mentioned in the passage as one of these three factors; instead, sociological criticism focuses on external social forces rather than internal mental states.

Therefore, the correct answer is 4.

 

Additional Information

• Author's social status: This refers to the writer's position within the social hierarchy, which influences their perspective and work.
• Social content of the work: This involves the values, ideologies, and societal themes depicted within the text.
• Role of the audience: This acknowledges how the readers or consumers of literature help define and shape its form and meaning.
• Psychological health: While important in Psychoanalytic criticism, it is not a primary component of the sociological author-society relationship described in this context.

The correct answer is Option 2.

 

Key Points

• The passage asserts that sociological criticism views a literary work not as an isolated entity, but as a product of the social factors and ideologies of its time.
• The metaphor 'not created in a vacuum' implies that literature is inextricably linked to the external world, specifically the social and historical conditions surrounding the author.
• According to the text, a work of art must be examined within its social context because it is influenced by the author's social status, the values of the period, and the audience.
• Therefore, the argument is that literature is shaped by social and historical conditions, making Option 2 the correct choice.

Therefore, the correct answer is Literature is shaped by social and historical conditions.

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: This is incorrect because the entire premise of sociological criticism is that literature is dependent on social influence.
• Option 3: This is incorrect as the passage highlights that economic factors (as noted by Karl Marx) and milieu (as noted by Taine) are central to understanding literature.
• Option 4: Aesthetic pleasure is the focus of Formalism or Aestheticism, whereas sociological criticism prioritizes the social effects and revolutionary nature of a work.
• Hippolyte Adolphe Taine emphasized the 'moment, race, and milieu' as the three primary determinants of literary creation.