SSC Selection Post · Topic Collection

English Comprehension PYQs

Reading comprehension, vocabulary, synonyms and antonyms, idiom usage, error spotting, sentence improvement, and cloze tests.

2975 Total Questions119 Official PapersYears: 2019–2025Search in English Comprehension
Showing questions 601–620 of 2975Page 31 of 100
SSC Selection Post 2025 (Graduate Level) Official Paper (Held On: 29 Jul, 2025 Shift 3) (Previous Year Paper)·English Language
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Question 601

SSC Selection Post 2025• English Language• English Language

Read the passage and answer the questions:

"Normal science, the activity in which most scientists inevitably spend almost all their time, is based on the assumption that the scientific community knows what the world is like. Scientists take great pains to defend that assumption, often restricting their vision to the phenomena that the existing paradigm has defined as relevant. When research proceeds in this fashion, findings tend to be incremental, reinforcing the established framework rather than challenging it. Yet, over time, anomalies-empirical observations that cannot be explained within the current paradigm-accumulate. Initially, these anomalies are dismissed as errors or as problems to be solved within the existing theoretical structure. However, as these anomalies grow in number and significance, they begin to erode confidence in the prevailing paradigm.

The resolution of such crises is not a straightforward process of falsification, as Popper might suggest, but rather a transformation in the very way scientists see the world. Scientific revolutions occur when a new paradigm emerges-one that is not merely an extension of the old but a fundamental reconceptualization of reality. This shift is not purely logical or empirical; it involves a radical change in perspective, akin to a gestalt switch. The Copernican Revolution, for example, did not merely adjust astronomical calculations; it redefined the very framework through which celestial motion was understood. Similarly, Einstein's theory of relativity did not just modify Newtonian mechanics but replaced its foundational assumptions about space and time.

What is the best synonym for “incommensurable” in the sentence:

“What makes these revolutions particularly striking is that competing paradigms are often incommensurable.”

  1. AOption (a)

    Comparable

  2. BOption (b)

    Parallel

  3. COption (c)

    Disjointed

  4. DOption (d)

    Irreconcilable

View answer & explanation

Correct answer

Answer: (a)A.

Comparable

Explanation not yet available.
SSC Selection Post 2025 (Graduate Level) Official Paper (Held On: 29 Jul, 2025 Shift 3) (Previous Year Paper)·English Language
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Question 602

SSC Selection Post 2025• English Language• English Language

Read the passage and answer the questions:

"Normal science, the activity in which most scientists inevitably spend almost all their time, is based on the assumption that the scientific community knows what the world is like. Scientists take great pains to defend that assumption, often restricting their vision to the phenomena that the existing paradigm has defined as relevant. When research proceeds in this fashion, findings tend to be incremental, reinforcing the established framework rather than challenging it. Yet, over time, anomalies-empirical observations that cannot be explained within the current paradigm-accumulate. Initially, these anomalies are dismissed as errors or as problems to be solved within the existing theoretical structure. However, as these anomalies grow in number and significance, they begin to erode confidence in the prevailing paradigm.

The resolution of such crises is not a straightforward process of falsification, as Popper might suggest, but rather a transformation in the very way scientists see the world. Scientific revolutions occur when a new paradigm emerges-one that is not merely an extension of the old but a fundamental reconceptualization of reality. This shift is not purely logical or empirical; it involves a radical change in perspective, akin to a gestalt switch. The Copernican Revolution, for example, did not merely adjust astronomical calculations; it redefined the very framework through which celestial motion was understood. Similarly, Einstein's theory of relativity did not just modify Newtonian mechanics but replaced its foundational assumptions about space and time.

What does the word “gestalt switch” imply in this context?

  1. AOption (a)

    A subtle expansion of an existing model

  2. BOption (b)

    A shift from general to specific thinking

  3. COption (c)

    A fundamental change in perception

  4. DOption (d)

    A reversal in cause-effect reasoning

View answer & explanation

Correct answer

Answer: (a)A.

A subtle expansion of an existing model

Explanation not yet available.
SSC Selection Post 2025 (Graduate Level) Official Paper (Held On: 29 Jul, 2025 Shift 3) (Previous Year Paper)·English Language
View full paper

Question 603

SSC Selection Post 2025• English Language• English Language

Read the passage and answer the questions:

"Normal science, the activity in which most scientists inevitably spend almost all their time, is based on the assumption that the scientific community knows what the world is like. Scientists take great pains to defend that assumption, often restricting their vision to the phenomena that the existing paradigm has defined as relevant. When research proceeds in this fashion, findings tend to be incremental, reinforcing the established framework rather than challenging it. Yet, over time, anomalies-empirical observations that cannot be explained within the current paradigm-accumulate. Initially, these anomalies are dismissed as errors or as problems to be solved within the existing theoretical structure. However, as these anomalies grow in number and significance, they begin to erode confidence in the prevailing paradigm.

The resolution of such crises is not a straightforward process of falsification, as Popper might suggest, but rather a transformation in the very way scientists see the world. Scientific revolutions occur when a new paradigm emerges-one that is not merely an extension of the old but a fundamental reconceptualization of reality. This shift is not purely logical or empirical; it involves a radical change in perspective, akin to a gestalt switch. The Copernican Revolution, for example, did not merely adjust astronomical calculations; it redefined the very framework through which celestial motion was understood. Similarly, Einstein's theory of relativity did not just modify Newtonian mechanics but replaced its foundational assumptions about space and time.

According to the passage, why do scientific revolutions represent a rupture rather than a continuation of prior science?

  1. AOption (a)

    Because scientists abandon objectivity and turn to speculation.

  2. BOption (b)

    Because new paradigms invalidate all previous findings.

  3. COption (c)

    Because competing paradigms redefine questions and methods, making continuity impossible.

  4. DOption (d)

    Because scientists stop collecting empirical data.

View answer & explanation

Correct answer

Answer: (a)A.

Because scientists abandon objectivity and turn to speculation.

Explanation not yet available.
SSC Selection Post 2025 (Graduate Level) Official Paper (Held On: 29 Jul, 2025 Shift 3) (Previous Year Paper)·English Language
View full paper

Question 604

SSC Selection Post 2025• English Language• English Language

Read the passage and answer the questions:

"Normal science, the activity in which most scientists inevitably spend almost all their time, is based on the assumption that the scientific community knows what the world is like. Scientists take great pains to defend that assumption, often restricting their vision to the phenomena that the existing paradigm has defined as relevant. When research proceeds in this fashion, findings tend to be incremental, reinforcing the established framework rather than challenging it. Yet, over time, anomalies-empirical observations that cannot be explained within the current paradigm-accumulate. Initially, these anomalies are dismissed as errors or as problems to be solved within the existing theoretical structure. However, as these anomalies grow in number and significance, they begin to erode confidence in the prevailing paradigm.

The resolution of such crises is not a straightforward process of falsification, as Popper might suggest, but rather a transformation in the very way scientists see the world. Scientific revolutions occur when a new paradigm emerges-one that is not merely an extension of the old but a fundamental reconceptualization of reality. This shift is not purely logical or empirical; it involves a radical change in perspective, akin to a gestalt switch. The Copernican Revolution, for example, did not merely adjust astronomical calculations; it redefined the very framework through which celestial motion was understood. Similarly, Einstein's theory of relativity did not just modify Newtonian mechanics but replaced its foundational assumptions about space and time.

Identify the voice used in the sentence:

"Anomalies are dismissed as errors or as problems to be solved within the existing theoretical structure."

  1. AOption (a)

    Active voice

  2. BOption (b)

    Passive voice

  3. COption (c)

    Middle voice

  4. DOption (d)

    Reflexive voice

View answer & explanation

Correct answer

Answer: (a)A.

Active voice

Explanation not yet available.
SSC Selection Post 2025 (Graduate Level) Official Paper (Held On: 29 Jul, 2025 Shift 3) (Previous Year Paper)·English Language
View full paper

Question 605

SSC Selection Post 2025• English Language• English Language

Read the passage and answer the questions:

"Normal science, the activity in which most scientists inevitably spend almost all their time, is based on the assumption that the scientific community knows what the world is like. Scientists take great pains to defend that assumption, often restricting their vision to the phenomena that the existing paradigm has defined as relevant. When research proceeds in this fashion, findings tend to be incremental, reinforcing the established framework rather than challenging it. Yet, over time, anomalies-empirical observations that cannot be explained within the current paradigm-accumulate. Initially, these anomalies are dismissed as errors or as problems to be solved within the existing theoretical structure. However, as these anomalies grow in number and significance, they begin to erode confidence in the prevailing paradigm.

The resolution of such crises is not a straightforward process of falsification, as Popper might suggest, but rather a transformation in the very way scientists see the world. Scientific revolutions occur when a new paradigm emerges-one that is not merely an extension of the old but a fundamental reconceptualization of reality. This shift is not purely logical or empirical; it involves a radical change in perspective, akin to a gestalt switch. The Copernican Revolution, for example, did not merely adjust astronomical calculations; it redefined the very framework through which celestial motion was understood. Similarly, Einstein's theory of relativity did not just modify Newtonian mechanics but replaced its foundational assumptions about space and time.

What type of clause is used in the sentence:

"Yet, over time, anomalies that cannot be explained within the current paradigm accumulate."

  1. AOption (a)

    Noun clause

  2. BOption (b)

    Adverbial clause

  3. COption (c)

    Relative clause

  4. DOption (d)

    Independent clause

View answer & explanation

Correct answer

Answer: (a)A.

Noun clause

Explanation not yet available.
SSC Selection Post 2025 (Graduate Level) Official Paper (Held On: 29 Jul, 2025 Shift 3) (Previous Year Paper)·English Language
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Question 606

SSC Selection Post 2025• English Language• English Language

Select the most appropriate synonym of the given word. GARRULOUS

  1. AOption (a)

    Talkative

  2. BOption (b)

    Noisy

  3. COption (c)

    Chatty

  4. DOption (d)

    Sociable

View answer & explanation

Correct answer

Answer: (a)A.

Talkative

Explanation not yet available.
SSC Selection Post 2025 (Graduate Level) Official Paper (Held On: 29 Jul, 2025 Shift 3) (Previous Year Paper)·English Language
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Question 607

SSC Selection Post 2025• English Language• English Language

Select the most appropriate antonym of the given word. Reposte

  1. AOption (a)

    Endorsement

  2. BOption (b)

    Apology

  3. COption (c)

    Compliment

  4. DOption (d)

    Confirmation

View answer & explanation

Correct answer

Answer: (a)A.

Endorsement

Explanation not yet available.
SSC Selection Post 2025 (Graduate Level) Official Paper (Held On: 29 Jul, 2025 Shift 3) (Previous Year Paper)·English Language
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Question 608

SSC Selection Post 2025• English Language• English Language

Pick the correctly spelt word meaning 'a skilled craftsman or builder'.

  1. AOption (a)

    Artizan

  2. BOption (b)

    Artisan

  3. COption (c)

    Artesan

  4. DOption (d)

    Artisen

View answer & explanation

Correct answer

Answer: (a)A.

Artizan

Explanation not yet available.
SSC Selection Post 2025 (Graduate Level) Official Paper (Held On: 29 Jul, 2025 Shift 3) (Previous Year Paper)·English Language
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Question 609

SSC Selection Post 2025• English Language• English Language

Select the correctly spelt word meaning 'a person who avoids society'.

  1. AOption (a)

    Recluese

  2. BOption (b)

    Reclose

  3. COption (c)

    Recluse

  4. DOption (d)

    Recluesee

View answer & explanation

Correct answer

Answer: (a)A.

Recluese

Explanation not yet available.
SSC Selection Post 2025 (Graduate Level) Official Paper (Held On: 29 Jul, 2025 Shift 3) (Previous Year Paper)·English Language
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Question 610

SSC Selection Post 2025• English Language• English Language

Identify the misspelt word:

  1. AOption (a)

    Dialectic

  2. BOption (b)

    Solipsism

  3. COption (c)

    Exestentialism

  4. DOption (d)

    Determinism

View answer & explanation

Correct answer

Answer: (a)A.

Dialectic

Explanation not yet available.
SSC Selection Post 2025 (Graduate Level) Official Paper (Held On: 29 Jul, 2025 Shift 3) (Previous Year Paper)·English Language
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Question 611

SSC Selection Post 2025• English Language• English Language

Which of the following refers to "A hypothetical region of space from which nothing, not even light, can escape"?

  1. AOption (a)

    Wormhole

  2. BOption (b)

    Singularity

  3. COption (c)

    Event Horizon

  4. DOption (d)

    Black Hole

View answer & explanation

Correct answer

Answer: (a)A.

Wormhole

Explanation not yet available.
SSC Selection Post 2025 (Graduate Level) Official Paper (Held On: 29 Jul, 2025 Shift 3) (Previous Year Paper)·English Language
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Question 612

SSC Selection Post 2025• English Language• English Language

What is the one-word term for: "A narrative or dramatic technique in literature in which the line between reality and fiction is intentionally blurred, often involving self-referentiality or characters aware of their fictional nature."

  1. AOption (a)

    Metafiction

  2. BOption (b)

    Allegory

  3. COption (c)

    Surrealism

  4. DOption (d)

    Parable

View answer & explanation

Correct answer

Answer: (a)A.

Metafiction

Explanation not yet available.
SSC Selection Post 2025 (Graduate Level) Official Paper (Held On: 29 Jul, 2025 Shift 3) (Previous Year Paper)·English Language
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Question 613

SSC Selection Post 2025• English Language• English Language

Choose the correct meaning of idiom given below:

"Pound of flesh"

  1. AOption (a)

    A fair and generous demand

  2. BOption (b)

    A symbolic compromise

  3. COption (c)

    A harsh demand for rightful payment

  4. DOption (d)

    A gift given in return

View answer & explanation

Correct answer

Answer: (a)A.

A fair and generous demand

Explanation not yet available.
SSC Selection Post 2025 (Graduate Level) Official Paper (Held On: 29 Jul, 2025 Shift 3) (Previous Year Paper)·English Language
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Question 614

SSC Selection Post 2025• English Language• English Language

Find the part of the sentence that contains an error:

His influence (1)/ lasted from a decade (2)/ impacting key policies (3)/ across sectors. (4)

  1. AOption (a)

    1

  2. BOption (b)

    2

  3. COption (c)

    3

  4. DOption (d)

    4

View answer & explanation

Correct answer

Answer: (a)A.

1

Explanation not yet available.
SSC Selection Post 2025 (Graduate Level) Official Paper (Held On: 29 Jul, 2025 Shift 3) (Previous Year Paper)·English Language
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Question 615

SSC Selection Post 2025• English Language• English Language

Find the part of the sentence that contains an error:

The ostensibly transparent mechanism (1)/ for employee feedback (2)/ paradoxically obfuscating (3)/ all channels of genuine expression. (4)

  1. AOption (a)

    (1)

  2. BOption (b)

    (2)

  3. COption (c)

    (3)

  4. DOption (d)

    (4)

View answer & explanation

Correct answer

Answer: (a)A.

(1)

Explanation not yet available.
SSC Selection Post 2025 (Graduate Level) Official Paper (Held On: 29 Jul, 2025 Shift 3) (Previous Year Paper)·English Language
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Question 616

SSC Selection Post 2025• English Language• English Language

Fill in the blank with the most appropriate option:

The marketing campaign was so vague that its message failed to ___ with the target audience.

  1. AOption (a)

    sink on

  2. BOption (b)

    sink out

  3. COption (c)

    sink in

  4. DOption (d)

    sink through

View answer & explanation

Correct answer

Answer: (a)A.

sink on

Explanation not yet available.
SSC Selection Post 2025 (Graduate Level) Official Paper (Held On: 29 Jul, 2025 Shift 3) (Previous Year Paper)·English Language
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Question 617

SSC Selection Post 2025• English Language• English Language

Choose the most suitable option to replace the underlined part of the sentence.

I would rather you go now than wait for the rain.

  1. AOption (a)

    went

  2. BOption (b)

    had gone

  3. COption (c)

    gone

  4. DOption (d)

    have gone

View answer & explanation

Correct answer

Answer: (a)A.

went

Explanation not yet available.
SSC Selection Post 2025 (Graduate Level) Official Paper (Held On: 29 Jul, 2025 Shift 3) (Previous Year Paper)·English Language
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Question 618

SSC Selection Post 2025• English Language• English Language

Change the following from active to passive:

The advisory panel might have been overlooking critical discrepancies in the data prior to the audit.

  1. AOption (a)

    Critical discrepancies in the data might have been being overlooked by the advisory panel prior to the audit.

  2. BOption (b)

    Critical discrepancies were being overlooked by the panel prior to the audit.

  3. COption (c)

    Critical discrepancies might have overlooked the panel during the audit.

  4. DOption (d)

    Critical discrepancies had been overlooked by the panel during the audit.

View answer & explanation

Correct answer

Answer: (a)A.

Critical discrepancies in the data might have been being overlooked by the advisory panel prior to the audit.

Explanation not yet available.
SSC Selection Post 2025 (Graduate Level) Official Paper (Held On: 29 Jul, 2025 Shift 3) (Previous Year Paper)·English Language
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Question 619

SSC Selection Post 2025• English Language• English Language

Convert the sentence provided below from its passive voice structure to an active voice structure:

The data had been being compiled for weeks before the report.

  1. AOption (a)

    They were compiling the data for weeks before the report.

  2. BOption (b)

    They had been compiling the data for weeks before the report.

  3. COption (c)

    They had compiled the data for weeks before the report.

  4. DOption (d)

    They had been compiled the data for weeks.

View answer & explanation

Correct answer

Answer: (a)A.

They were compiling the data for weeks before the report.

Explanation not yet available.
SSC Selection Post 2025 (Graduate Level) Official Paper (Held On: 29 Jul, 2025 Shift 3) (Previous Year Paper)·English Language
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Question 620

SSC Selection Post 2025• English Language• English Language

Convert the sentence provided below from its passive voice structure to an active voice structure:

The committee's findings are being analyzed for discrepancies by an external reviewer.

  1. AOption (a)

    An external reviewer analyzed the committee's findings for discrepancies.

  2. BOption (b)

    An external reviewer is analyzing the committee's findings for discrepancies.

  3. COption (c)

    An external reviewer was analyzing the committee's findings for discrepancies.

  4. DOption (d)

    An external reviewer will analyze the committee's findings for discrepancies.

View answer & explanation

Correct answer

Answer: (a)A.

An external reviewer analyzed the committee's findings for discrepancies.

Explanation not yet available.

How should I prepare for English Comprehension in SSC Selection Post?

Solving previous year questions by topic helps identify recurring concepts, question patterns, and frequently asked sub-topics. Attempt each question, review the step-by-step explanation, and note down key formulas or facts for quick revision before the exam.