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Solved English Question Paper of SSC Combined Higher Secondary Level (CGL) (10+2) Exam 2013 for Data Entry Operators and Lower Division Clerks
Directions (1-5):In the these questions, some parts of the sentences have errors and some are correct. Find out which part of a sentence (A), (B), (C) has an error. If a sentence is free from error, then (D) is your answer.
1. My mother made (A) / the servant to (B) / complete the work. (C) / No error. (D)
2. I want to get (A) / a M.A. degree (B) / from a reputed university located in India. (C) / No error. (D)
3. Not only she makes (A) / home-made cakes (B) / she also sells them. (C) / No error. (D)
4. Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia played (A) / a flute at the Music Conference (B) / in a small town. (C) / No error. (D)
5. They are (A) / ignorant of (B) / what is happening here. (C) / No error. (D)
Directions (6-10):In the following questions, sentences are given with blanks to be filled in with an appropriate word(s). Four alternatives are suggested for each question. Choose the correct alternative out of the four.
6. They tried to bribe the peon but he ________ them.
- A) was clever for
- B) has been too clever for
- C) was too clever for
- D) was being clever for
7. She asked me _______.
- A) what the time was
- B) what was the time
- C) what is the time
- D) what was time
8. A legislation was passed to punish broker who _________ their clients' funds.
- A) defalcate
- B) devastate
- C) devour
- D) embezzle
9. He fell down a flight of stairs and broke ______ rib.
- A) up
- B) a
- C) the
- D) his
10. The doctors and the nurses worked hard to _______ the dying man.
- A) bring round
- B) bring up
- C) bring out
- D) bring back
Directions (11 & 12):In the following questions, out of the four alternatives, choose the one which best expresses the meaning of the given word.
11. Forsake
- A) Separate
- B) Abandon
- C) Forgo
- D) Disintegrate
12. Stratagem
- A) Strait
- B) Stratum
- C) Ruby
- D) Trick
Directions (13 & 14):In the following questions, choose the word opposite in meaning to the given word.
13. Keen
- A) Immobile
- B) Impassioned
- C) Indifferent
- D) Clever
14. Dreary
- A) Interesting
- B) Solitary
- C) Dribble
- D) Unusual
Directions (15-16):In the following questions, four words are given in each question, out of which only one word is correctly spelt. Find the correctly spelt word.
15.
- A) hippopotomous
- B) hipopotamus
- C) hippopotamus
- D) hippopatemus
16.
- A) privalege
- B) privelege
- C) privilege
- D) priviledge
Directions (17-19):In the following questions, four alternatives are given for the Idiom/Phrase underlined in the sentence. Choose the alternative which best expresses the meaning of the Idiom/Phrase.
17. They earn so little that it is very difficult for them to keep the wolf from the door.
- A) to display the wolf before the door
- B) have less money to avoid hunger and need
- C) have enough money to avoid hunger and need
- D) to hide the wolf behind the door
18. Arvind finally got through with his doctoral thesis.
- A) was awarded his doctoral degree
- B) finally cleared his last examination
- C) left the thesis half way through
- D) finally finished his thesis after hard toil
19. We could sit here and talk till the cows come home.
- A) if the cows come home slowly
- B) for a very long time
- C) for a very short span of time
- D) if the cows come home quickly
Directions (20-22):In the following questions, out of the four alternatives choose the one which can be substituted for the given words/sentence.
20. That which cannot be consumed by fire.
- A) Invincible
- B) Inflammable
- C) Inexhaustible
- D) Incombustible
21. A place of shelter for ships.
- A) Barrack
- B) Helipad
- C) Port
- D) Harbour
22. A shopkeeper who sells fresh and green vegetables.
- A) Greengrocer
- B) Butcher
- C) Shopkeeper
- D) Vendor
Directions (23 & 24):In these questions, a part of the sentence is underlined. Below are given alternatives to the underlined aprt at (A), (B) (C) which may improve the sentence. Choose the correct alternative. In case no improvement is needed your answer is (D).
23. When describing the accident, he was in tears.
- A) When he was describing
- B) As describing
- C) In describing
- D) No improvement
24. Historians feel there is an earnest need for the review of history books every five years and a revision of the same every ten years.
- A) urgent
- B) imperative
- C) indispensable
- D) No improvement
Directions (25-29):In the following questions, a sentence has been given in Active/Passive Voice. Out of the four alternatives suggested, select the one which best expresses the same sentence in Passive/Active Voice.
25. He arranged the furniture in the house according to the decorator's plans.
- A) The furniture was arranged in the house according to the decorator's plans.
- B) The furniture was being arranged in the house according to the decorator's plans.
- C) The furniture had been arranged in the house according to the decorator's plans.
- D) The furniture have been arranged in the house according to the decorator's plans.
26. Differential Calculus is being learnt by the girl.
- A) The girl has learnt Differential Calculus.
- B) The girl is learning Differential Calculus .
- C) The girl learns Differential Calculus.
- D) The girl was learning Differential Calculus.
27. By whom is John looked after?
- A) Who is looking after John?
- B) Who looks after John?
- C) John looks after whom?
- D) Whom looks after John?
28. The horse jumped over the fence.
- A) The fence was jumped by the horse.
- B) The fence might be jumped over by the horse.
- C) The fence was jumped over by the horse.
- D) The fence by the horse was jumped over.
29. To make the batter add one tablespoonful of baking powder to the cake mixture.
- A) One tablespoonful of baking powder could be added to the cake mixture to make the batter.
- B) Let one tablespoonful of baking powder be added to the cake mixture to make the batter.
- C) Let only one tablespoonful of baking powder be added to the cake mixture to make the batter.
- D) One tablespoonful of baking powder may be added to the cake mixture to make the batter.
Directions (30-34):In the following questions, a sentence has been given in Direct/Indirect. Out of the four alternatives suggested, select the one which best expresses the same sentence in Indirect/Direct.
30. "I'm so tiny that I can't reach your branches," said the little boy to the tree.
- A) The little boy told the tree that he was so tiny that he couldn't reach its branches.
- B) The little boy said that the tree was so tiny that he couldn't reach its branches.
- C) The little boy said that he was so tiny that he couldn't reach its branches.
- D) The little boy told to the tree that he was so tiny that he couldn't reach its branches.
31. "I'm sorry I cannot stay," said the swallow. "I'm waited for in Egypt."
- A) The swallow regretted that he was waited for in Egypt and couldn't stay.
- B) The swallow told that he is sorry he cannot stay and added that he is waited for in Egypt.
- C) The swallow said he was sorry he couldn't stay and added that someone was waiting for him in Egypt.
- D) The swallow regretted he couldn't stay as he waited for in Egypt.
32. The notice reads, "Trespassers will be prosecuted."
- A) The notice reads that trespassers will be prosecuted.
- B) The notice read that trespassers will be prosecuted.
- C) The notice read that trespassers would be prosecuted.
- D) The notice reads that trespassers would be prosecuted.
33. The mother urged the child to come on the footpath.
- A) The mother said to the child, "You should come on the footpath."
- B) The mother said to the child, "Come on the footpath."
- C) The mother said, "Come, child come. Come on the footpath."
- D) The mother said, "Please come on the footpath, child."
34. Sushma said, "We shall celebrate the festival of Janmahtami tomorrow."
- A) Sushma said that they would celebrate the festival of Janmashtami the next day.
- B) Sushma said that we should celebrate the festival of Janmashtami the next day.
- C) Sushma said that we shall celebrate the festival of Janmashtami the next day.
- D) Sushma said that they should celebrate the festival of Janmashtami the next day.
Directions (35-40):In the following questions, the 1st and the last sentences of the passage/parts of the sentence are numbered 1 and 6. The rest of the passage/sentence is split into four parts and named P, Q, R and S. These four parts are not given in their proper order. Read the passage/sentence and find out which of the four combinations is correct.
35.
1. At the time when the city of Venice in Italy was rich and famous, one of her chief citizens was a merchant named Antonio.
P. He had many friends, among them a young Venetian nobleman called Bassanio.
Q. But Antonio loved him and gave him money whenever he needed it.
R. Although he came from a noble family, Bassanio was poor and spent more money than he could afford.
S. He was well known for his kindness.
6. For the merchant of Venice was a rich man, who owned many ships which traded with foreign countries.
- A) PRSQ
- B) PQRS
- C) SQRP
- D) SPRQ
36.
1. Self help means doing our own work ourselves.
P. They prefer to have things done for them.
Q. The most successful man is he who depends the least on others.
R. There are men in our society who don't exert themselves.
S. Such people are rarely successful.
6. He has a strength of mind and determination to succeed on his own.
- A) QSRP
- B) RPSQ
- C) PQRS
- D) QPSR
37.
1. 'Tsunami' which means 'harbour wave'
P. usually an ocean
Q. of a large volume of a body of water
R. is a series of water waves
S. caused by the displacement
6. though it can occur in large lakes.
- A) PSQR
- B) RQPS
- C) RSQP
- D) SRQP
38.
1. Dante was of moderate height
P. clad always in such sober dress
Q. with a slow and gentle pace
R. was accustomed to walk somewhat bowed
S. and after maturity
6. as befitted his ripe years.
- A) QSRP
- B) SRQP
- C) RQSP
- D) PSRQ
39.
1. Queen Elizabeth had the mind
P. and nurtured her country
Q. through careful leadership
R. of a political genius
S. and by choosing capable men
6. to assist her.
- A) SPRQ
- B) RQSP
- C) RPQS
- D) PSRQ
40.
1. Drug addiction has now become one of the major problems of our society.
P. There should be joint effort of family, government and social organisations for prevention and cure of this curse.
Q. The possibilities of these young men and women are nipped in the bud.
R. In such an alarming situation, we cannot remain idle onlookers.
S. Many youngsters are becoming victims of this deadly curse.
6. We should take the pledge - 'Let us unite for a drug-free world.'
- A) RQPS
- B) SQRP
- C) PQRS
- D) PSQR
Directions (41-45):In the following passage some of the words have been left out. Read the passage carefully and choose the four alternatives and fill in the blanks.
The sun had set but there was still some light in the sky. Martin ......(41)....... on his elbow and looked ......(42)....... through the leaves. In the waters of the lake, close to the shore, he saw a ......(43)....... of alligators floating quietly. One of the creatures, ......(44)....... huge one, was lying on a high ......(45)....... of sand, a few yard from the water.
41.
- A) sat
- B) crossed
- C) leaned
- D) lay
42.
- A) into
- B) down
- C) at
- D) for
43.
- A) semblance
- B) family
- C) volume
- D) number
44.
- A) an
- B) a
- C) one
- D) single
45.
- A) bank
- B) peak
- C) pit
- D) pile
Directions (46-50):In the following questions, a passage with 5 questions are given. Read the passage carefully and choose the best answer to each question out of the four alternatives and mark your answer accordingly.
I could not help thinking, as I looked at the works of Shakespeare on the shelf, that it would have been impossible, completely and entirely, for any woman to have written the plays of Shakespeare in the age of Shakespeare. Let me imagine, since facts are so hard to come by, what would have happened had Shakespeare had a wonderfully gifted sister, called Judith, let us say. Shakespeare himself went, very probably - his mother was an heiress - to the grammar school, where he may have learnt Latin - Ovid, Virgil and Horace - and the elements of grammar and logic. He was, it is well known, a wild boy who poached rabbits, perhaps shot a deer, and had, rather sooner than he should have done, to marry a woman in the neighbourhood, who bore him a child rather quicker than was right. That escapade sent him to seek his fortune in London. He had, it seemed, a taste for the theatre; he began by holding horses at the stage door.
46. Shakespeare's sister was
- A) ordinary
- B) wise
- C) imaginary
- D) famous
47. Which of the following statements is true?
- A) Judith was Shakespeare's wife.
- B) Shakespeare's mother was poor.
- C) Shakespeare learnt Roman.
- D) Shakespeare did not have a sister.
48. "Come by" means
- A) search
- B) maintain
- C) manage to get
- D) invent
49. The passage is about
- A) Shakespeare's life
- B) Shakespeare's sister
- C) Shakespeare's theatre
- D) Shakespeare's writing
50. Shakespeare's marriage reveals that he was
- A) stealthy
- B) impulsive
- C) talented
- D) wise