Q1
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- aThe reason for
- bhis failure is because
- che did not work hard.
- dNo error.
EnglishSpotting Errors
UPSC CDS · Solved paper
All 120 questions, textbook-style — tap “Show answer” on any question to reveal the correct option and explanation.
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DEPLORE
MOTIVATION
RESIDUE
PERPETUAL
ASSENT
DEFIANCE
EMANCIPATE
HOSTILITY
FORBID
AMBIGUOUS
COUNTERFEIT
FUSION
ESCALATE
TERMINATE
GRAVITATE
Moralists are usually persons who abstain from alcoholic drinks.
The chairman is quick to find fault and is hard to please.
Scriptural injunctions should not be opposed or treated with contempt
A fortress on a commanding height for defense of a city is called
Nostalgia is
We need honest workers, not people of redoubtable integrity.
I expect every player here to be conversant at the rules o f game.
There is no alternate , so we must leave now.
If I were you, I would do it at once.
They set a strong guard, lest any one could escape.
The matter called up an explanation of his conduct.
The accused refused having murdered anybody.
We cannot trust a man who plays false and loose with others.
He is still in vigorous health although he is on the right side of sixty.
Any English are known for their practical instincts.
Fifty miles are a long distance to walk.
Economics today were not what it was a century ago.
Hearing the news of the accident, he broke .
The speaker asked the audience to bear upon him for a few minutes more.
Those men as are false to their friends should be avoided.
Many people find it difficult to make both hands meet .
Young children are not physically capable to carry these loads .
I enjoyed the ballet by a troupe of Russian dancers.
The secretaiy threatened to resign his post .
By the time he arrived , everybody had home.
he threw a stone, (P) raising dust in the road (Q) with all his might (R) and hit the man who was driving it (S)
The proper sequence should be :
when we step out from the old to the new (P) which comes but rarely in history (Q) and when the soul of a nation (R) long suppressed, finds utterance (S)
The proper sequence should be :
two or three other children (P) there were perhaps (Q) which the big man carried (R) like herself (S)
The proper sequence should be :
at school (P) to know (Q) in his studies (R) how his son was getting on (S)
The proper sequence should be :
if I had met him in the street (P) and not waited to ask him (Q) why he had written me an insulting letter (R) I would have knocked him down (S)
The proper sequence should be :
about family planning and its benefits (P) to all citizens (Q) the Government wants (R) to provide information and education (S)
The proper sequence should be:
the poor and hungry people (P) made by medical sciences (Q) the extraordinary progress (R) often die (S)
The proper sequence should be :
From the above passage: Choose the best word for blank (68).
From the above passage: Choose the best word for blank (69).
From the above passage: Choose the best word for blank (70).
From the above passage: Choose the best word for blank (71).
From the above passage: Choose the best word for blank (72).
From the above passage: Choose the best word for blank (73).
From the above passage: Choose the best word for blank (74).
From the above passage: Choose the best word for blank (75).
From the above passage: Choose the best word for blank (76).
From the above passage: Choose the best word for blank (77).
From the above passage: Choose the best word for blank (78).
From the above passage: Choose the best word for blank (79).
From the above passage: Choose the best word for blank (80).
From the above passage: Choose the best word for blank (81).
From the above passage: Choose the best word for blank (82).
From the above passage: Choose the best word for blank (83).
From the above passage: Choose the best word for blank (84).
From the above passage: Choose the best word for blank (85).
From the above passage: Choose the best word for blank (86).
From the above passage: Choose the best word for blank (87).
Passage:
COMPREHENSION Directions: In this section you have five short passages. After each passage, you will find some questions based on the passage. First, read a passage and answer the questions based on it. You are required to select your answers based on the contents of the passage and opinion of the author only. PASSAGE-I A little man beside me was turning over the pages of a magazine quickly and nervously. Opposite me there was a young mother who was trying to restrain her son from making a noise. The boy had obviously grown weary of waiting. He had placed an ashtray on the floor and was making aeroplane- noises as he waved a pencil in his hands. Near him, an old man was fast asleep, snoring quickly to himself and the boy’s mother was afraid that sooner or later her son would wake the gentleman up.
The noise was made by
Passage:
COMPREHENSION Directions: In this section you have five short passages. After each passage, you will find some questions based on the passage. First, read a passage and answer the questions based on it. You are required to select your answers based on the contents of the passage and opinion of the author only. PASSAGE-I A little man beside me was turning over the pages of a magazine quickly and nervously. Opposite me there was a young mother who was trying to restrain her son from making a noise. The boy had obviously grown weary of waiting. He had placed an ashtray on the floor and was making aeroplane- noises as he waved a pencil in his hands. Near him, an old man was fast asleep, snoring quickly to himself and the boy’s mother was afraid that sooner or later her son would wake the gentleman up.
The person who was the least disturbed was the
Passage:
COMPREHENSION Directions: In this section you have five short passages. After each passage, you will find some questions based on the passage. First, read a passage and answer the questions based on it. You are required to select your answers based on the contents of the passage and opinion of the author only. PASSAGE-I A little man beside me was turning over the pages of a magazine quickly and nervously. Opposite me there was a young mother who was trying to restrain her son from making a noise. The boy had obviously grown weary of waiting. He had placed an ashtray on the floor and was making aeroplane- noises as he waved a pencil in his hands. Near him, an old man was fast asleep, snoring quickly to himself and the boy’s mother was afraid that sooner or later her son would wake the gentleman up.
The factor common to all the people was that they were all
Passage:
COMPREHENSION Directions: In this section you have five short passages. After each passage, you will find some questions based on the passage. First, read a passage and answer the questions based on it. You are required to select your answers based on the contents of the passage and opinion of the author only. PASSAGE-I A little man beside me was turning over the pages of a magazine quickly and nervously. Opposite me there was a young mother who was trying to restrain her son from making a noise. The boy had obviously grown weary of waiting. He had placed an ashtray on the floor and was making aeroplane- noises as he waved a pencil in his hands. Near him, an old man was fast asleep, snoring quickly to himself and the boy’s mother was afraid that sooner or later her son would wake the gentleman up.
Among those present the one who appeared to be the most bored was the
Passage:
PASSAGE-II A man had two blacksmiths for his neighbours. Their names were Pengu and Shengu. The man was greatly troubled by the noise of their hammers. He decided to talk to them. The next day he called both of them and offered Rs. 100 each, if they found new huts for themselves. They took the money and agreed to find new huts for themselves. The next morning he woke up again to the sound of their hammers. He went out to see why the blacksmiths hadn’t found new huts and he discovered that Pengu and Shengu had kept their promise. They had exchanged their huts.
The man was troubled because
Passage:
PASSAGE-II A man had two blacksmiths for his neighbours. Their names were Pengu and Shengu. The man was greatly troubled by the noise of their hammers. He decided to talk to them. The next day he called both of them and offered Rs. 100 each, if they found new huts for themselves. They took the money and agreed to find new huts for themselves. The next morning he woke up again to the sound of their hammers. He went out to see why the blacksmiths hadn’t found new huts and he discovered that Pengu and Shengu had kept their promise. They had exchanged their huts.
The man gave them money because
Passage:
PASSAGE-II A man had two blacksmiths for his neighbours. Their names were Pengu and Shengu. The man was greatly troubled by the noise of their hammers. He decided to talk to them. The next day he called both of them and offered Rs. 100 each, if they found new huts for themselves. They took the money and agreed to find new huts for themselves. The next morning he woke up again to the sound of their hammers. He went out to see why the blacksmiths hadn’t found new huts and he discovered that Pengu and Shengu had kept their promise. They had exchanged their huts.
The man went out of his house because
Passage:
PASSAGE-II A man had two blacksmiths for his neighbours. Their names were Pengu and Shengu. The man was greatly troubled by the noise of their hammers. He decided to talk to them. The next day he called both of them and offered Rs. 100 each, if they found new huts for themselves. They took the money and agreed to find new huts for themselves. The next morning he woke up again to the sound of their hammers. He went out to see why the blacksmiths hadn’t found new huts and he discovered that Pengu and Shengu had kept their promise. They had exchanged their huts.
The man came to know that
Passage:
PASSAGE-III The tigress was a mile away and the ground between her and us was densely wooded, scattered over with great rocks and cut up by a number of deep ravines, but she could cover the distance well within the half-hour — if she wanted to. The question I had to decide was, whether or not I should try to call her. If I called and she heard me, and came while it was still daylight and gave me a chance to shoot her, all would be well; on the other hand, if she came and did not give me a shot, some of us would not reach camp, for we had nearly two miles to go and the path the whole way ran through heavy jungle.
According to the author
Passage:
PASSAGE-III The tigress was a mile away and the ground between her and us was densely wooded, scattered over with great rocks and cut up by a number of deep ravines, but she could cover the distance well within the half-hour — if she wanted to. The question I had to decide was, whether or not I should try to call her. If I called and she heard me, and came while it was still daylight and gave me a chance to shoot her, all would be well; on the other hand, if she came and did not give me a shot, some of us would not reach camp, for we had nearly two miles to go and the path the whole way ran through heavy jungle.
The author says, “Some of us would not reach camp”, because
Passage:
PASSAGE-III The tigress was a mile away and the ground between her and us was densely wooded, scattered over with great rocks and cut up by a number of deep ravines, but she could cover the distance well within the half-hour — if she wanted to. The question I had to decide was, whether or not I should try to call her. If I called and she heard me, and came while it was still daylight and gave me a chance to shoot her, all would be well; on the other hand, if she came and did not give me a shot, some of us would not reach camp, for we had nearly two miles to go and the path the whole way ran through heavy jungle.
The author found it difficult to decide the question because
Passage:
PASSAGE-III The tigress was a mile away and the ground between her and us was densely wooded, scattered over with great rocks and cut up by a number of deep ravines, but she could cover the distance well within the half-hour — if she wanted to. The question I had to decide was, whether or not I should try to call her. If I called and she heard me, and came while it was still daylight and gave me a chance to shoot her, all would be well; on the other hand, if she came and did not give me a shot, some of us would not reach camp, for we had nearly two miles to go and the path the whole way ran through heavy jungle.
The time available to the author for shooting the tigress was
Passage:
PASSAGE-III The tigress was a mile away and the ground between her and us was densely wooded, scattered over with great rocks and cut up by a number of deep ravines, but she could cover the distance well within the half-hour — if she wanted to. The question I had to decide was, whether or not I should try to call her. If I called and she heard me, and came while it was still daylight and gave me a chance to shoot her, all would be well; on the other hand, if she came and did not give me a shot, some of us would not reach camp, for we had nearly two miles to go and the path the whole way ran through heavy jungle.
When the author says ‘all would be well’, he means
Passage:
PASSAGE-IV After lunch, I felt at a loose end and roamed about the little flat. It suited us well enough when mother was with me, but now I was by myself it was too large and I’d moved the dining room table into my bedroom. That was now the only room I used ; it had all the furniture I needed; a brass bedstead, a dressing table, some cane chairs whose seats had more or less caved in, a wardrobe with a tarnished mirror. The rest of the flat was never used, so I didn’t trouble to look after it.
The flat did not really suit him any more because
Passage:
PASSAGE-IV After lunch, I felt at a loose end and roamed about the little flat. It suited us well enough when mother was with me, but now I was by myself it was too large and I’d moved the dining room table into my bedroom. That was now the only room I used ; it had all the furniture I needed; a brass bedstead, a dressing table, some cane chairs whose seats had more or less caved in, a wardrobe with a tarnished mirror. The rest of the flat was never used, so I didn’t trouble to look after it.
He did not look after the rest of the flat because
Passage:
PASSAGE-IV After lunch, I felt at a loose end and roamed about the little flat. It suited us well enough when mother was with me, but now I was by myself it was too large and I’d moved the dining room table into my bedroom. That was now the only room I used ; it had all the furniture I needed; a brass bedstead, a dressing table, some cane chairs whose seats had more or less caved in, a wardrobe with a tarnished mirror. The rest of the flat was never used, so I didn’t trouble to look after it.
“ ... now I was by myself it was too large”. The word it here refers to
Passage:
PASSAGE-IV After lunch, I felt at a loose end and roamed about the little flat. It suited us well enough when mother was with me, but now I was by myself it was too large and I’d moved the dining room table into my bedroom. That was now the only room I used ; it had all the furniture I needed; a brass bedstead, a dressing table, some cane chairs whose seats had more or less caved in, a wardrobe with a tarnished mirror. The rest of the flat was never used, so I didn’t trouble to look after it.
From the passage we learn that the writer was
Passage:
PASSAGE-IV After lunch, I felt at a loose end and roamed about the little flat. It suited us well enough when mother was with me, but now I was by myself it was too large and I’d moved the dining room table into my bedroom. That was now the only room I used ; it had all the furniture I needed; a brass bedstead, a dressing table, some cane chairs whose seats had more or less caved in, a wardrobe with a tarnished mirror. The rest of the flat was never used, so I didn’t trouble to look after it.
“After lunch I felt at a loose end” means
Passage
PASSAGE—V The overwhelming vote given by the greater part of the public has so far been in favour of films which pass the time easily and satisfy that part of our imagination which depends on the more obvious kind of daydreams. We make up for what we secretly regard as our deficiencies by watching the stimulating adventures of the other people who are stronger, more effective, or more beautiful than we are. The conventional stars act out our daydreams for us in a constant succession of exciting situations set in the open spaces, in the jungles or in the underworld of great cities which abounds in crime and violence. We would not dare to be in such situations but the situations are very exciting to watch since our youth is being spent in day-to-day routine of school, office or home.
According to the passage, most of us prefer films which
Passage:
PASSAGE—V The overwhelming vote given by the greater part of the public has so far been in favour of films which pass the time easily and satisfy that part of our imagination which depends on the more obvious kind of daydreams. We make up for what we secretly regard as our deficiencies by watching the stimulating adventures of the other people who are stronger, more effective, or more beautiful than we are. The conventional stars act out our daydreams for us in a constant succession of exciting situations set in the open spaces, in the jungles or in the underworld of great cities which abounds in crime and violence. We would not dare to be in such situations but the situations are very exciting to watch since our youth is being spent in day-to-day routine of school, office or home.
By watching thrilling adventures in films we make up for
Passage:
PASSAGE—V The overwhelming vote given by the greater part of the public has so far been in favour of films which pass the time easily and satisfy that part of our imagination which depends on the more obvious kind of daydreams. We make up for what we secretly regard as our deficiencies by watching the stimulating adventures of the other people who are stronger, more effective, or more beautiful than we are. The conventional stars act out our daydreams for us in a constant succession of exciting situations set in the open spaces, in the jungles or in the underworld of great cities which abounds in crime and violence. We would not dare to be in such situations but the situations are very exciting to watch since our youth is being spent in day-to-day routine of school, office or home.
Film stars present situations
Passage:
PASSAGE—V The overwhelming vote given by the greater part of the public has so far been in favour of films which pass the time easily and satisfy that part of our imagination which depends on the more obvious kind of daydreams. We make up for what we secretly regard as our deficiencies by watching the stimulating adventures of the other people who are stronger, more effective, or more beautiful than we are. The conventional stars act out our daydreams for us in a constant succession of exciting situations set in the open spaces, in the jungles or in the underworld of great cities which abounds in crime and violence. We would not dare to be in such situations but the situations are very exciting to watch since our youth is being spent in day-to-day routine of school, office or home.
Whether we admit it to ourselves or not, we are aware that
Passage:
PASSAGE—V The overwhelming vote given by the greater part of the public has so far been in favour of films which pass the time easily and satisfy that part of our imagination which depends on the more obvious kind of daydreams. We make up for what we secretly regard as our deficiencies by watching the stimulating adventures of the other people who are stronger, more effective, or more beautiful than we are. The conventional stars act out our daydreams for us in a constant succession of exciting situations set in the open spaces, in the jungles or in the underworld of great cities which abounds in crime and violence. We would not dare to be in such situations but the situations are very exciting to watch since our youth is being spent in day-to-day routine of school, office or home.
The daily life of students, office-goers and housewives is
Passage:
ORDERING OF SENTENCES Directions: In this section, each item consists of six sentences o f a passage. The first and the sixth sentences are given in the beginning as SI and S6. The middle four sentences in each have been jumbled up and labelled P, Q, R and S. You are required to find the proper sequence of the four sentences and mark your response accordingly on the Answer Sheet.
SI : While teaching in the class-room, our teacher suddenly fainted. S6 : The headmaster at once sanctioned his leave. P : The headmaster soon joined us and spoke to them in a soft voice. Q : He was told that the patient needed complete rest for a month. R : He was at once taken to the hospital. S : The doctors examined him with serious faces. The proper sequence should be:
SI : The colonial powers had a very simple technique to rule the world. S6 : Partition was the culmination. P : They lumped tribes and people together, played one against the other. Q : India’s provinces w ere m ore elaborately designed to play the game of divide and rule. R : Africa was divided, believe it or not, on the basis of the lines of longitude and latitude. S : They also purchased the loyalties of those locals who were needed as supports for the colonial presence. The proper sequence should be:
SI : The bank opened at 10.00 a.m. S6 : The safe was empty. P : The peon opened the safe and returned the keys to the manager. Q : The manager and the peon went to the safe in the vault. R : The manager and the peon looked into the safe. R : The manager and the peon looked into the safe. The proper sequence should be:
SI : The crowd swelled round the thief. S6 : They were followed by the crowd which left the thief alone. P : Suddenly he whipped out a knife from under his shirt. Q : The thief stood quiet, his head hung in shame. R : The two young men holding him were scared by the sight of the shining knife. S : They took to their heels. The proper sequence should be:
SI : The old man wanted to cross the road. S6 : Holding him by hand the driver helped him to cross the road. P : The driver got off and came to him. Q : He was fed up and was about to return. R : Then a car stopped in front of him. S : He waited for a long time. The proper sequence should be:
SI : The first thing you have to do is to speak with a strong foreign accent and speak broken English. S6 : Half a dozen people will immediately overwhelm you with directions. P : He will be interested in you because you are a foreigner and he will be pleased that he could figure out what you said. Q : He will not expect you to be polite and use elaborate grammatical phrases. R : Then every English person to whom you speak will at once know that you are a foreigner and try to understand you and be ready to help you. S : If you shout, “Please! Charing Cross! Which way?” you w ill have no difficulty. The proper sequence should be:
SI : When a lamb is bom its mother may die. S6 : If a means of overcoming this natural tendency is found, the lives of millions of lambs can be saved. P : Thus there will nearly always be both motherless lambs and sheep without lambs. Q : However a sheep which has lost its own lamb will not feed or look after a motherless lamb. R : At the same time some new bom lambs are too weak to live. S : This happens in large flocks where many sheep give birth to lambs at the same time. The proper sequence should be:
SI : People very seldom have everything they want. S6 : Our decisions indicate our scale of preferences and therefore our priorities. P : Usually we have to decide carefully how to spend our income. Q : They may all seem important, but their true importance can be measured by deciding which we are prepared to live without. R : When we exercise our choice, we do so according to our personal scale of preferences. S : In this scale of preferences essential commodities come first, then the kind o f luxuries which help us to be comfortable, and finally those non- essentials which give us personal pleasure. The proper sequence should be:
SI : On 5th October 1818, when young Lincoln was approaching his tenth year, his mother Nancy died of fever. S6 : His total education at school comprised only about a year during which he, however, managed to master reading, writing, spelling and some arithmetic. P : She was illiterate, but she brought with her several books, among which were Pilgrim’s Progress, Sindbad the Sailor, Robinson Crusoe and Aesop’s Fables. Q : Lincoln always acknowledged this moral and intellectual debt to his step mother. R : The following year, his father married Sarah Bush Johnson, a widow with three children. S : These books provided Lincoln with a mass of knowledge. The proper sequence should be:
SI : Crude oil obtained from the field is taken to a refinery for treatment. S6 : Lubricating oils of various grades are obtained last of all. P : The gas th at com es o ff later is condensed into paraffin. Q : This allows substances with different boiling points to be separated. R : The first vapours to rise when cooled provide the finest petrol. S : The commonest form of treatment is heating. The proper sequence should be: