+91 98186 32779

CDS I 2022 English with Solutions

Exam: CDS Year: 2022 (Session I) Questions: 106 Marks: 100 Negative Marking: 1/3

Q.51 [Synonyms]

Please use conversational language. (Find the synonym of the underlined word: 'conversational')

  • (a) formal
  • (b) complex
  • (c) dialogical
  • (d) informal
Explanation: 'Conversational' means relating to informal spoken communication; 'informal' is the closest synonym among the options.

Q.52 [Synonyms]

My neighbour is malicious. (Find the synonym of the underlined word: 'malicious')

  • (a) generous
  • (b) affectionate
  • (c) spiteful
  • (d) magnanimous
Explanation: 'Malicious' means intending to do harm; 'spiteful' is the correct synonym meaning having or showing a desire to harm.

Q.53 [Synonyms]

I was awe-inspired by his designation. (Find the synonym of the underlined word: 'designation')

  • (a) position
  • (b) looks
  • (c) social status
  • (d) personality
Explanation: 'Designation' means a name, title, or official position; 'position' is the most direct synonym.

Q.54 [Synonyms]

Words of endearment always touch me. (Find the synonym of the underlined word: 'endearment')

  • (a) praise
  • (b) fondness
  • (c) conviction
  • (d) wisdom
Explanation: 'Endearment' means the action of making someone beloved or an expression of affection; 'fondness' best captures this meaning.

Q.55 [Synonyms]

We should follow time and forbearance. (Find the synonym of the underlined word: 'forbearance')

  • (a) constraint
  • (b) encouragement
  • (c) restraint
  • (d) support
Explanation: 'Forbearance' means patient restraint and self-control; 'restraint' is the closest synonym.

Q.56 [Synonyms]

His gibbous looks make him different from others. (Find the synonym of the underlined word: 'gibbous')

  • (a) hunched
  • (b) smart
  • (c) charming
  • (d) disabled
Explanation: 'Gibbous' means hump-backed or having a hump; 'hunched' is the correct synonym describing a bent or rounded posture.

Q.57 [Synonyms]

She tormented me with her detached behaviour. (Find the synonym of the underlined word: 'tormented')

  • (a) threatened
  • (b) ignored
  • (c) cajoled
  • (d) distressed
Explanation: 'Tormented' means caused to suffer greatly; 'distressed' is the closest synonym meaning caused great anxiety or suffering.

Q.58 [Synonyms]

Her peerless manners were noticed. (Find the synonym of the underlined word: 'peerless')

  • (a) lovable
  • (b) rowdy
  • (c) irrelevant
  • (d) unequalled
Explanation: 'Peerless' means unequalled, having no match or equal; 'unequalled' is the direct synonym.

Q.59 [Synonyms]

He studied mensuration carefully. (Find the synonym of the underlined word: 'mensuration')

  • (a) measurement
  • (b) questions
  • (c) conclusions
  • (d) lessons
Explanation: 'Mensuration' is the branch of mathematics dealing with the measurement of lengths, areas, and volumes; 'measurement' is the correct synonym.

Q.60 [Synonyms]

They smothered the fire in the building. (Find the synonym of the underlined word: 'smothered')

  • (a) lighted
  • (b) surrounded
  • (c) doused
  • (d) saw
Explanation: 'Smothered' in the context of fire means extinguished it by depriving it of air or covering it; 'doused' means extinguished, making it the correct synonym.

Q.61 [Antonyms]

He discontinued the work due to pressure. (Find the antonym of the underlined word: 'discontinued')

  • (a) deputed
  • (b) resumed
  • (c) ceased
  • (d) concealed
Explanation: 'Discontinued' means stopped or ceased; the antonym is 'resumed', meaning started again after a pause.

Q.62 [Antonyms]

The teacher chided the pupil. (Find the antonym of the underlined word: 'chided')

  • (a) admonished
  • (b) reprimanded
  • (c) commended
  • (d) reproved
Explanation: 'Chided' means scolded or rebuked; the antonym is 'commended', meaning praised or expressed approval of.

Q.63 [Antonyms]

I cherish your company. (Find the antonym of the underlined word: 'cherish')

  • (a) deprecate
  • (b) value
  • (c) adore
  • (d) sustain
Explanation: 'Cherish' means to hold dear or value highly; the antonym is 'deprecate', meaning to express disapproval of or belittle.

Q.64 [Antonyms]

The house was full of chaos when I reached. (Find the antonym of the underlined word: 'chaos')

  • (a) disorder
  • (b) confusion
  • (c) uniformity
  • (d) order
Explanation: 'Chaos' means complete disorder and confusion; the antonym is 'order', meaning a state of neatness and proper arrangement.

Q.65 [Antonyms]

We worship celestial beings. (Find the antonym of the underlined word: 'celestial')

  • (a) utopian
  • (b) earthly
  • (c) transcendental
  • (d) ritual
Explanation: 'Celestial' means relating to the sky or heavens; the antonym is 'earthly', meaning relating to or characteristic of this world.

Q.66 [Antonyms]

Mohan is quite reticent. (Find the antonym of the underlined word: 'reticent')

  • (a) garrulous
  • (b) taciturn
  • (c) reserved
  • (d) quiet
Explanation: 'Reticent' means not revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily; the antonym is 'garrulous', meaning excessively talkative.

Q.67 [Antonyms]

He was rather childish. (Find the antonym of the underlined word: 'childish')

  • (a) infantile
  • (b) harmonious
  • (c) seasoned
  • (d) exquisite
Explanation: 'Childish' means having or showing the manner of a child, immature; the antonym is 'seasoned', meaning experienced and mature.

Q.68 [Antonyms]

John is a magniloquent person. (Find the antonym of the underlined word: 'magniloquent')

  • (a) pompous
  • (b) turgid
  • (c) lofty
  • (d) terse
Explanation: 'Magniloquent' means using high-flown or bombastic language; the antonym is 'terse', meaning brief and to the point without unnecessary words.

Q.69 [Antonyms]

His clandestine affairs were suspicious. (Find the antonym of the underlined word: 'clandestine')

  • (a) covert
  • (b) conspicuous
  • (c) furtive
  • (d) unknown
Explanation: 'Clandestine' means kept secret or done secretively; the antonym is 'conspicuous', meaning clearly visible or attracting notice.

Q.70 [Antonyms]

Some animals live a dormant life. (Find the antonym of the underlined word: 'dormant')

  • (a) latent
  • (b) inert
  • (c) sluggish
  • (d) active
Explanation: 'Dormant' means having normal physical functions suspended or slowed; the antonym is 'active', meaning engaging in energetic activity.

Q.95 [Grammar - Prepositions]

A woman who always connives ___ her children to hide their faults, is their worst enemy.

  • (a) with
  • (b) by
  • (c) at
  • (d) for
Explanation: 'Connive at' is the correct collocation meaning to overlook or tacitly allow wrongdoing. 'Connive at something' means to turn a blind eye to it.

Q.96 [Grammar - Prepositions]

We travelled ___ Mr. Barthwal's car.

  • (a) at
  • (b) with
  • (c) inside
  • (d) in
Explanation: The correct preposition for travelling inside a private vehicle belonging to someone is 'in'. We say 'in someone's car' (not 'by' which is used without the possessive, e.g., 'by car').

Q.97 [Grammar - Prepositions]

Suresh came home ___ train.

  • (a) on
  • (b) with
  • (c) by
  • (d) off
Explanation: 'By' is used with modes of public transport when no article is present: 'by train', 'by bus', 'by plane'.

Q.98 [Grammar - Prepositions]

Few things are impossible ___ achieve with diligence and skill.

  • (a) for
  • (b) to
  • (c) in
  • (d) onto
Explanation: 'Impossible to achieve' is the standard infinitive construction. 'To' introduces the infinitive after adjectives like 'impossible', 'possible', 'easy', 'difficult'.

Q.99 [Grammar - Prepositions]

It is natural for everyone to aspire ___ distinction.

  • (a) with
  • (b) about
  • (c) into
  • (d) for
Explanation: 'Aspire for' (or 'aspire to') means to have a strong desire to achieve something. 'Aspire for distinction' is the correct idiomatic usage here.

Q.100 [Grammar - Prepositions]

He is liable ___ his wife's debts.

  • (a) for
  • (b) to
  • (c) with
  • (d) at
Explanation: 'Liable for' is the correct collocation when referring to legal or financial responsibility. One is 'liable for debts/damages'.

Q.101 [Reading Comprehension - Passage I (Ecosystem)]

Passage — I: All organisms such as plants, animals, microorganisms and human beings as well as the physical surroundings interact with each other and maintain a balance in nature. All the interacting organisms in an area together with the non-living constituents of the environment form an ecosystem. Thus, an ecosystem consists of biotic components comprising living organisms and abiotic components comprising physical factors like temperature, rainfall, wind, soil and minerals. For example, if you visit a garden you will find different plants, such as grasses, trees; flower-bearing plants like rose, jasmine, sunflower; and animals like frogs, insects and birds. All these living organisms interact with each other and their growth, reproduction and other activities are affected by the abiotic components of the ecosystem. So a garden is an ecosystem. Other types of ecosystems are forests, ponds and lakes. These are natural ecosystems while gardens and crop-fields are human-made ecosystems. The general tone of the passage is

  • (a) critical.
  • (b) satirical.
  • (c) analytical.
  • (d) informational.
Explanation: The passage simply presents facts about ecosystems, their components, and examples without any criticism, satire, or deep analysis. The tone is purely informational/descriptive.

Q.102 [Reading Comprehension - Passage I (Ecosystem)]

Passage — I: All organisms such as plants, animals, microorganisms and human beings as well as the physical surroundings interact with each other and maintain a balance in nature. All the interacting organisms in an area together with the non-living constituents of the environment form an ecosystem. Thus, an ecosystem consists of biotic components comprising living organisms and abiotic components comprising physical factors like temperature, rainfall, wind, soil and minerals. For example, if you visit a garden you will find different plants, such as grasses, trees; flower-bearing plants like rose, jasmine, sunflower; and animals like frogs, insects and birds. All these living organisms interact with each other and their growth, reproduction and other activities are affected by the abiotic components of the ecosystem. So a garden is an ecosystem. Other types of ecosystems are forests, ponds and lakes. These are natural ecosystems while gardens and crop-fields are human-made ecosystems. Which of the following is a non-living constituent of the environment?

  • (a) Wind
  • (b) Bacteria
  • (c) Grasses
  • (d) Frog
Explanation: The passage lists wind as an abiotic (non-living/physical) factor. Bacteria, grasses, and frogs are all living organisms (biotic components).

Q.103 [Reading Comprehension - Passage I (Ecosystem)]

Passage — I: All organisms such as plants, animals, microorganisms and human beings as well as the physical surroundings interact with each other and maintain a balance in nature. All the interacting organisms in an area together with the non-living constituents of the environment form an ecosystem. Thus, an ecosystem consists of biotic components comprising living organisms and abiotic components comprising physical factors like temperature, rainfall, wind, soil and minerals. For example, if you visit a garden you will find different plants, such as grasses, trees; flower-bearing plants like rose, jasmine, sunflower; and animals like frogs, insects and birds. All these living organisms interact with each other and their growth, reproduction and other activities are affected by the abiotic components of the ecosystem. So a garden is an ecosystem. Other types of ecosystems are forests, ponds and lakes. These are natural ecosystems while gardens and crop-fields are human-made ecosystems. Abiotic components of the ecosystem refer to

  • (a) living organisms.
  • (b) non-living organisms.
  • (c) natural surroundings.
  • (d) physical factors.
Explanation: The passage explicitly states: 'abiotic components comprising physical factors like temperature, rainfall, wind, soil and minerals.' Option (d) directly matches the passage's definition.

Q.104 [Reading Comprehension - Passage I (Ecosystem)]

Passage — I: All organisms such as plants, animals, microorganisms and human beings as well as the physical surroundings interact with each other and maintain a balance in nature. All the interacting organisms in an area together with the non-living constituents of the environment form an ecosystem. Thus, an ecosystem consists of biotic components comprising living organisms and abiotic components comprising physical factors like temperature, rainfall, wind, soil and minerals. For example, if you visit a garden you will find different plants, such as grasses, trees; flower-bearing plants like rose, jasmine, sunflower; and animals like frogs, insects and birds. All these living organisms interact with each other and their growth, reproduction and other activities are affected by the abiotic components of the ecosystem. So a garden is an ecosystem. Other types of ecosystems are forests, ponds and lakes. These are natural ecosystems while gardens and crop-fields are human-made ecosystems. Which of the following is not a natural ecosystem?

  • (a) Crop-field
  • (b) Forest
  • (c) Pond
  • (d) Lake
Explanation: The passage states: 'forests, ponds and lakes. These are natural ecosystems while gardens and crop-fields are human-made ecosystems.' A crop-field is explicitly identified as a human-made ecosystem.

Q.105 [Reading Comprehension - Passage I (Ecosystem)]

Passage — I: All organisms such as plants, animals, microorganisms and human beings as well as the physical surroundings interact with each other and maintain a balance in nature. All the interacting organisms in an area together with the non-living constituents of the environment form an ecosystem. Thus, an ecosystem consists of biotic components comprising living organisms and abiotic components comprising physical factors like temperature, rainfall, wind, soil and minerals. For example, if you visit a garden you will find different plants, such as grasses, trees; flower-bearing plants like rose, jasmine, sunflower; and animals like frogs, insects and birds. All these living organisms interact with each other and their growth, reproduction and other activities are affected by the abiotic components of the ecosystem. So a garden is an ecosystem. Other types of ecosystems are forests, ponds and lakes. These are natural ecosystems while gardens and crop-fields are human-made ecosystems. The word 'constituent' in the passage implies

  • (a) constellation.
  • (b) consternation.
  • (c) component.
  • (d) constriction.
Explanation: 'Constituent' means a part or component of a whole. The passage uses 'non-living constituents of the environment,' where 'constituent' clearly means 'component' or 'element'.

Q.106 [Reading Comprehension - Passage II (Ocean Voyage)]

Passage — II: As we discussed food and sang every song we could remember and talked incessantly, we were slowly moving deeper into the Atlantic, and we got the feeling, really, that we belonged there, and that the ships that passed on the horizon were only hurrying strangers. We were actually living on the ocean. We discovered that the birds all seemed to league up at night-time, resting on the water by the hundreds. When we came poking along, we seemed so much a part of the sea that the birds wouldn't move until we were about five yards away. Then they'd flutter off, leaving feathers floating in the water, and settle again a few yards away. The dolphins and porpoises would come up at sunset and move in among us and the birds. They'd come up very lazily under the birds, which would go up on their heels and flap their wings a bit, and then settle right down again. Two whales joined us one ventne and played ring-around-rosie so close to us that Chay could have reached out an oar and tapped one. We had calculated that we had just enough rations to make England, but the easterly winds caused an agonizing reappraisal. It would have been an interesting experience, running right down like that, but we felt we must not risk other people's lives by making them search for us. We decided to accept rations from the next ship that stopped. Was it a mature decision? This was also the time when the strain of the voyage really began to tell on us. I wrote in my log: 'I have known fear many times in my life, and indeed I have often striven to develop a situation that provided fear in both boxing and parachuting. I have never known anything like this — cannot be over tomorrow, or for many tomorrows. Somehow it is like being rubbed down with sandpaper. I honestly do not know how many storms there have been now, and each leaves us progressively weaker.' 'Tonight we lie and wait. Nothing could save us if we get into difficulties. No ship could get us off these seas even if it arrived in time. We are completely in God's hands, at the mercy of the weather. All night the wind screams louder and louder, and the sound of the sea grows. We talk of many things — the night train to Scotland, the many things we've done, and slowly we are overtaken by an enormous feeling of humility and a desire to return to try and live a better life. The weather reached a climax at 0300 and then declined rapidly. Thank goodness we could not see the sea.' "We were actually living on the ocean," implies

  • (a) they were homeless.
  • (b) they were on a long voyage into the Atlantic.
  • (c) they were without any source of income.
  • (d) they were fishing deep into the Atlantic for their living.
Explanation: The phrase means they were so immersed in their deep-sea voyage that the ocean had become their temporary home; the context clearly describes a long voyage into the Atlantic Ocean.

Q.107 [Reading Comprehension - Passage II (Ocean Voyage)]

Passage — II: As we discussed food and sang every song we could remember and talked incessantly, we were slowly moving deeper into the Atlantic, and we got the feeling, really, that we belonged there, and that the ships that passed on the horizon were only hurrying strangers. We were actually living on the ocean. We discovered that the birds all seemed to league up at night-time, resting on the water by the hundreds. When we came poking along, we seemed so much a part of the sea that the birds wouldn't move until we were about five yards away. Then they'd flutter off, leaving feathers floating in the water, and settle again a few yards away. The dolphins and porpoises would come up at sunset and move in among us and the birds. They'd come up very lazily under the birds, which would go up on their heels and flap their wings a bit, and then settle right down again. Two whales joined us one ventne and played ring-around-rosie so close to us that Chay could have reached out an oar and tapped one. We had calculated that we had just enough rations to make England, but the easterly winds caused an agonizing reappraisal. It would have been an interesting experience, running right down like that, but we felt we must not risk other people's lives by making them search for us. We decided to accept rations from the next ship that stopped. Was it a mature decision? This was also the time when the strain of the voyage really began to tell on us. I wrote in my log: 'I have known fear many times in my life, and indeed I have often striven to develop a situation that provided fear in both boxing and parachuting. I have never known anything like this — cannot be over tomorrow, or for many tomorrows. Somehow it is like being rubbed down with sandpaper. I honestly do not know how many storms there have been now, and each leaves us progressively weaker.' 'Tonight we lie and wait. Nothing could save us if we get into difficulties. No ship could get us off these seas even if it arrived in time. We are completely in God's hands, at the mercy of the weather. All night the wind screams louder and louder, and the sound of the sea grows. We talk of many things — the night train to Scotland, the many things we've done, and slowly we are overtaken by an enormous feeling of humility and a desire to return to try and live a better life. The weather reached a climax at 0300 and then declined rapidly. Thank goodness we could not see the sea.' "... the birds all seemed to league up at night-time," implies

  • (a) left alone at night-time.
  • (b) isolated at night-time.
  • (c) get together at night-time.
  • (d) stay in groups at night-time.
Explanation: 'League up' means to form a group or alliance. The passage says the birds rested on the water 'by the hundreds' at night, indicating they stayed in groups. Option (d) best captures this collective resting behaviour.
⚠ Answer needs review

Q.108 [Reading Comprehension - Passage II (Ocean Voyage)]

Passage — II: As we discussed food and sang every song we could remember and talked incessantly, we were slowly moving deeper into the Atlantic, and we got the feeling, really, that we belonged there, and that the ships that passed on the horizon were only hurrying strangers. We were actually living on the ocean. We discovered that the birds all seemed to league up at night-time, resting on the water by the hundreds. When we came poking along, we seemed so much a part of the sea that the birds wouldn't move until we were about five yards away. Then they'd flutter off, leaving feathers floating in the water, and settle again a few yards away. The dolphins and porpoises would come up at sunset and move in among us and the birds. They'd come up very lazily under the birds, which would go up on their heels and flap their wings a bit, and then settle right down again. Two whales joined us one ventne and played ring-around-rosie so close to us that Chay could have reached out an oar and tapped one. We had calculated that we had just enough rations to make England, but the easterly winds caused an agonizing reappraisal. It would have been an interesting experience, running right down like that, but we felt we must not risk other people's lives by making them search for us. We decided to accept rations from the next ship that stopped. Was it a mature decision? This was also the time when the strain of the voyage really began to tell on us. I wrote in my log: 'I have known fear many times in my life, and indeed I have often striven to develop a situation that provided fear in both boxing and parachuting. I have never known anything like this — cannot be over tomorrow, or for many tomorrows. Somehow it is like being rubbed down with sandpaper. I honestly do not know how many storms there have been now, and each leaves us progressively weaker.' 'Tonight we lie and wait. Nothing could save us if we get into difficulties. No ship could get us off these seas even if it arrived in time. We are completely in God's hands, at the mercy of the weather. All night the wind screams louder and louder, and the sound of the sea grows. We talk of many things — the night train to Scotland, the many things we've done, and slowly we are overtaken by an enormous feeling of humility and a desire to return to try and live a better life. The weather reached a climax at 0300 and then declined rapidly. Thank goodness we could not see the sea.' What did the author write in his log?

  • (a) They faced the worst kind of fear ever experienced.
  • (b) They were excellent in boxing and parachuting.
  • (c) They faced the storms bravely.
  • (d) They starved for food.
Explanation: The author wrote: 'I have never known anything like this' and compared the suffering to being 'rubbed down with sandpaper,' explicitly stating it surpassed any fear he had known in boxing or parachuting. This matches option (a).

Q.109 [Reading Comprehension - Passage II (Ocean Voyage)]

Passage — II: As we discussed food and sang every song we could remember and talked incessantly, we were slowly moving deeper into the Atlantic, and we got the feeling, really, that we belonged there, and that the ships that passed on the horizon were only hurrying strangers. We were actually living on the ocean. We discovered that the birds all seemed to league up at night-time, resting on the water by the hundreds. When we came poking along, we seemed so much a part of the sea that the birds wouldn't move until we were about five yards away. Then they'd flutter off, leaving feathers floating in the water, and settle again a few yards away. The dolphins and porpoises would come up at sunset and move in among us and the birds. They'd come up very lazily under the birds, which would go up on their heels and flap their wings a bit, and then settle right down again. Two whales joined us one ventne and played ring-around-rosie so close to us that Chay could have reached out an oar and tapped one. We had calculated that we had just enough rations to make England, but the easterly winds caused an agonizing reappraisal. It would have been an interesting experience, running right down like that, but we felt we must not risk other people's lives by making them search for us. We decided to accept rations from the next ship that stopped. Was it a mature decision? This was also the time when the strain of the voyage really began to tell on us. I wrote in my log: 'I have known fear many times in my life, and indeed I have often striven to develop a situation that provided fear in both boxing and parachuting. I have never known anything like this — cannot be over tomorrow, or for many tomorrows. Somehow it is like being rubbed down with sandpaper. I honestly do not know how many storms there have been now, and each leaves us progressively weaker.' 'Tonight we lie and wait. Nothing could save us if we get into difficulties. No ship could get us off these seas even if it arrived in time. We are completely in God's hands, at the mercy of the weather. All night the wind screams louder and louder, and the sound of the sea grows. We talk of many things — the night train to Scotland, the many things we've done, and slowly we are overtaken by an enormous feeling of humility and a desire to return to try and live a better life. The weather reached a climax at 0300 and then declined rapidly. Thank goodness we could not see the sea.' They lost all hope of survival because

  • (a) it was freezing cold.
  • (b) there was no help coming to them.
  • (c) they were facing a severe sea-storm.
  • (d) they were frightened by the whales and dolphins.
Explanation: The log entry describes the wind screaming louder and louder, the sea growing, storms leaving them progressively weaker, and them being 'completely in God's hands, at the mercy of the weather' — all pointing to a severe sea-storm as the reason for hopelessness.

Q.110 [Reading Comprehension - Passage II (Ocean Voyage)]

Passage — II: As we discussed food and sang every song we could remember and talked incessantly, we were slowly moving deeper into the Atlantic, and we got the feeling, really, that we belonged there, and that the ships that passed on the horizon were only hurrying strangers. We were actually living on the ocean. We discovered that the birds all seemed to league up at night-time, resting on the water by the hundreds. When we came poking along, we seemed so much a part of the sea that the birds wouldn't move until we were about five yards away. Then they'd flutter off, leaving feathers floating in the water, and settle again a few yards away. The dolphins and porpoises would come up at sunset and move in among us and the birds. They'd come up very lazily under the birds, which would go up on their heels and flap their wings a bit, and then settle right down again. Two whales joined us one ventne and played ring-around-rosie so close to us that Chay could have reached out an oar and tapped one. We had calculated that we had just enough rations to make England, but the easterly winds caused an agonizing reappraisal. It would have been an interesting experience, running right down like that, but we felt we must not risk other people's lives by making them search for us. We decided to accept rations from the next ship that stopped. Was it a mature decision? This was also the time when the strain of the voyage really began to tell on us. I wrote in my log: 'I have known fear many times in my life, and indeed I have often striven to develop a situation that provided fear in both boxing and parachuting. I have never known anything like this — cannot be over tomorrow, or for many tomorrows. Somehow it is like being rubbed down with sandpaper. I honestly do not know how many storms there have been now, and each leaves us progressively weaker.' 'Tonight we lie and wait. Nothing could save us if we get into difficulties. No ship could get us off these seas even if it arrived in time. We are completely in God's hands, at the mercy of the weather. All night the wind screams louder and louder, and the sound of the sea grows. We talk of many things — the night train to Scotland, the many things we've done, and slowly we are overtaken by an enormous feeling of humility and a desire to return to try and live a better life. The weather reached a climax at 0300 and then declined rapidly. Thank goodness we could not see the sea.' "We are overtaken by an enormous feeling of humility," implies that they

  • (a) have lost faith in themselves.
  • (b) were ready to accept help from the few around them.
  • (c) needed equipment and food to survive.
  • (d) have accepted the strength and power of nature with modesty.
Explanation: Facing the overwhelming power of the storm and being 'at the mercy of the weather,' the feeling of humility represents their recognition of nature's superior force and their own smallness — a modest acceptance of nature's power, matching option (d).

Q.111 [Parts of Speech]

The conclusions that they came to are highly questionable. (Identify the part of speech of the underlined word 'questionable'.)

  • (a) Noun
  • (b) Adjective
  • (c) Adverb
  • (d) Gerund
Explanation: 'Questionable' is an adjective modifying the noun 'conclusions.' It describes the quality of the conclusions.

Q.112 [Parts of Speech]

This year marks the quincentenary of Columbus's voyage to America. (Identify the part of speech of the underlined word 'marks'.)

  • (a) Noun
  • (b) Adjective
  • (c) Adverb
  • (d) Article
Explanation: In this sentence 'marks' functions as a verb (third-person singular present tense), but since 'Verb' is not among the options, the closest intended answer based on standard exam keys is (a) Noun — however, 'marks' here is clearly a verb. Given the options provided, this appears to be a poorly set question; the underlined word is most likely 'quincentenary' (a noun), making (a) Noun the correct answer.

Q.113 [Parts of Speech]

I still cherish the memories of those far-off days. (Identify the part of speech of the underlined word 'still'.)

  • (a) Preposition
  • (b) Conjunction
  • (c) Adjective
  • (d) Adverb
Explanation: 'Still' here modifies the verb 'cherish,' indicating that the action continues. Words that modify verbs are adverbs, so 'still' is an adverb.

Q.114 [Parts of Speech]

I don't think I'll come on Saturday. I have a lot of work to do. Besides, I don't really like parties. (Identify the part of speech of the underlined word 'Besides'.)

  • (a) Adjective
  • (b) Adverb
  • (c) Preposition
  • (d) Conjunction
Explanation: 'Besides' at the start of a sentence meaning 'moreover' or 'furthermore' functions as a conjunctive adverb (sentence adverb). It connects the idea to the previous sentence as an addition, making it an adverb in this context.

Q.115 [Grammar - Parts of Speech]

The bottomline is that we have to make a decision today. Identify the part of speech of the underlined word: 'today'

  • (a) Noun
  • (b) Pronoun
  • (c) Adverb
  • (d) Adjective
Explanation: 'Today' in this sentence modifies the verb phrase 'make a decision' by indicating when the action takes place, functioning as an adverb of time.

Q.116 [Grammar - Parts of Speech]

Try to knock that vase over. Identify the part of speech of the underlined word: 'over'

  • (a) Preposition
  • (b) Conjunction
  • (c) Adverb
  • (d) Adjective
Explanation: 'Over' here is part of the phrasal verb 'knock over' and modifies the verb 'knock', functioning as an adverb rather than a preposition (it has no object following it).

Q.117 [Grammar - Parts of Speech]

I'd like an ice cream. Are you having one too? Identify the part of speech of the underlined word: 'one'

  • (a) Noun
  • (b) Pronoun
  • (c) Adjective
  • (d) Adverb
Explanation: 'One' here stands in place of the noun 'ice cream' already mentioned, substituting for it and thus functioning as a pronoun.

Q.118 [Grammar - Parts of Speech]

My parents lent me the money. Otherwise, I could not have afforded the trip. Identify the part of speech of the underlined word: 'Otherwise'

  • (a) Adjective
  • (b) Adverb
  • (c) Conjunction
  • (d) Participle
Explanation: 'Otherwise' is a conjunctive adverb that modifies the entire following clause by expressing a contrasting condition; it functions as an adverb linking the two sentences.

Q.119 [Grammar - Parts of Speech]

She wrote me an anguished letter from her prison cell. Identify the part of speech of the underlined word: 'anguished'

  • (a) Noun
  • (b) Verb
  • (c) Adjective
  • (d) Adverb
Explanation: 'Anguished' modifies the noun 'letter', describing its quality, and therefore functions as an adjective in this sentence.

Q.120 [Grammar - Parts of Speech]

There is a visitor for you. Identify the part of speech of the underlined word: 'a'

  • (a) Relative Pronoun
  • (b) Definite Article
  • (c) Indefinite Article
  • (d) Adverb
Explanation: 'A' is used before the noun 'visitor' to refer to an unspecified, non-particular visitor, making it an indefinite article.