Directions (1-10): Read the following passage and answer the questions as directed. Some words are highlighted to help you answer some of the questions.
In continuing with its politics of regional identity, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi won a second term in office in India’s newest State, __________(A)__________ the national party, the Congress, to a distant second. (B)TRS leader K. Chandrasekhara Rao, sworn in again as Chief Minister, had made calculated gamble by advancing the election, which was due along with the Lok Sabha election.The motive was clear: he did not want to fight the Assembly polls alongside the Lok Sabha election, in which the Congress would have been a strong contender at the national level. (C) The gamble paid off increase (1), and the TRS has added (2) 25 seats to its 2014 tally of 63 with anhandsomely (3) of 12 percentage points in vote share (4). For the second time, the Congress failed to capitalise on its role in carving out Telangana from Andhra Pradesh, allowing the TRS a runaway victory. (D) While it did not get any credit in Telangana for bringing the State into being, it had to take all the blame in Andhra Pradesh for the bifurcation, _____________________________________________, the YSR Congress Party. Mr. Rao is now firmly entrenched in government, and his son, K.T. Rama Rao, is a parallel power centre. In the last five years, far from being able to challenge the TRS politically, the Congress appears to have __________(E)__________ in voter estimation.
(F) Some of the Congress’s failures will have to be mitigated to the national leadership, which hurriedly entered into an alliance with the Telugu Desam Party. Although the TDP does enjoy support in Hyderabad and surrounding areas, it is seen in the rest of Telangana as essentially a party of the neighbouring State of Andhra Pradesh. Congress president Rahul Gandhi may have been looking at the bigger picture ____________________(G)____________________, but Telangana voters took a cynical view of the coming together of the two parties that were principal rivals just five years ago. Although the People’s Front of the Congress and the TDP drafted a common programme, and held a joint campaign, this was not enough to challenge the TRS, which moved to poll mode several months in advance. (H) The result could also have implications (1) for the Assembly election in Andhra Pradesh next year, as the TDP might be facilitated (2) of being identified (3) too closely with the Congress, which is still seen as having wary (4) the bifurcation. (I) The TRS, who talks of maintaining equidistance between the Congress and the BJP, is more likely to back the BJP than the Congress in the post-election scenario. And given that the TDP, until a few months ago, was an ally of the BJP, any which way the Congress looks at it the twin States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh remain a __________(J)__________ terrain.
Q 1. Which of the following words given in the options should come at the place marked as (A) in the above passage to make it grammatically correct and meaningful. Also, the word should fill in the two sentences given below to make them contextually correct and meaningful.
(i) Tropical storm Marco is ______________________ northward up Florida’s coast.
(ii) People living near the airport are _____________________ for new rules about night flight.
(a) maintaining
(b) pushing
(c) revealing
(d) clearing
(e) making
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Q2. In the above passage, a sentence B is given in Italics. There may or may not be an error in one part of the sentence. Choose the part which has an error in it as your answer. If there is no error, then choose option (e) as your answer.
(a) TRS leader K. Chandrasekhara Rao, sworn in
(b) Again as Chief Minister, had made calculated
(c) Gamble by advancing the election,
(d) Which was due along with the Lok Sabha election
(e) No Error
Q3. The sentence given in (C) has four words given in bold. Amongst the given bold words which of the followings must interchange to make the sentence grammatically and contextually correct and meaningful?
(a) 1-3
(b) 2-4
(c) 1-4
(d) 3-4
(e) 2-3
Q4. Which of the following phrases should fill the blank (D) to make it contextually and grammatically meaningful and correct respectively?
(a) whether the Congress erred in privileging members
(b) but the real question to ask of the party is how it arrived at
(c) where it conceded space to its breakaway party
(d) although the Congress is not the only party that is guilty of
(e) but the Congress still needed to signal
Q5. Which of the following words given in the options should come at the place marked as (E) in the above paragraph to make it grammatically and contextually meaningful and correct. Also, the word should fill the two sentences given below to make them contextually correct and meaningful?
(i) On other markets, silver prices ____________________ while crude oil steadied.
(ii) Bell Atlantic has ________________ on its schedule because of technical difficulties.
(a) slipped
(b) acknowledged
(c) mitigated
(d) reached
(e) avoided
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Q6. A word is given in bold in (F). Choose the word which should replace the word given in bold to make the sentence correct and meaningful. If no change is required, choose option (e) as your answer.
(a) betrayed
(b) reprimanded
(c) attributed
(d) decreased
(e) No replacement required
Q7. Two sentences are given in italics on both sides of (G). Which of the following statements can come in between the two sentences in place of G and maintain the continuity of the paragraph?
(a) of letting leaders from the grassroots to emerge
(b) despite his role in the campaign
(c) of any significance today are of the second or third generation in the party
(d) when he welcomed the TDP as part of a broad Opposition alliance
(e) by decentralising power and not concentrating it in the so-called high command
Q8. The sentence given in (H) has four words given in bold. Amongst the given bolded words, which of the followings must replace each other to make the sentence contextually correct and meaningful.
(a) 1-3
(b) 3-4
(c) 2-3
(d) 1-4
(e) 2-4
Q9. In the passage given, a sentence (I) is given in Italics. There may or may not be an error in one part of the sentence. Choose the part which has an error in it as your answer.
(a) Than the Congress in the post-election scenario
(b) Is more likely to back the BJP
(c) Between the Congress and the BJP,
(d) The TRS, who talks of maintaining equidistance
(e) No Error
Q10. Which of the following words should fill the blank given in (J) to make it contextually correct and meaningful?
(a) harmless
(b) truthful
(c) favourable
(d) desired
(e) difficult
Directions (11-15): In the following questions, a sentence is given which is divided into five parts. Out of the five parts, one part is highlighted in bold which is grammatically correct. Among the other four parts, one part is grammatically incorrect. From the options, choose the option which correctly mentions the grammatically incorrect part and the correct replacement for the grammatically incorrect part. If all the parts of the sentence are correct, choose option (e) i.e. ‘The sentence is grammatically correct” as your answer choice.
Q11. Hours after taking oath as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Kamal Nath/sparked widespread condemn from the BJP and Opposition parties (A)/ for his remark that local youth (B)/ were deprived of jobs, (C)/ thanks to migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar (D).
(a) (A); sparking widespread condemn from the BJP and Opposition parties
(b) (B); for his remark about local youth
(c) (A); sparked widespread condemnation from the BJP and Opposition parties
(d) (D); thank to migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar
(e) The sentence is grammatically correct
Q12. DNA profiling may be a contentious issue among humans, (A)/ but in Kerala’s captive elephants, it’s done deal. (B)/ In a first for India, (C)/ every one of Kerala’s captive elephants/ now has a unique DNA-based genetic ID (D).
(a) (C); for the first in India
(b) (B); but for Kerala’s captive elephants, it’s a done deal.
(c) (A); DNA profile may be a contentious issue among humans
(d) (B); but for Kerala’s captive elephants, it’s done deal.
(e) The sentence is grammatically correct
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Q13. Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP was jolted again on Tuesday/ as the party expelled two senior leaders, (A)/ including a former Minister, taking the total (B)/ number of those who have parted ways (C)/ with the party, for the PDP-BJP government fell in June, to eight (D).
(a) (A); and the party expelled two senior leaders,
(b) (B); include a former Minister, taking the total
(c) (C); number of those that have parted ways
(d) (D); with the party, since the PDP-BJP government fell in June, to eight
(e) The sentence is grammatically correct
Q14. Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty, upon hearing the BJP counsel,/ directed State counsel Advocate General Kishore Dutta (A)/ submit on Wednesday the video recording on the meeting (B)/ which was conducted on an (C)/ earlier order of the court’s Division Bench (D).
(a) (B); to submit on Wednesday the video recording of the meeting
(b) (B); submit on Wednesday the video recording of the meeting
(c) (C); which were conducted for an
(d) (C); which conducted for an
(e) The sentence is grammatically correct
Q15. A happy employee is often an engaged employee/ — dictated by this wisdom, a few organisations (A)/ are allowing their employees to “customise” their holiday calendar. (B)/ Besides state-declared holidays, they can choose (C)/ to mark “their holidays” drawing from a special reserve (D).
(a) (A); has been dictated by this wisdom, a few organisations
(b) (D); marked “their holidays” drawing a special reserve
(c) (A); has been dictated by this wisdom, few organisations
(d) (D); marking “their holidays” drawing from a special reserve
(e) The sentence is grammatically correct
Solutions
S1. Ans. (b)
Sol. Though both the words ‘maintaining’ and ‘pushing’ seems to be good contender, but it would make much sense if the word ‘pushing’ would fill the blank because TRS pushing the national party, the Congress, to a distant second makes more sense than TRS maintaining the national party, the Congress, to a distant second.
Hence, option (b) is the correct answer.
S2. Ans. (b)
Sol. The part mentioned in the option (b) ‘again as Chief Minister, had made -a- calculated (gamble)’ is erroneous. Gamble is a Singular Countable Noun and the context of the sentence suggests that the noun phrase ‘calculated gamble’ is an Indefinite Singular Countable Noun which would require an indefinite article ‘a’.
Hence, option (b) is the correct answer.
S3. Ans. (a)
Sol. The phrase ‘gamble paid off’ demands an adverb to follow it. ‘Increase’ is not an adverb.
The word marked as (3) is preceded by an ‘an’. Hence, the correct interchange which would make the sentence (C) grammatically and contextually correct is ‘1-3’.
Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.
S4. Ans. (c)
Sol. The sentence preceding the sentence (D) is talking about how Congress failed to capitalise on its role in carving out Telangana from Andhra Pradesh. The sentence (D) informs that the Congress did not get any credit in Telangana for bringing the State into being, it had to take all the blame in Andhra Pradesh for the bifurcation. The phrase is now followed by a blank which is then followed by ‘the YSR Congress Party’. Among the given options, the phrase given in the option (c) ‘where it conceded space to its breakaway party’ upon filling the blank provides the best sense. The option correctly provides a relation between the Congress and the YSR Congress Party by stating that the latter is a breakaway party of the former.
Hence, option (c) is the correct answer.
S5. Ans. (a)
Sol. The preceding sentences to the sentence (E) tells how the Congress Party is at a disadvantaged in Andhra Pradesh. In the sentence where the blank (E) appears starts from the phrase ‘far from being able to challenge’… The tone of the phrase suggests that the Congress is at a very big disadvantaged in terms of ‘voter estimation’. Among the given options, the word ‘slipped’ provides the correct context to the blank.
Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.
S6. Ans. (c)
Sol. Betray [verb] means ‘to reveal or make known something, usually unintentionally’;
Attribute [verb] means ‘ascribe a work or remark to (a particular author, artist, or speaker)’;
Reprimand [verb] means ‘a formal expression of disapproval’;
The sentence (F) is sort of discussing the relationship of ‘some of the Congress’s failures’ with the national leadership. The sentence informs that the national leadership ‘hurriedly entered into an alliance with the Telugu Desam Party’. The word ‘hurriedly’ seems to point out the mistake on the part of the national leadership. Now, when one tries to find out the correct relationship between ‘some of the Congress’s failures’ with the ‘national leadership’, the tone of the sentence (F) suggests that the sentence (F) is saying that ‘some of the Congress’s failures’ will have to be ‘attributed’ to the ‘national party’.
Hence, option (c) ‘attributed’ is the correct answer.
S7. Ans. (d)
Sol. Among the given alternatives, the alternative ‘when he welcomed the TDP as part of a broad Opposition alliance’ provides the best sense to the blank, and coherently connects the preceding and the following phrase of the blank.
Rahul Gandhi was looking at the bigger picture…
But Telangana voters took a cynical view of the coming together of the two parties that were principal rivals just five years ago.
The hint for the correct phrase to fill the blank can be derived from the phrase ‘coming together of the two parties’.
Among the given options, the option ‘when he welcomed the TDP as part of a broad Opposition alliance’ provides the correct contextual and grammatical sense to the blank.
Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.
S8. Ans. (e)
Sol. The context of the passage suggests that in Andhra Pradesh, the Congress is seen as having facilitated the bifurcation of the Andhra Pradesh into two states. So, the highlighted word ‘wary’ is at a contextually incorrect position.
Similarly, it would be more sensible it the phrase ‘as the TDP might be facilitated of being…’
So, the correct interchange is ‘2-4’.
Hence, option (e) is the correct answer.
S9. Ans. (d)
Sol. In the sentence (I), there is an error in the phrase ‘The TRS, who talks of maintaining equidistance’. The usage of the pronoun ‘who’ is incorrect from grammatical point-of-view because its antecedent ‘the TRS’ is not a human being, but an organisation which is a non-living being. The correct pronoun should have been ‘which’.
So, the grammatically correct phrase should have been ‘The TRS, which talks of maintaining equidistance’.
Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.
S10. Ans. (e)
Sol. The tone of the sentence (J) suggests that the blank would be filled by an adjective.
The preceding sentences make comment on the relationship between the TDP and the Congress. The tone of the sentences qualifies the relationship in a negative connotation.
Among the given alternatives, the adjective ‘difficult’ provides the correct context to the blank.
Hence, option (e) is the correct answer.
S11. Ans. (c)
Sol. There is an error in the part (A) of the sentence. In the part (A), a verb ‘spark’ is followed by another verb ‘condemn’. There is an error in the structure of the sentence. ‘Spark’ is a transitive verb which is followed by an object. The word ‘condemn’ should instead be ‘condemnation’, which is a noun and can function as an object of a transitive finite verb.
Among the given options, only option (c) mentions both the correct correction and the part which is grammatically incorrect.
Hence, option (c) is the correct answer.
S12. Ans. (b)
Sol. There are two errors in the part (B) of the sentence. The usage of the preposition ‘in’ is incorrect as per the context of the sentence. The correct preposition should have been ‘for’. Moreover, ‘deal’ is a Singular Countable Noun, so, the indefinite noun phrase ‘done deal’ should be preceded by an indefinite article ‘a’.
Among the given options, option (b) correctly mentions the part which is grammatically incorrect and the correct correction.
Hence, option (b) is the correct answer.
S13. Ans. (d)
Sol. There is an error in the part (D) of the sentence. The usage of the preposition ‘for’ is incorrect as per the context of the sentence. The correct preposition to be used should have been ‘since’.
Among the given options, option (d) provides correct correction and the part which is grammatically incorrect.
Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.
S14. Ans. (a)
Sol. There is an error in the part (B).
The phrase ‘submit’ should be an infinitive phrase and the word ‘submit’ must be preceded by ‘to’.
Moreover, the usage of the preposition ‘on’ is incorrect as per the context of the sentence and the preposition ‘on’ should be replaced by ‘of’.
Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.
S15. Ans. (e)
Sol. The given sentence is grammatically and contextually correct.
Hence, option (e) is the correct answer.
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