Directions (1-15): In the questions given below a sentence(s) is given with two blanks in each. Corresponding to each question two columns are given with three words in each column. Which combination of words from the two columns will perfectly fit into the blanks to make the sentence contextually correct and meaningful.
Q1. No matter who ——————- in May, we will need to fight against this ———————– broad brush-stroke politics.
(a) B-E
(b) C-D
(c) A-E
(d) A-E and A-F
(e) None of the above
Q2. The ———————– in industrial activity and the ——————- in retail inflation pose a policy challenge.
(a) B-D, B-E, C-D and C-E
(b) B-D and A-F
(c) A-F
(d) C-D
(e) None of the above
Q3. Jet Airways ——————— a temporary halt of its operations from Wednesday night as funds to keep the airline going ——————— up.
(a) B-E
(b) A-D
(c) C-D
(d) A-F
(e) None of the above
Q4. The collapse of Jet has caused ———————- in the market and also raised some serious questions over why the domestic airline industry is proving to be so ——————— for enterprises.
(a) B-F
(b) C-E
(c) A-D and C-F
(d) A-D, B-D, A-F and B-F
(e) None of the above
Q5. There have been more than half-a-dozen private airline companies that have fallen by the ————- in the last decade and more and it is well-known how Air India is —————— up with government support.
(a) B-D
(b) A-D
(c) C-E
(d) A-F
(e) None of the above
Q6. While it is true that fuel costs, which account for about half of the —————- of running an airline, have been difficult to manage, the fact is that reckless competition is responsible for the sorry —————- of the industry.
(a) B-F
(b) B-E and C-E
(c) A-F
(d) A-E
(e) None of the above
Q7. It is time that airlines took ——————– of their collective plight and stopped ——————— each other on fares.
(a) A-D
(b) A-F
(c) B-D
(d) C-E
(e) None of the above
Q8. It is ———————– that airfares have largely stayed stable over several years, benefiting passengers but ————————- airlines.
(a) A-E and C-D
(b) C-D
(c) A-E, A-F, B-E and B-F
(d) B-F
(e) None of the above
Q9. Modernising colonial era laws is a long-delayed project, but the draft Indian Forest Act, 2019 is ——————– short of being a transformative ——————— of legislation.
(a) A-D and B-D
(b) C-E
(c) B-F
(d) C-F
(e) None of the above
Q10. India’s forests play a key role in ————————— the lives of not just the adivasis and other traditional dwellers, but everyone in the subcontinent, through their ———————- on the climate and monsoons.
(a) C-F
(b) C-E
(c) A-E and A-F
(d) B-E
(e) None of the above
Q11. As the ————————— for elections to the 17th Lok Sabha begins, the world’s largest democracy has a ——————— to re-imagine itself.
(a) C-E
(b) C-D
(c) B-E
(d) B-D
(e) None of the above
Q12. India did make some dangerous turns and show signs of ————————-, especially during the Emergency in the 1970s, but in the long term it expanded the ————————– of its democracy through widening representation, devolution of power and redistribution of resources.
(a) A-D, A-E, C-D and C-E
(b) A-D and C-E
(c) B-F
(d) B-E
(e) None of the above
Q13. The ————————– of Indian democracy have been pronounced in the last five years and some of its long-term gains have been —————————-.
(a) A-E
(b) A-F
(c) C-D
(d) B-D
(e) None of the above
Q14. The ECI has announced a series of fresh ———————- to strengthen the integrity of the electoral process and curb some rapidly ——————— hazards such as the spread of falsehoods aimed at creating social polarisation for consolidation of votes.
(a) B-E
(b) A-D and C-F
(c) B-D, C-D, B-F and C-F
(d) A-E
(e) None of the above
Q15. Though the promise of Indian democracy has not been fully ————— , voters have remained ————– to it.
(a) C-D
(b) A-E
(c) C-F
(d) B-E
(e) None of the above
Solutions
S1. Ans.(d)
Sol. ‘A-E and A-F’ is the correct combination here. ‘Entrenched’ means establish (an attitude, habit, or belief) so firmly that change is very difficult or unlikely.
S2. Ans.(a)
Sol. ‘B-D, B-E, C-D and C-E’ are the correct combinations here. ‘Downturn’ means a decline in economic, business, or other activity. and ‘spike’ means a sharp increase in the magnitude or concentration of something.
S3. Ans.(c)
Sol. ‘C-D’ is the correct combination here.
S4. Ans.(d)
Sol. ‘A-D, B-D, A-F and B-F’ are the correct combinations here. ‘Perilous’ means full of danger or risk.
S5. Ans.(a)
Sol. ‘B-D’ is the correct combination here. ‘fall by the Wayside’ means fail to persist in an endeavour or undertaking and ‘propped’ means support or keep in position.
S6. Ans.(b)
Sol. ‘C-E and B-E’ are the correct combinations here.’Plight’ means a dangerous, difficult, or otherwise unfortunate situation.
S7. Ans.(c)
Sol. ‘B-D’ is the correct combination here. ‘Undercutting’ means
weaken; undermine.
S8. Ans.(c)
Sol. ‘A-D, A-F, B-E and B-F’ are the correct combinations here.
S9. Ans.(a)
Sol. ‘A-D and B-D’ are the correct combinations here. ‘Woefully’ means very badly; deplorably.
S10. Ans.(c)
Sol. ‘A-E and A-F’ are the correct combinations here.
S11. Ans.(d)
Sol. ‘B-D’ is the correct combination here.
S12. Ans.(a)
Sol. ‘A-D, C-D, A-E and C-E’ are the correct combinations here. ‘Frangible’ means able to be broken into fragments; brittle or fragile.
S13. Ans.(c)
Sol. ‘C-D’ is the correct combination here.
S14. Ans.(c)
Sol. ‘B-D, C-D, B-F and C-F’ are the correct combinations here.
S15. Ans.(a)
Sol. ‘C-D’ is the correct combination here.