1Q. She hadn’t eaten all day, and by the time she got home, she was______.

(A) blighted (B) confutative (C) ravenous (D) ostentatious (E) blissful

Answer: Option (C)
Explanation: Ravenous means extremely hungry.
2Q. The movie offended many of the parents of its younger viewers by including unnecessary ______ in the dialogue.

(A) vulgarity (B) verbosity (C) vocalizations (D) garishness (E) tonality

Answer: Option (A)
Explanation: Vulgarity means offensive speech or conduct.
3Q. His neighbors found his ______ manner bossy and irritating, and they stopped inviting him to backyard barbeques.

(A) insentient (B) magisterial (C) reparatory (D) restorative (E) modest

Answer: Option (B)
Explanation: Magisterial means overbearing or offensively self-assured.
4Q. Steven is always ______ about showing up for work because he feels that tardiness is a sign of irresponsibility.

(A) legible (B) tolerable (C) punctual (D) literal (E) belligerent

Answer: Option (C)
Explanation: Punctual means arriving exactly on time.
5Q. Candace would ______ her little sister into an argument by teasing her and calling her names.

(A) advocate (B) provoke (C) perforate (D) laminate (E) expunge

Answer: Option (B)
Explanation: To provoke is to incite anger or resentment; to call forth a feeling or action.
6Q. The dress Ariel wore ______ with small, glassy beads, creating a shimmering effect.

(A) titillated (B) reiterated (C) scintillated (D) enthralled (E) striated

Answer: Option (C)
Explanation: To scintillate means to emit or send forth sparks or little flashes of light, creating a shimmering effect; to sparkle.
7Q. Being able to afford this luxury car will ______ getting a better paying job.

(A) maximize (B) recombinant (C) reiterate (D) necessitate (E) reciprocate

Answer: Option (D)
Explanation: To necessitate means to make necessary, especially as a result.
8Q. Levina unknowingly ______ the thief by holding open the elevator doors and ensuring his escape.

(A) coerced (B) proclaimed (C) abetted (D) sanctioned (E) solicited

Answer: Option (C)
Explanation: To abet means to assist, encourage, urge, or aid, usually an act of wrongdoing.
9Q. Shakespeare, a(n) ______ writer, entertained audiences by writing many tragic and comic plays.

(A) numeric (B) obstinate (C) dutiful (D) prolific (E) generic

Answer: Option (D)
Explanation: Prolific means abundantly creative.
10Q. I had the ______ experience of sitting next to an over-talkative passenger on my flight home from Brussels.

(A) satisfactory (B) commendable (C) galling (D) acceptable (E) acute

Answer: Option (C)
Explanation: Galling means irritating, annoying, or exasperating.

1Q. Prince Phillip had to choose: marry the woman he loved and ______ his right to the throne, or marry Lady Fiona and inherit the crown.

(A) reprimand (B) upbraid (C) abdicate (D) winnow (E) extol

Answer: Option (C)
Explanation: To abdicate means to formally relinquish or surrender power, office, or responsibility.
2Q. If you will not do your work of your own ______, I have no choice but to penalize you if it is not done on time.

(A) predilection (B) coercion (C) excursion (D) volition (E) infusion

Answer: Option (D)
Explanation: Volition means accord; an act or exercise of will.
3Q. After sitting in the sink for several days, the dirty, food-encrusted dishes became ______.

(A) malodorous (B) prevalent (C) imposing (D) perforated (E) emphatic

Answer: Option (A)
Explanation: Malodorous means having a foul-smelling odor.
4Q. Giulia soon discovered the source of the ______ smell in the room: a week-old tuna sandwich that one of the children had hidden in the closet.

(A) quaint (B) fastidious (C) clandestine (D) laconic (E) fetid

Answer: Option (E)
Explanation: Fetid means having a foul or offensive odor, putrid.
5Q. After making ______ remarks to the President, the reporter was not invited to return to the White House press room.

(A) hospitable (B) itinerant (C) enterprising (D) chivalrous (E) irreverent

Answer: Option (E)
Explanation: Irreverent means lacking respect or seriousness; not reverent.
6Q. With her ______ eyesight, Krystyna spotted a trio of deer on the hillside and she reduced the speed of her car.

(A) inferior (B) keen (C) impressionable (D) ductile (E) conspiratorial

Answer: Option (B)
Explanation: Keen means being extremely sensitive or responsive; having strength of perception.
7Q. With a(n) ______ grin, the boy quickly slipped the candy into his pocket without his mother’s knowledge.

(A) jaundiced (B) nefarious (C) stereotypical (D) sentimental (E) impartial

Answer: Option (B)
Explanation: Nefarious means wicked, vicious, or evil.
8Q. Her ______ display of tears at work did not impress her new boss, who felt she should try to control her emotions.

(A) maudlin (B) meritorious (C) precarious (D) plausible (E) schematic

Answer: Option (A)
Explanation: Maudlin means excessively and weakly sentimental or tearfully emotional.
9Q. Johan argued, “If you know about a crime but don’t report it, you are ______ in that crime because you allowed it to happen.”

(A) acquitted (B) steadfast (C) tenuous (D) complicit (E) nullified

Answer: Option (D)
Explanation: Complicit means participating in or associated with a questionable act or a crime.
10Q. The authorities, fearing a ______ of their power, called for a military state in the hopes of restoring order.

(A) subversion (B) premonition (C) predilection (D) infusion (E) inversion

Answer: Option (A)
Explanation: Subversion means an overthrow, as from the foundation.

1Q. The story’s bitter antagonist felt such great ______ for all of the other characters that as a result, his life was very lonely and he died alone.

(A) insurgence (B) malevolence (C) reciprocation (D) declamation (E) preference

Answer: Option (B)
Explanation: Malevolence means ill will or malice toward others; hate.
2Q. It is difficult to believe that charging 20% on an outstanding credit card balance isn’t ______!

(A) bankruptcy (B) usury (C) novice (D) kleptomania (E) flagrancy

Answer: Option (B)
Explanation: Usury is the lending of money at exorbitant interest rates.
3Q. The ______ weather patterns of the tropical island meant tourists had to carry both umbrellas and sunglasses.

(A) impertinent (B) supplicant (C) preeminent (D) illustrative (E) kaleidoscopic

Answer: Option (E)
Explanation: Kaleidoscopic means continually changing or quickly shifting.
4Q. Wedding ceremonies often include the exchange of ______ rings to symbolize the couple’s promises to each other.

(A) hirsute (B) acrimonious (C) plaintive (D) deciduous (E) votive

Answer: Option (E)
Explanation: Votive means dedicated by a vow.
5Q. Kym was ______ in choosing her friends, so her parties were attended by vastly different and sometimes bizarre personalities.

(A) indispensable (B) indiscriminate (C) commensurate (D) propulsive (E) indisputable

Answer: Option (B)
Explanation: Indiscriminate means not discriminating or choosing17. b. Nefarious (adj.) means wicked, vicious, or evil.
6Q. Phillip’s ______ tone endeared him to his comical friends but irritated his serious father.

(A) aloof (B) jesting (C) grave (D) earnest (E) conservative

Answer: Option (B)
Explanation: Jesting means characterized by making jests; joking; playful.
7Q. Brian’s pale Irish skin was ______ to burn if he spent too much time in the sun.

(A) prone (B) urbane (C) eminent (D) erect (E) daunted

Answer: Option (A)
Explanation: Prone means a tendency or inclination to something.
8Q. A fan of historical fiction, Joline is now reading a novel about slavery in the ______ South.

(A) decorous (B) rogue (C) droll (D) antebellum (E) onerous

Answer: Option (D)
Explanation: Antebellum means belonging to the period before a war, especially the American Civil War.
9Q. Over the years the Wilsons slowly ______ upon the Jacksons’ property, moving the stone markers that divided their lots farther and farther onto the Jacksons’ land.

(A) encroached (B) jettisoned (C) conjoined (D) repudiated (E) teemed

Answer: Option (A)
Explanation: To encroach means to gradually or stealthily take the rights or possessions of another; to advance beyond proper or formal limits; trespass.
10Q. Mary became ______ at typing because she practiced every day for six months.

(A) proficient (B) reflective (C) dormant (D) redundant (E) valiant

Answer: Option (A)
Explanation: Proficient means well versed in any business or branch of learning; adept.

1Q. To find out what her husband bought for her birthday, Susan attempted to ______ his family members about his recent shopping excursions.

(A) prescribe (B) probe (C) alienate (D) converge (E) revere

Answer: Option (B)
Explanation: To probe is to examine thoroughly; tentatively survey.
2Q. Juan’s friends found him in a ______ mood after he learned he would be homecoming king.

(A) jovial (B) stealthy (C) paltry (D) gullible (E) depleted

Answer: Option (A)
Explanation: Jovial means showing hearty good cheer; marked with the spirit of jolly merriment.
3Q. His suit of armor made the knight ______ to his enemy’s attack, and he was able to escape safely to his castle.

(A) vulnerable (B) churlish (C) invulnerable (D) static (E) imprudent

Answer: Option (C)
Explanation: Invulnerable means incapable of being damaged or wounded; unassailable or invincible.
4Q. Choosing a small, fuel-efficient car is a ______ purchase for a recent college graduate.

(A) corrupt (B) tedious (C) unhallowed (D) sardonic (E) judicious

Answer: Option (E)
Explanation: Judicious means being wise or prudent; showing good judgment; sensible.
5Q. Such a ______ violation of school policy should be punished by nothing less than expulsion.

(A) copious (B) flagrant (C) raucous (D) nominal (E) morose

Answer: Option (B)
Explanation: Flagrant means conspicuously and outrageously bad, offensive, or reprehensible.
6Q. With all of the recent negative events in her life, she felt ______ forces must be at work.

(A) resurgent (B) premature (C) malignant (D) punctilious (E) antecedent

Answer: Option (C)
Explanation: Malignant means disposed to cause distress or inflict suffering intentionally; inclining to produce death; an injurious infiltration.
7Q. The ______ rumors did a great deal of damage even though they turned out to be false.

(A) bemused (B) prosaic (C) apocryphal (D) ebullient (E) tantamount

Answer: Option (C)
Explanation: Apocryphal means of questionable authenticity or doubtful authority; fictitious, false.
8Q. When her schoolwork got to be too much, Pam had a tendency to ______, which always put her further behind.

(A) dedicate (B) rejuvenate (C) ponder (D) excel (E) procrastinate

Answer: Option (E)
Explanation: of procrastinate is to put off from day to day.
9Q. Racha’s glance was a ______ invitation to speak later in private about events of the meeting.

(A) treacherous (B) scintillating (C) tactful (D) tacit (E) taboo

Answer: Option (D)
Explanation: Tacit means unspoke yet understood.
10Q. She reached the ______ of her career with her fourth novel, which won the Pulitzer Prize.

(A) harbinger (B) apogee (C) metamorphosis (D) dictum (E) synthesis

Answer: Option (B)
Explanation: Apogee means the highest or farthest point, culmination; the point in its orbit where a satellite is at the greatest distance from the body it is orbiting.

1Q. The ______ townspeople celebrated the soldier’s return to his home by adorning trees with yellow ribbons and balloons.

(A) somber (B) jubilant (C) pitiless (D) cunning (E) unsullied

Answer: Option (B)
Explanation: Jubilant means rejoicing; expressing joyfulness; exulting.
2Q. The governor-elect was hounded by a group of ______ lobbyists and others hoping to gain favor with her administration.

(A) facetious (B) abstruse (C) magnanimous (D) fawning (E) saccharine

Answer: Option (D)
Explanation: Fawning means attempting to win favor or attention by excessive flattery, ingratiating displays of affection, or servile compliance; obsequious.
3Q. The mock graduation ceremony—with a trained skunk posing as the college president—was a complete ______ that offended many college officials.

(A) tempest (B) epitome (C) quintessence (D) travesty (E) recitative

Answer: Option (D)
Explanation: Travesty means a parody; a grotesque imitation with the intent to ridicule.
4Q. The busy, ______ fabric of the clown’s tie matched his oversized jacket, which was equally atrocious.

(A) mottled (B) bleak (C) credible (D) malleable (E) communicable

Answer: Option (A)
Explanation: Mottled means blotched or spotted with different colors or shades.
5Q. Kendrick’s talent ______ under the tutelage of Anya Kowalonek, who as a young woman had been the most accomplished pianist in her native Lithuania.

(A) bantered (B) touted (C) flourished (D) embellished (E) colluded

Answer: Option (C)
Explanation: To flourish is to be in a state of high productivity, excellence, or influence; to grow luxuriously, thrive; to fare well, prosper, increase in wealth, honor, comfort or whatever is desirable; to make bold, sweeping movements.
6Q. The children were ______ by the seemingly nonsensical clues until Kinan pointed out that the messages were in code.

(A) censured (B) striated (C) feigned (D) prevaricated (E) flummoxed

Answer: Option (E)
Explanation: To flummox is to confuse, perplex, bewilder.
7Q. As the ______ in Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is a hero able to capture the audience’s sympathy by continually professing his love for Juliet.

(A) protagonist (B) enigma (C) facade (D) activist (E) catechist

Answer: Option (A)
Explanation: A protagonist is the main character in a drama.
8Q. The chess master promised to ______ havoc upon his opponent’s pawns for taking his bishop.

(A) wreak (B) warrant (C) ensue (D) placate (E) endow

Answer: Option (A)
Explanation: To wreak means to inflict, as revenge or punishment.
9Q. I have always admired Seymour’s ______; I’ve never seen him rattled by anything.

(A) aplomb (B) confluence (C) propriety (D) compunction (E) nostalgia

Answer: Option (A)
Explanation: Aplomb is self-assurance, composure, poise, especially under strain.
10Q. The soldiers received a military ______ to inspect all their vehicles before traveling.

(A) allotment (B) dominion (C) affectation (D) calculation (E) mandate

Answer: Option (E)
Explanation: The mandate is a command or authoritative instruction.

Directions(1 -10): The Following questions have two blanks, each blank indicating that something has been omitted. Choose the set of words for each blank that best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.
1Q. It is a _____________ phase in this country’s history when the government at the Centre is seen to be actively assisting in a right-wing effort to ____________ the discourse on nationalism.

(A) Dangerous, restructure (B) Tricky, model (C) Unsafe, build (D) Dangerous, shape (E) Chancy, figure

Answer: Option (D)
Explanation: ‘Dangerous, shape’ is the correct use. Dangerous: Liable to harm. Restructure: To provide with a new structure. Shape: To take up a stance or set oneself to perform a particular action.
2Q. Besides taking the __________ to the country’s campus that is most identified with Left politics, the JNU development was obviously a chance for the BJP to ____________ from the excesses of Hyderabad.

(A) Conflict, offset (B) Dispute, harm (C) Contest, destroy (D) Encounter, resume (E) Fight, recover

Answer: Option (E)
Explanation: ‘Fight, recover’ is the correct use. Recover: To regain or make up for.
3Q. The issue will now be dealt with by a Commission to _______________ provincial borders within three months, but politically the two sides appear to be inching _____________ agreement that the criteria can be combined.

(A) Decide, towards (B) Procrastinate, for (C) Select, with (D) Resolve, approaches (E) Identify, from

Answer: Option (A)
Explanation: ‘Decide, towards’ is the correct use.
4Q. Germany had been a nation _________________in one country of numerous states which had a common language and ___________________.

(A) Assembled, dialect (B) Assimilated, script (C) Embedded, civilization (D) United, traditions (E) Formed, code

Answer: Option (E)
Explanation: ‘Formed, code’ is the correct use. Form: To Combine to create. Code: A system of words, letters, figures, or symbols used to represent others.
5Q. The mill workers were not__________ with their low wages and non- payment of wages for last three months ____________ fuel to the flames.

(A) Good, put (B) Satisfied, added (C) Joyful, poured (D) Pleased, directed (E) Enjoyed, moved

Answer: Option (B)
Explanation: ‘Satisfied, added’ is the correct use.
6Q. Cholesterol has long been identified as a silent killer because the patient has no _______________ of the danger freely _________________ his system.

(A) Idea, infecting (B) Thought, attacks (C) Information, invading (D) Inkling, traversing (E) Motive, moving

Answer: Option (C)
Explanation: ‘Information, invading’ is the correct use. Information: A collection of facts from which conclusions can be drawn. Invade: To enter in large numbers, especially with intrusive effect.
7Q. The Deputy Manager ______________ to resign because all his proposals were _______________ down by his superiors.

(A) Offered, thrown (B) Gave, held (C) Began, kept (D) Threatened, turned (E) Stopped, formed

Answer: Option (D)
Explanation: ‘Threatened, turned’ is the correct use. Turn Down: To Refuse to accept
8Q. The revival of investment climate requires structural _____________ besides substantially increasing public investment since private sector investment is ______________.

(A) Making, temporary (B) Agenda, permanent (C) Improve, motionless (D) Reforms, stagnant (E) Rectify, dull

Answer: Option (D)
Explanation: ‘Reforms, stagnant’ is the correct use. Reforms: To make changes for improvement. Stagnant: Dull and sluggish.
9Q. Air quality has a strong bearing in India’s ability to __________________ high economic growth, but national policy has treated the issue with____________________ importance.

(A) Assure , great (B) Provoke, permissible (C) Support, few (D) Capitulate, titular (E) Sustain, scant

Answer: Option (E)
Explanation: ‘Sustain, scant’ is the correct use. Sustain: To supply with necessities and support. Scant: Less than the correct amount.
10Q. It is Budget time again, and a lot of things have been ____________ and spoken about what the Minister should and _____________ do.

(A) Written, can (B) Read, might (C) Studied, could (D) Written, could (E) Read, will

Answer: Option (A)
Explanation: ‘Written, can’ is the correct use. Since the first part of the sentence is in passive voice therefore past participle of ‘write’ i.e. ‘WRITTEN’ would be used. For the second part, since the sentence is in the present tense, therefore, the present form of the modal will be used.

Directions(1 -10): The Following questions have two blanks, each blank indicating that something has been omitted. Choose the set of words for each blank that best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.
1Q. At the dawn of history, India __________________ on her unending quest and trackless centuries are _______________ with her striving and the grandeur of her success and failures.

(A) Started, filled (B) Marched, involved (C) Proceeded, bulled (D) Started, vanished (E) Marched, filled

Answer: Option (A)
Explanation: ‘Started, filled’ is the correct use.
2Q. If we study the lives of great men we are ______________ that we too can achieve greatness and, when we die, leave behind our________________.

(A) Convinced, children (B) Reminded, footmarks (C) Conveyed, followers (D) Commanded, belongings (E) Proclaimed, Memories

Answer: Option (B)
Explanation: ‘Reminded, footmarks’ is the correct use. Reminded: To take note of something. Footmark: Sign of presence.
3Q. Surely it is important to increase public investment to _____________the investment climate, particularly when the global environment is ______________ and exports are declining.

(A) Refresh, delicate (B) Re-establish, weak (C) Freshen, shaky (D) Stimulate, insecure (E) Revive, fragile

Answer: Option (E)
Explanation: ‘Revive, fragile’ is the correct use. Revive: To give new strength or energy to. Fragile: Not strong or sturdy.
4Q. As everybody is _______________ attached to his motherland it is difficult to find a man who is ____________ of love for his motherland.

(A) Constantly, disposed (B) Courageously, suspect (C) Profoundly, deprived (D) Greatly, connected (E) Deeply, devoid

Answer: Option (E)
Explanation: ‘Deeply, devoid’ is the correct use. Devoid: Entirely lacking.
5Q. Students should be _________________ to realize that the real goods of life are spiritual, love of things of the spirit and ________________ of their fellow man.

(A) Made, service (B) Allowed, needs (C) Believed, service (D) Made, devotion (E) Professed, involvement

Answer: Option (D)
Explanation: ‘Made, devotion’ is the correct use. Devotion: Love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person.
6Q. No one wants to pay ______________ in taxes and everyone ______________ more and better public services.

(A) More, requires (B) Much, wants (C) More, wants (D) Less, needs (E) More, needs

Answer: Option (C)
Explanation: ‘More, wants’ is the correct use. MORE is used for countable nouns whereas MUCH modifies an uncountable noun.
7Q. Although religion does not _______________ the acquisition of wealth, the tenor or its teaching is to _______________ an attitude of indifference of worldly things.

(A) Proclaim, prohibit (B) Inhibit, induce (C) Manifest, proud (D) Dealing, develop (E) Allow, criticize

Answer: Option (B)
Explanation: ‘Inhibit, induce’ is the correct use Inhabit: To hinder, restrain, or prevent. Induce: To bring about or give rise to.
8Q. Agriculture in India ________________ over all other sectors because it plays a ____________________ role in the socio-cultural life of its people.

(A) Dominates, minor (B) Prevails, vital (C) Important, significant (D) Survives, minimal (E) Beats, critical

Answer: Option (B)
Explanation: ‘Prevails, vital’ is the correct use. Prevail: Prove more powerful or superior. Vital: Essential.
9Q. Injection of additional expenditures through pay ______________ and the One Rank One Pension provision will increase consumption _________________.

(A) Decreases, request (B) Uplift, desire (C) Growth, longing (D) Boost, demand (E) Increases, demand

Answer: Option (E)
Explanation: ‘Increases, demand’ is the correct use.
10Q. To cross the Rubicon means to take a final _________________ step which may have dangerous_______________.

(A) Hazardous, precedent (B) Unwarranted, potentialities (C) Inconsequential, concomitants (D) Well-considered, implications (E) Irrevocable, consequences

Answer: Option (E)
Explanation: ‘Irrevocable, consequences’ is the correct use. Irrevocable: Not able to be changed, reversed, or recovered. Consequences: A result or effect.

Directions(1 -10): The Following questions have two blanks, each blank indicating that something has been omitted. Choose the set of words for each blank that best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.
1Q. Our latest battle plan _______________ some projects ________________ at saving the Earth’s biological diversity.

(A) Finishes, stirring (B) Covers, aimed (C) Finances, looking (D) Encloses, looked (E) Excludes, arriving

Answer: Option (B)
Explanation: ‘Covers, aimed’ is the correct use. Covers: Extend over (an area). Aim: To have the intention of achieving.
2Q. Food and fertilizer subsidies _______________ to proliferate, and it is important to rationalize and _______________ them.

(A) Continue, target (B) Proceed, achieve (C) Pursue, prey (D) Maintain, object (E) Remain, select

Answer: Option (A)
Explanation: ‘Continue, target’ is the correct use. Target: To select as an object of attention.
3Q. Unless the authorities adopt the principle _________________ strategies cannot become __________________.

(A) Whole-heartedly, successful (B) Finally, obsolete (C) Fully, defunct (D) Legitimately, noteworthy (E) Logically, trivial

Answer: Option (A)
Explanation: ’Whole-heartedly, successful’ is the correct use. Whole-Heatedly: Fully or completely sincere. Successful: Accomplishing the desired aim.
4Q. Trying to ________________ a team without a good and simple system is like trying to drive a car without a steering wheel________________.

(A) Form, working (B) Place, exploratory (C) Organize, empowering (D) Make, guidance (E) Achieve, developmental

Answer: Option (A)
Explanation: ‘Form, working’ is the correct use.
5Q. Increasing the price of urea is _________________ not only to contain the subsidy but also to ________________ balanced nutrient intake.

(A) Chief, advance (B) Main, forward (C) Major, sell (D) Critical, stimulate (E) Important, promote

Answer: Option (E)
Explanation: ’Important, promote’ is the correct use. Promote: To support or actively encourage.
6Q. ________________ members of a group often _______________ influence the outcome of a consensus forecast.

(A) Fixed, exert (B) Majority, rightly (C) Oral, legitimately (D) Minority, inadvertently (E) Dominant, unduly

Answer: Option (E)
Explanation: ‘Dominant, unduly’ is the correct use. Dominant: having power and influence over others. Unduly: to an unwarranted degree
7Q. Transforming _______________bureaucracies into dynamic, this task of customer-driven organizations is ___________________ under prevailing circumstances.

(A) Ideal, important (B) Lazy, undesirable (C) Inefficient, challenging (D) Civilised, ineffective (E) Lethargic, insurmountable

Answer: Option (C)
Explanation: ‘Inefficient, challenging’ is the correct use. Inefficient: lacking productivity Challenging: testing one’s abilities
8Q. Whenever the going gets tough and their _____________ is on wane, it is customary for our Prime ministers to allege that conspiracies are being hatched to ________________their governments.

(A) Acceptance, stabilize (B) Prevalence, loosen (C) Popularity, destabilize (D) Acclaim, weaken (E) Prevalence, stabilize

Answer: Option (C)
Explanation: ‘Popularity, destabilize’ is the correct use. Destabilize: To upset the stability of something.
9Q. India__________show the world how to conduct its affair- by ____________ dissent and giving it scope to thrive.

(A) can, throwing (B) Must, held (C) Began, keeping (D) Willing, knocking (E) Ought to, Managing

Answer: Option (E)
Explanation: ‘Ought to, Managing’ is the correct use. Ought to is used to predict something which is fairly likely to occur whereas Mustis used when there is some sort of compulsion.
10Q. The counter clerk was very busy and ______________ not pay ________________ to Sameer’s request.

(A) Can, help (B) Could, cooperation (C) Had, cash (D) Did, attention (E) Certainly, acceptance

Answer: Option (D)
Explanation: ‘Did, attention’ is the correct use. Since the sentence is in past tense, therefore past auxiliary verb (DID) will be used. Attention: Notice taken of someone or something.

Directions(1 -10): The Following questions have two blanks, each blank indicating that something has been omitted. Choose the set of words for each blank that best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.
1Q. Scientific assessments after mining _________ have documented significant improvements in water quality and _________ in silt load levels in the Bhadra river.

(A) Ceased, reduction (B) Stayed, degradation (C) Ceased, depletion (D) Assisted, completion (E) Helped, continuation

Answer: Option (A)
Explanation: ‘Ceased, reduction’ is the correct use. Cease: come or bring to an end. Reduction: the act of making something smaller or less in amount, degree, or size.
2Q. He was initially __________________ at the suggestion but was soon _______________ it himself.

(A) Anger, rejecting (B) Shocked, advocating (C) Impressed, negating (D) Thrilled, propagating (E) Suspicious, trusting

Answer: Option (B)
Explanation: ‘Shocked, advocating’ is the correct use. Shock: to feel surprised and upset. Advocating: To support or recommend publically
3Q. Affirmative action is imperative for the _____________ of the underprivileged and the historically ______________.

(A) Improve, forward (B) Brighten, backward (C) Discourage, ahead (D) Depress, reward (E) Uplift, backward

Answer: Option (E)
Explanation: ‘Uplift, backward’ is the correct use. Uplift: TO elevate (someone) morally or spiritually. Backward: Having made less progress than is normal or expected.
4Q. Shalini was not _______________ by criticism and paid no ____________ even when her best friend talked against her.

(A) Bothered, attention (B) Troubled, brained (C) Threatened, warning (D) Deterred, heed (E) Shaken, indication

Answer: Option (A)
Explanation: ‘Bothered, attention’ is the correct use. Bothered: Worry, disturb, or upset. Attention: Notice taken of someone or something.
5Q. It is in the ______________ of democratic politics for ambitious politicians to use ______________ to climb up the ladder of power.

(A) Personality, feeling (B) Temper, sentiment (C) Make-up, feeling (D) Character, reaction (E) Nature, emotions

Answer: Option (E)
Explanation: ‘Nature, emotions’ is the correct use. Nature: The basic or inherent features, character, or qualities of something. Emotion: A strong feeling deriving from one’s circumstances, mood, or relationships with others.
6Q. She was _____________ because all her plan had gone____________.

(A) Happy, selected (B) Dejected, splendidly (C) Distraught, awry (D) Frustrated, magnificently (E) Rejected, beautifully

Answer: Option (C)
Explanation: ‘Distraught, awry’ is the correct use. Distraught: Worried and upset. Awry: Not in the expected course.
7Q. He preaches liberal views but in practice, he is not _______________ he is _______________ narrow minded than almost any other person.

(A) Tough, openly (B) Tolerant, more (C) Ambitious, hardly (D) Acceptable, genuinely (E) Approachable, less

Answer: Option (B)
Explanation: ‘Tolerant, more’ is the correct use. Tolerant: Showing willingness to allow the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with.
8Q. _____________ of crops was due to continuous _____________________.

(A) Loss, draught (B) Ruin, draft (C) Failure, drought (D) Depreciation, drift (E) Non-yielding, dryness

Answer: Option (C)
Explanation: ‘Failure, drought’ is the correct use. Drought: A prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water.
9Q. Changes in building technology and materials in recent years have made it _________ to build slender towers that are __________the tallest in the world.

(A) Feasible, between (B) Practicable, for (C) Attainable, with (D) Realizable, among (E) Possible, among

Answer: Option (E)
Explanation: ‘Possible, among’ is the correct use. Among is used to introduce a prepositional phrase containing two singulars or plurals. Between is used to introduce a prepositional phrase containing more than two singulars or plurals.
10Q. Ravi ________________________ a bit ____________________ he was not invited by his friend to attend the party.

(A) Annoyed, before (B) Angered, since (C) Expressed, than (D) Grumbled, when (E) Surprised, about

Answer: Option (D)
Explanation: ‘Grumbled, when’ is the correct use. Grumbled: Complaint about something in a bad-tempered way.

Directions(1 -10): The Following questions have two blanks, each blank indicating that something has been omitted. Choose the set of words for each blank that best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.
1Q. Children are more ____________ than adults, it is ___________________ their quickness in learning a new language.

(A) Intelligent, disproved by (B) Adaptable, reflected in (C) Conservative, seen in (D) Susceptible, demonstrated in (E) Resourceful, proportionate to

Answer: Option (B)
Explanation: ‘Adaptable, reflected in’ is the correct use. Adaptable: Able to adjust to new conditions. Reflected in: Represent (something) in an appropriate way.
2Q. He is ____________ to______________ any kind of work with due sincerity.

(A) Fond, perform (B) Reluctant, entrust (C) Determined, undertake (D) Eager, avoid (E) Willing, ignore

Answer: Option (C)
Explanation: ‘Determined, undertake’ is the correct use. Determined: To decide firmly Undertake: To Commit oneself to and begin (an enterprise or responsibility)
3Q. Spring is in the air, and it is _____________to shake off the wooliness and ______________ the coolness and elegance of Indian cottons.

(A) Period, accept (B) Moment, welcome (C) Occasion, hold (D) Time, embrace (E) Stage, adopt

Answer: Option (D)
Explanation: ‘Time, embrace’ is the correct use. Embrace: An act of accepting something willingly or enthusiastically.
4Q. In a changing and ___________________ unstructured business environment, creativity and innovation are being ______________ demanded of executives.

(A) Excessively, rapidly (B) Highly, extremely (C) Increasingly, moderately (D) Progressively, increasingly (E) Highly, speedily

Answer: Option (D)
Explanation: ‘Progressively, increasingly’ is the correct use. Progressively: To move towards better conditions.
5Q. For some years past, French Government had been _________________ divided and French Parliaments had been incoherent and __________________.

(A) Inarticulate, responsive (B) Unable, domineering (C) Weak, inchoate (D) Many, few (E) Vacillating, irresponsible

Answer: Option (E)
Explanation: ‘Vacillating, irresponsible’ is the correct use. Vacillating: To be indecisive. Irresponsible: Not showing a proper sense of responsibility.
6Q. I was initially a bit ______________ that my daughter did not take up the puzzle, though she was ______________ good at it.

(A) Disappointed, quite (B) Depressed, clearly (C) Motivated, freely (D) Sad, perfectly (E) Impressed, wholly

Answer: Option (A)
Explanation: ‘Disappointed, quite’ is the correct use. Disappointed: Saddened Quite: To a certain or fairly significant extent
7Q. Scientific imagination in a specific intellectual power that is ___________ in every population that has learned to be ________________ about the mechanisms governing the physical world.

(A) Encouraged, wary (B) Evoked, self-deprecatory (C) Latent, curious (D) Growing, self-possessed (E) Language, diffident

Answer: Option (C)
Explanation: ‘Latent, curious’ is the correct use. Latent: Existing but not yet developed Curious: To be eager to know or learn something.
8Q. In diplomatic _______________ the ________________ sought by one government from another to the name of a proposed ambassador is known as an ‘agreement’.

(A) Dealing, understandings (B) Parlance, condition (C) Language, interpretation (D) Circles, permission (E) Channels, condition

Answer: Option (B)
Explanation: ‘Parlance, condition’ is the correct use. Parlance: A particular way of speaking or using words, Condition: A situation that must exist before something else is possible or permitted.
9Q. Camille Pissarro, eldest of France’s great impressionist ________________ that included Monet, Manet, Rennoir and Degas was the movement’s____________________ and its saint.

(A) Cabal, dosen (B) Sodality, gadfly (C) Entity, defector (D) Hierarchy, patriarch (E) Brotherhood, demon

Answer: Option (D)
Explanation: ‘Hierarchy, patriarch’ is the correct use. Hierarchy: a system in which members of an organization or society are ranked according to relative status or authority. Patriarch: the male head of a family or tribe.
10Q. Even as _______________ machines free men from drudgery, they _________________ displace men from jobs.

(A) Automated, simultaneously (B) Robotlike, unwillingly (C) Animated, ineluctably (D) Accelerated, seemingly (E) Antiquate, understandably

Answer: Option (B)
Explanation: ‘Robotlike, unwillingly’ is the correct use. Robotlike: Resembling a robot. Unwillingly: Not ready, eager, or prepared to do something.

Directions (1-10): In each of the following sentences there are blank spaces. Below each sentence, there are five set of words denoted by the numbers (A), (B), (C), (D) and (E). Find out which set of words can be filled up in the blanks in the sentence in the same sequence to make it grammatically correct.
1Q. The Supreme Court’s seven-judge constitution bench gave the _______ in this case while _______the validity of the Bihar ordinance which was re-promulgated seven times since 1989 by the state government to _______certain benefits on Sanskrit teachers.

(A) the award, inspecting, withdraw (B) charge, observing, annul (C) take, overlooking, abrogate (D) verdict, examining, confer (E) call, interrogating, rescind

Answer: Option (D)
Explanation: Verdict- a decision on an issue of fact in a civil or criminal case or an inquest. Examining- inspect (someone or something) thoroughly in order to determine their nature or condition. Confer- grant (a title, degree, benefit, or right).
2Q. The Constituent Assembly debates leave no manner of doubt that the said power ought not to be exercised merely to _______a failure to muster support in the legislature. The satisfaction of the president at the time of the promulgation of an ordinance is within the _______of judicial review. The government will have to _______the Court about whether the satisfaction for re-promulgation was based on some relevant material.

(A) dodge, cognizance, tantalize (B) comply, misconception, quench (C) circumvent, purview, satisfy (D) elude, understanding, pique (E) confront, understanding, satiate

Answer: Option (C)
Explanation: Circumvent- deceive; outwit. Purview- the scope of the influence or concerns of something. Satisfy- meet the expectations, needs, or desires of (someone).
3Q. The practice becomes unacceptable when it degenerates into an “ordinance raj”, where ordinances are _______brought before the legislature but are re-issued again and again, _______the spirit of the Constitution. The court’s verdict has to be seen as placing a vital check on what has until now been a power _______abused by the executive.

(A) infrequently, rebelling, profusely (B) seldom, violating, rampantly (C) often, complying, sparsely (D) occasionally, consecrating, bridled (E) sporadically, deferring, profusely

Answer: Option (B)
Explanation: Seldom- not often; rarely. Violating- break or fail to comply with (a rule or formal agreement). Rampantly- Extending unchecked; unrestrained
4Q. The temptation to use the power vested in the President and the Governors under Articles 123 and 213 of the Constitution is generally a result of one of the following three reasons: _______to face the legislature on particular issues, fear of _______in the Upper House where the government may lack the required numbers, and the need to overcome an impasse in the legislature caused by repeated and willful _______by a vociferous section of the Opposition.

(A) reticence, winning, dislocation (B) willingness, losing, disturbance (C) unwillingness, trouncing, calmness (D) eagerness, overthrown, disturbance (E) reluctance, defeat, disruption

Answer: Option (E)
Explanation: Reluctance- unwillingness or disinclination to do something. Defeat- reject or block (a motion or proposal). Disruption- disturbance or problems which interrupt an event, activity, or process.
5Q. Strong words are no substitute for action, however, and the strategic partnership that India _______with the UAE must be based on clarity and concrete measures. This should include a crackdown on the shadowy businesses owned by Dawood Ibrahim as well as more steps to ________terror financing of the Taliban and groups in Pakistan and Afghanistan; such money is often routed through ________remittances from the UAE.

(A) anticipate, release, emigrant (B) envisions, curb, expatriate (C) ignore, constraint, repatriate (D) envisage, latitude, deportee (E) conceive, constraint, indigenous

Answer: Option (B)
Explanation: Envisions- imagine as a future possibility; visualize. Curb- a check or restraint on something. Expatriate- send (a person or money) abroad.
6Q. Amidst the rising pile of non-performing assets in government-owned banks, willful defaulters were said to be responsible for around 77,000 crores of bad debts by last July, but the Kingfisher baron has emerged as the poster boy of the problem. Therefore the flurry of action on his bad loans, however belated, could help counter perceptions of a _______approach towards the well-heeled. Breaking the banker-borrower nexus is just as critical for _______public money as is acting against corrupt administrators, but a timely and transparent system is needed to _______that bankers don’t turn wary of extending credit at the slightest hint of risk.

(A) passive, safeguarding, ensure (B) insurgent, armoring, enfeeble (C) acquiescent, attacking, assure (D) unresistant, assaulting, assure (E) contrary, protecting, secure

Answer: Option (A)
Explanation: Passive- accepting or allowing what happens or what others do, without active response or resistance. Safeguarding- protect from harm or damage with an appropriate measure. Ensure- make certain that (something) will occur or be the case.
7Q. It takes singular skill and a certain ruthlessness, however, to make capital of the smallest advantages, and Federer and Serena, and to a marginally_________ extent Nadal and Venus, did precisely that. Federer, who missed six months last year with an injury, knew he could not allow Nadal time and space. With his opponent looking in excellent physical condition, Federer could not ________to be drawn into long, bruising rallies; he had to dictate the ________of play.

(A) minute, reject, pace (B) auxiliary, sustain, chance (C) larger, manage, pace (D) lower, refuse, cadence (E) lesser, afford, tempo

Answer: Option (E)
Explanation: Tempo means the rate or speed of motion or activity.
8Q. The collision of the Hubli-Bengaluru City Hampi Express with a goods train that left 25 people dead, for instance, was caused by _________of staff. The Kakodkarcommittee on railway safety found that out of 441 derailments it_________, only about 15% were the result of__________, while the majority were caused by factors completely under the control of the railway administration.

(A) compliance, examined, vandalism (B) failure, analyzed, sabotage (C) the fault, agglomerated, disruption (D) carelessness, inspected, loyalty (E) achievement, evaluated, destruction

Answer: Option (B)
Explanation: Sabotage means deliberately destroy, damage, or obstruct (something), especially for political or military advantage.
9Q. India’s Railways serves the __________function of providing travel access to millions, and, as Mahatma Gandhi wrote in his article ‘Third Class in Indian Railways’, have the _________of making it equitable and comfortable. It must also be safe. The Railway Ministry is ___________a major safety initiative, the Rashtriya Rail SanrakshaKosh, with a non-lapsable corpus of Rs.1,19,183 crore.

(A) lethargic, obligatory, chasing (B) important, liability, shunning (C) vital, responsibility, pursuing (D) essential, irresponsibility, following (E) indispensable, duty, eschewing

Answer: Option (C)
Explanation: Pursuing means following or chasing (someone or something).
10Q. While bilateral ties have been _________for decades, the defense and security partnership is clearly the new driver for ties between the two governments; the signing of the strategic partnership agreement was the highlight of the UAE leader’s visit. The _________of this partnership is now being set: joint military exercises, joint manufacturing, and purchase of equipment and spare parts from India, as well as __________on fighting terror.

(A) strong, outline, division (B) frail, profile, collaboration (C) vigorous, configuration, contention (D) sturdy, affection, synergy (E) robust, contours, cooperation

Answer: Option (E)
Explanation: Contour means an outline representing or bounding the shape or form of something. Robust means strong and healthy; vigorous.

Directions (1-10): In each of the following sentences there are blank spaces. Below each sentence, there are five set of words denoted by the numbers (A), (B), (C), (D) and (E). Find out which set of words can be filled up in the blanks in the sentence in the same sequence to make it grammatically correct.
1Q. Despite __________interest in the putative benefits of free trade and globalization in the West amid a ____________in economic nationalist leaders, demand for trade liberalization persists in the Asia-Pacific. Though there are no other multilateral arrangements __________to the complexity of nontariff provisions included in the TPP, two arrangements are notable for at least including a comparably large collection of economies.

(A) declining, disappear, ambitious (B) fading, rise, apathetic (C) burgeoning, deteriorate, yearning (D) waning, surge, aspiring (E) flourishing, rush, desiring

Answer: Option (D)
Explanation: Waning means (of a state or feeling) decreasing in vigor or extent; becoming weaker.
2Q. It is said in the budget that ____________ changes would be made in the law to bring down prices of essential drugs and health equipment. Production of generic drugs would be___________. Budget talks about opening new AIIMS also. However, these provisions are not sufficient. People lose their savings and whatever _________they have for treatment of their near and dear ones.

(A) Dispensable, stimulated, money (B) Imperative, dissuaded, possessions (C) Requisite, encouraged, assets (D) Superfluous, incited, capital (E) Essential, deterred, property

Answer: Option (C)
Explanation: Option (c) is true. Requisite means which is necessary or required. Superfluous means redundant, surplus
3Q. Higher oil price-led inflation will bring back into focus the high excise duties on petroleum products that have __________the Centre’s tax kitty over the past couple of years. Those duties were raised when prices were low to __________consumers from an upward price shock, the government had argued. Cutting those duties will upset _________calculations, but leaving them untouched will impose its own costs.

(A) Raised, assault, profit (B) Aided, defend, expense (C) Advanced, annihilate, the outlay (D) Hindered, guard, return (E) Boosted, protect, revenue

Answer: Option (E)
Explanation: Option (E) is true. Annihilate means to destroy.
4Q. In India, we have been in the process of encouraging FDI not only in the development sectors but in retail segment as well in order to __________foreign funds with incidental advantages of technology transfer, job opportunities, and __________to domestic firms and consumers. But since education is not a tradable commodity, the __________of FDI in the higher education sector call for reflection.

(A) Abate, favors, connotations (B) Enhance, benefits, implications (C) Increase, supports, exclude (D) Dwindle, avails, indications (E) Improve, detriments, the significance

Answer: Option (B)
Explanation: Option (B) is true. Detriment means any harm or damage. Abate means to diminish.
5Q. Many of the renowned off-shore universities are willing to invest in campuses abroad, and, in practice, it is hard to __________the standards of the home country in some other country. Other related problems are: returns from the investment made in _________ and running of campuses, non-repatriation of profits as mentioned, the regulatory mechanism of the host country in regard to the fee structure, faculty salaries, curriculum to be offered, and issues _________to research and intellectual property rights etc.

(A) Replicate, establishing, pertaining (B) Copy, nullify, applying (C) Concurring, determining, existing (D) Duplicate, annihilate, concerning (E) Avowal, setting up, associating

Answer: Option (A)
Explanation: Option (A) is true. Pertaining means to be appropriate
6Q. Mr. Trump could either fight back or make peace. Two days after Mr. Flynn’s resignation, he has signaled both. He attacked the intelligence agencies on Twitter on Wednesday, while the White House_________ that the promised détente with Russia was over. But Mr. Flynn has set in motion a process that is unlikely to be controlled by a seemingly __________ administration like Mr. Trump’s. With chaos engulfing his government, Mr. Trump will be forced to__________.

(A) Imply, efficient, submit (B) Denoted, ability acquiesces (C) Abrogated, ineptitude, comply (D) Indicated, incompetent, conform (E) Refute, Inadequacy, agree

Answer: Option (D)
Explanation: Option (D) is true. Refute means disapprove. Abrogate means to evade.
7Q. It has often chosen to play _______ moral guardian rather than ________ films by content and letting audiences make ________________ decisions.

(A) smile, tangling, authentic (B) staring, distorting, genuine (C) glowering, labeling, informed (D) pleasing, confusing, enlightened (E) orthodox, producing, sophisticated

Answer: Option (C)
Explanation: ‘glowering, labeling, informed’ fits the blank perfectly. Glowering means have an angry or sullen look on one’s face; scowl.
8Q. At home, while security forces deserve ________ for limiting the Pathankot airbase attack, many questions need to be _______________ about the state of ________ along with the Punjab-Pakistan border.

(A) condemnation, replied, peril (B) praise, acknowledged, security (C) blame, replied, danger (D) censure, answered, insecurity (E) credit, rebutted, chaos

Answer: Option (B)
Explanation: “praise, acknowledged, security”, fits the blanks most appropriately and is the correct choice.
9Q. Its surprise result in Bihar where it _______ itself to regional players and ______ a windfall holds out a _________________.

(A) begrimed, doubted, stencil (B) dirty, be surprised, stencil (C) sublimated, gained, template (D) polluted, be amazed, prototype (E) rewired, produced, cynosure.

Answer: Option (C)
Explanation: “sublimated, gained, the template”, fits the blanks most appropriately. Sublimated means (in psychoanalytic theory) divert or modify (an instinctual impulse) into a culturally higher or socially more acceptable activity.
10Q. Consider innovations like the India Stack which _______ Aadhaar authentication, e-KYC, design, Digital Locker and UPI_______ mobile payments to ___________ cashless, paperless and presence-less transactions.

(A) part, improbable, impart (B) dissolve, impractical, pledge (C) detach, disconnect, yield (D) combines, interoperable, provide (E) consists, easy, issue

Answer: Option (D)
Explanation: “combines, interoperable, provide”, fits the blanks most perfectly. Interoperable means (of computer systems or software) able to exchange and make use of information.