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UPSC NDA and NA Mains General English Quiz 5

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UPSC NDA and NA Mains General English Quiz 5

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English Knowledge is an important section in the employment-related competitive exams in India. In particular, exams like UPSC and other bank-related employment exams have English Language questions along with Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude. The English Language section primarily has questions related to Reading Comprehension, Cloze Test, Fill in the Blanks, Error Spotting, Grammar, Sentence Improvement, etc. This article presents the UPSC NDA and NA Mains General English Quiz 5 sample questions and answers. UPSC NDA and NA Mains Written examination is scheduled to be conducted on [latex]{17}^{th}[/latex] November, 2019.

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Direction (1-5): A passage is given with 5 questions following it. Read the passage carefully and choose the best answer to each question out of the four alternatives.
Once Alexander was camping near a town that was inhabited by only helpless women and some children. The menfolk had already been killed in the battle. Feeling hungry, he stopped before a house and knocked at the door. After he had knocked about a dozen times, an old woman supported by a stick came out and enquired what he wanted. In a stern voice Alexander commanded her to get him food. The old woman who recognized Alexander from his Greek dress went inside and presently came out with a covered plate, and presented it to him. When Alexander removed the cover, he found that it contained gold and jewellery. He became very angry.
“You stupid woman,” he said angrily, “What have you brought? Can I eat jewellery? I need only food.” The old woman coolly said, “You are Alexander the Great, aren’t you? I thought that you ate only gold and jewellery. That is why you wander from place to place and mercilessly kill innocent people for it. If ordinary loaves could satisfy your hunger, surely you have enough in your own country.” Alexander was taken aback by the words of the old woman. He realized his foolishness and felt ashamed of himself. The old woman then served him good food with great affection. Alexander learnt his lesson from the old woman.
Q1. The town had only helpless women and some children because the menfolk ---
    A. went out to find jobs. B. had to go away from the county. C. had been killed in the battle. D. had to help Alexander.

Answer - Option C
Explanation -Refer to, “Once Alexander was camping near a town that was inhabited by only helpless women and some children. The menfolk had already been killed in the battle.”
Q2. Alexander knocked at the old lady’s door because ----
    A. He was hungry and wanted something to eat. B. He was angry with the lady in the house. C. He wanted to check if she walked with a stick. D. The old lady had asked him to come home.

Answer - Option A
Explanation -Refer to, “Feeling hungry, he stopped before a house and knocked at the door. After he had knocked about a dozen times, an old woman supported by a stick came out and enquired what he wanted. In a stern voice Alexander commanded her to get him food.”
Q3. The old lady recognized Alexander from his ----
    A. Commanding voice. B. Greek dress. C. Stern appearance. D. Hungry looks.

Answer - Option B
Explanation -Refer to, “The old woman who recognized Alexander from his Greek dress went inside and presently came out with a covered plate, and presented it to him.”
Q4. The old lady was ----
    A. Old and shy B. Brave and wise C. Greedy and bold D. Timid and weak

Answer - Option B
Explanation -The old lady was braves and wise.
Q5. Which of the following is not the meaning of ‘stern’?
    A. Harsh B. Severe C. Demanding D. Adjusting

Answer - Option D
Explanation -‘’Stern’ means putting someone or something under extreme pressure. Hence ‘adjusting’ is the word which is opposite in meaning to stern.
Direction (1-3): In the following questions, sentences are given with blanks to be filed in with an appropriate word(s). Four alternatives are suggested for each question. Choose the correct alternative out of the four as your answer.
Q1. At last people suspected of ____________ in Nazi-occupied Europe faced prosecution in British courts.
    A. complexity B. savagery C. wherewithal D. pendency

Answer - Option B
Explanation -Savagery: the quality of being fierce or cruel.
Q2. Her plans to become a member of parliament went ___________ when the newspapers printed a story about her mental issues.
    A. down in smoke B. up in smoke C. along with smoke D. in smoke

Answer - Option B
Explanation -Go up in smoke (idiom): (of plans, etc.) be destroyed or ruined.
Q3. The school project will __________ a great deal of research.
    A. entail B. extract C. exhume D. endear

Answer - Option A
Explanation -Entail: involve (something) as a necessary or inevitable part or consequence; to require.
Q4. Select the synonym of "DECAPITATE"
    A. Behead B. Decipher C. Deploy D. Delve

Answer - Option A
Explanation -Decapitate: to cut off the head of.
Behead: cut off the head of (someone).
Delve: dig; excavate.
Q5. Select the antonym of "SAPIENT"
    A. Imbecile B. Sage C. Perceptive D. Discerning

Answer - Option A
Explanation -Sapient: having or showing deep understanding and intelligent application of knowledge.
Imbecile: stupid; idiotic.
Direction (1-3): Improve the bracketed part of the sentence.
Q1. The manager was highly upset because of (the inordinate delaying).
    A. the inordinate delay B. the inordinate delay C. the inordinately delaying D. No Improvement

Answer - Option A
Explanation -“Delay” itself is a noun, thus no need of writing in gerund from.
Q2. The naughty boy made (many a mischief).
    A. much mischief B. many mischief C. many mischiefs D. No Improvement

Answer - Option A
Explanation -“Mischief” is an uncountable noun thus “much” should be used.
Q3. The young man (was carried by) the passionate appeal made by the social worker.
    A. was carried towards B. was carried off by C. got carried away by D. No Improvement

Answer - Option C
Explanation -Carry away: to become overly excited. The young man was overly excited by the passionate appeal made by the social worker.
Directions (4-5): In these questions some of the sentences have errors and some have none. Find out which part of a sentence has an error and indicate it corresponding to the appropriate letter. If there is no error, indicate corresponding to the last option.
Q4. If you don’t get some sleep (A)/ when you go to home, you won’t be (B)/ able to relieve me tonight.(C)/ No Error (D)
    A. A B. B C. C D. D

Answer - Option B
Explanation -Remove preposition ‘to’ before noun ‘home’. ‘Home’ doesn’t take any ‘preposition’ before it if the verbs qualifying it are ‘go’, ‘get’, ‘reach’, ‘arrive’ and ‘bring’.
Q5. Eyewitnesses said that the military police (A)/ still exchanged fires with the (B)/ attackers on last night. (C)/ No Error (D)
    A. A B. B C. C D. D

Answer - Option C
Explanation -Remove ‘on’ before ‘last night’. As ‘tonight, tomorrow morning, yesterday, the last day, the next day’ don’t take prepositions before them.

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