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.
Religious architecture forms a major portion of India’s built heritage. These structures are not only unwritten documents of history, they are also stamps of the might of the rulers who built them and articulations of grand visions.
Secular and religious structures are products of their location – the material used to build them depended on what was available to the kings and workers at that time. They were also a reflection of the piety of the artisans and workers, for nothing else can explain the hard work that went into cutting through solid natural rock to carve out temples and spectacular sculptures. Rock-cut architecture never fails to awe me with all its majesty, precision, and intricate detail.
The earliest rock-cut architecture is from the Mauryan dynasty, but the Ajanta caves, which I had visited a few decades ago and which left me awestruck, are among the earliest rock-cut temples.
The Udayagiri caves, in Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh, are not as popular but they are worth a visit, for they contain some of the oldest Hindu temples and iconography. They were built during the Gupta period (350-550 CE).
These caves were not just an expression of religious piety but also a political statement. They lie on two low sandstone hills between the rivers Betwa and Beas. It is possible that when these caves were carved out, they fell directly on the Tropic of Cancer and thus the name translates to Mount of Sunrise. On the day of summer solstice, the sun would have been directly overhead, making this a place of worship.
Q1. According to the passage, the Child Marriage Act states that a woman can marry before the age of.

A. The material that was available to the kings and workers at that time. B. special kind of raw material was asked to be produced by the people by the king to build these architectures. C. Most of the material was imported from outside India by the kings. D. None of these

Answer - Option A
Explanation -Refer to, “Secular and religious structures are products of their location – the material used to build them depended on what was available to the kings and workers at that time”.
Q2. What qualities of the architecture made the author to be awestruck while seeing them?

A. Its majesty B. Its precision C. Its intricate detail D. All of these

Answer - Option D
Explanation -Refer to, “Rock-cut architecture never fails to awe me with all its majesty, precision, and intricate detail”.
Q3. The earliest rock-cut architecture is from which dynasty?

A. Mauryan B. Gupta C. Chola D. Satvahana

Answer - Option A
Explanation -Refer to, “The earliest rock-cut architecture is from the Mauryan dynasty”.
Q4. Why Udayagiri caves are worth a visit?

A. Because they contain some of the oldest Hindu temples and iconography. B. Because they are built in the Gupta period. C. Because they don’t take much time to see them completely. D. Because they have reverence for our ancestors.

Answer - Option A
Explanation -Refer to, “The Udayagiri caves, in Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh, are not as popular but they are worth a visit, for they contain some of the oldest Hindu temples and iconography”.
Q5. Why the caves of Vidisha got its name as Udayagiri – Mount of Sunrise?

A. It is because the day of the winter solstice, the sun is directly overhead to the caves. B. It is because when these caves were carved out of rocks, it fell onto Tropic of Cancer. C. It is because Gupta had a deep reverence for Sun god. D. None of these

Answer - Option B
Explanation -Refer to, “It is possible that when these caves were carved out, they fell directly on the Tropic of Cancer and thus the name translates to Mount of Sunrise”.

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. Hindutva is a political project. But Hinduism is very diverse and __________

A. plurality B. singularity C. pompous D. pluralistic

Answer - Option A
Explanation -'Pluralistic' is the correct fit for the blank and it means elating to or advocating a system in which two or more states, groups, principles, sources of authority, etc., coexist.
Q2. It was in 1961 that Jawaharlal Nehru __________ on the concept of secularism.

A. elaborates B. describe C. describing D. elaborated

Answer - Option D
Explanation -'Elaborated' is the correct fit for the blank. Since the sentence is in past tense, 'elaborated' will be used here.
Q3. A state can be held to be secular if it __________ all religious faiths equally.

A. surmount B. honour C. honours D. regarding

Answer - Option B
Explanation -'Honours' is the correct fit for the blank. Since, only a single state is taken into consideration in the sentence, the singular form i.e. 'honours' will be correct.
Q4. Choose the word which is most nearly the SIMILAR in meaning to the given word printed in bold as used in the passage.
Torturous

A. Agonizing B. Suave C. Provincial D. Cultured

Answer - Option A
Explanation -Torturous- characterized by, involving, or causing pain or suffering.
Agonizing- causing great physical or mental pain.
Q5. Choose the word which is most nearly the OPPOSITE in meaning to the word ‘jibe’ printed in bold as used in the passage.

A. Agree B. Taunt C. Barb D. Differ

Answer - Option D
Explanation -Jibe- be in accord; agree. All the given options are the synonyms of the given word ‘jibe’ except option D, ‘differ’.

Directions (1-2): In each of the questions given below a sentence is given which is then divided into four parts out of which one part is incorrect. You must choose the part as your answer.
Q1. I wish to heartily (A)/congratulate you for (B)/your astounding success. (C)/No error (D)

A. A B. B C. C D. D

Answer - Option B
Explanation -The correct preposition to use with ‘congratulate’ is ‘on’. Hence replace ‘for’ with ‘on’.
Q2. The efforts made by the charity (A) / were aimed to provide shelters (B) / to the homeless people (C) / No Error (D)

A. A B. B C. C D. D

Answer - Option B
Explanation -Use ‘aimed at providing’ in place of ‘aimed to provide’ as aim will take appropriate preposition ‘at’ with it. And after prepositions, the use of Gerund (V1+ing) is must. Hence ‘aimed at providing’ is the correct usage.
Direction (3-5): Improve the bracketed part of the sentence.
Q3. Do take an umbrella with you (lest you do not get well).

A. lest you might not get well B. lest you should not get well C. lest you should get well D. No Improvement

Answer - Option C
Explanation -Lest takes ‘should’ with it but used in an affirmative sentence as it itself contains negative sense and hence is not followed by negative words.
Q4. He told (to us everything he knew.)

A. us everything he knew B. us everything he is knowing C. us everything he was knowing D. No Improvement

Answer - Option A
Explanation -A basic grammar rule requires not to follow ‘to’ after using told as it already implies ‘said to’.
Q5. The architects (gave their cue) for the design of the new hotel from the nearby banks.

A. got their cue B. took their cue C. demanded their cue D. No Improvement

Answer - Option B
Explanation -Take your cue from someone or something (idiom): to be strongly influenced by something/someone.