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Language Conventions - II

Description: PSA English - 2
Number of Questions: 14
Created by:
Tags: PSA English - 2 Vocabulary Based Grammar Based Qualitative Reasoning
Attempted 0/14 Correct 0 Score 0

Directions: Complete this passage by selecting the most suitable word to fill the corresponding gap. The Superintendent was sitting there, reading the newspaper. The large desk in front of him was _(i)_ high with a great assortment of papers, most of which looked _(ii), a heap of them partially covered the telephone. As the Superintendent got up I saw that he was an _(iii)__ tall man. _(iv)_ at me, he lunged forward.

Fill the blank (ii).

  1. irrelevant

  2. boring

  3. discarded

  4. official


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

The best option is the word ‘official’ as the papers on the desk of a Superintendent would most importantly be official though they may also appear irrelevant, boring or discarded to others. 

Directions: Complete this passage by selecting the most suitable word to fill the corresponding gap. The Superintendent was sitting there, reading the newspaper. The large desk in front of him was _(i)_ high with a great assortment of papers, most of which looked _(ii), a heap of them partially covered the telephone. As the Superintendent got up I saw that he was an _(iii)__ tall man. _(iv)_ at me, he lunged forward.

Fill the blank (i).

  1. assembled

  2. contained

  3. piled

  4. tiled


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

The sentence means to say that the desk was stacked high with papers, that is to say, the desk was piled high with papers.

Directions: Complete this passage by selecting the most suitable word to fill the corresponding gap. The Superintendent was sitting there, reading the newspaper. The large desk in front of him was _(i)_ high with a great assortment of papers, most of which looked _(ii), a heap of them partially covered the telephone. As the Superintendent got up I saw that he was an _(iii)__ tall man. _(iv)_ at me, he lunged forward.

Fill the blank (iii).

  1. immensely

  2. absolutely

  3. out and out

  4. utterly


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The sentence means that the Superintendent was a very tall man. All other words mean ‘totally’ which is not applicable here. Hence, “immensely” is the correct word to be used.

Directions: Complete this passage by selecting the most suitable word to fill the corresponding gap. The Superintendent was sitting there, reading the newspaper. The large desk in front of him was _(i)_ high with a great assortment of papers, most of which looked _(ii), a heap of them partially covered the telephone. As the Superintendent got up I saw that he was an _(iii)__ tall man. _(iv)_ at me, he lunged forward.

Fill the blank (iv).

  1. Ogling

  2. Staring

  3. Scrutinizing

  4. Eyeing


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

The use of the word “stared” is appropriate. ‘To ogle’ is to stare in a lecherous way and ‘scrutinize’ is used for objects. The word ‘eyeing’ is not appropriate because it means ‘looking at closely or with interest’. Since the Superintendent ‘lunged forward’ we can assume that he was not so amiable as to eye the visitor (narrator).

Directions: Complete this passage by selecting the most suitable option to fill the corresponding gap. There was a time when the sun never _(i)_ on the British Empire. The British flag flew in countries across the world because Britain _(ii)_ these nations under her control. India was under British _(iii)_ for almost two centuries. Other countries were also _(iv)_ of England.

Fill the blank (i).

  1. sets

  2. set

  3. sat

  4. sit


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

The sentence requires the use of past tense form of the verb ‘set’ as the paragraph is talking about the past.

Directions: Complete this passage by selecting the most suitable option to fill the corresponding gap. There was a time when the sun never _(i)_ on the British Empire. The British flag flew in countries across the world because Britain _(ii)_ these nations under her control. India was under British _(iii)_ for almost two centuries. Other countries were also _(iv)_ of England.

Fill the blank (iii).

  1. domination

  2. denomination

  3. supremacy

  4. region


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The sentence means that the British dominated India for almost two centuries. Hence, the word ‘domination’.

Directions: Complete this passage by selecting the most suitable option to fill the corresponding gap. There was a time when the sun never _(i)_ on the British Empire. The British flag flew in countries across the world because Britain _(ii)_ these nations under her control. India was under British _(iii)_ for almost two centuries. Other countries were also _(iv)_ of England.

Fill the blank (ii).

  1. had bought

  2. brought

  3. had brought

  4. bought


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

The past participle of the verb ‘bring’ has to be used here along with “had” because the sentence talks about two things which happened in the past and the one in question happened earlier than the other.

Directions: Complete this passage by selecting the most suitable option to fill the corresponding gap. There was a time when the sun never _(i)_ on the British Empire. The British flag flew in countries across the world because Britain _(ii)_ these nations under her control. India was under British _(iii)_ for almost two centuries. Other countries were also _(iv)_ of England.

Fill the blank (iv).

  1. associates

  2. colonies

  3. allies

  4. slaves


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

The last sentence means that other countries were also under the political control of Britain. The use of the word ‘also’ suggests that other countries were ‘colonies’ of Britain just like India was. So the words ‘associates’ and ‘allies’ are not appropriate here.

The passage can be said to be

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the question that follows:

The ground was full of seeds that cannot rise into seedlings: they rob one another of air, light and water, the strongest robber winning the day and extinguishing his competitors. Year after year, the wild animals with which man never interferes are, on the average, neither more nor less numerous than they were; and yet we know that the annual produce of every pair is from one to perhaps a million young; so that it is mathematically certain that, on the average, as many are killed by natural causes as are born every year, and only those escape which happen to be a little better fitted to resist destruction than those that die. The individuals of a species are like crew of a foundered ship, and none but good swimmers have a chance of reaching the land.

  1. descriptive

  2. narrative

  3. argumentative

  4. prescriptive


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

The passage is characterized by systematic reasoning. The writer puts forth his arguments in a logical manner. Neither does it describe anything nor does it narrate a story. The passage is also not dogmatic as it does not lay down principles as undeniably true.

The final sentence expresses an opinion that is most similar to which of the following statements?

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the question that follows:

The ground was full of seeds that cannot rise into seedlings: they rob one another of air, light and water, the strongest robber winning the day and extinguishing his competitors. Year after year, the wild animals with which man never interferes are, on the average, neither more nor less numerous than they were; and yet we know that the annual produce of every pair is from one to perhaps a million young; so that it is mathematically certain that, on the average, as many are killed by natural causes as are born every year, and only those escape which happen to be a little better fitted to resist destruction than those that die. The individuals of a species are like crew of a foundered ship, and none but good swimmers have a chance of reaching the land.

  1. Natural population of animals in the wild increase in numbers exponentially.

  2. All members of a species are in violent competition with one another.

  3. Members of one generation of a population are all more or less alike.

  4. In the race to survive, the fittest survive.


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

The last sentence compares the individuals of a species to the crew members of a sinking ship. Only those members of the sinking ship, who can swim against all odds, stand a chance of reaching the land. That is, only the fittest can survive.

The expression “winning the day” refers to the fight between

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the question that follows:

The ground was full of seeds that cannot rise into seedlings: they rob one another of air, light and water, the strongest robber winning the day and extinguishing his competitors. Year after year, the wild animals with which man never interferes are, on the average, neither more nor less numerous than they were; and yet we know that the annual produce of every pair is from one to perhaps a million young; so that it is mathematically certain that, on the average, as many are killed by natural causes as are born every year, and only those escape which happen to be a little better fitted to resist destruction than those that die. The individuals of a species are like crew of a foundered ship, and none but good swimmers have a chance of reaching the land.

  1. man and animals

  2. seeds and seedlings

  3. natural calamities and wild animals.

  4. seeds and seeds


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

In the fight for survival, the strongest seed survives by destroying other seeds. Hence, the fight is between seeds.

Who were the competitors who got extinguished?

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the question that follows:

The ground was full of seeds that cannot rise into seedlings: they rob one another of air, light and water, the strongest robber winning the day and extinguishing his competitors. Year after year, the wild animals with which man never interferes are, on the average, neither more nor less numerous than they were; and yet we know that the annual produce of every pair is from one to perhaps a million young; so that it is mathematically certain that, on the average, as many are killed by natural causes as are born every year, and only those escape which happen to be a little better fitted to resist destruction than those that die. The individuals of a species are like crew of a foundered ship, and none but good swimmers have a chance of reaching the land.

  1. Seedlings

  2. Robber

  3. Seeds

  4. Wild animals


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

The first sentence tells about seeds and how the seeds compete with each other for air, light and water and how the strongest of them extinguishes others of their species.

Which of the following can be concluded from the passage?

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the question that follows:

The ground was full of seeds that cannot rise into seedlings: they rob one another of air, light and water, the strongest robber winning the day and extinguishing his competitors. Year after year, the wild animals with which man never interferes are, on the average, neither more nor less numerous than they were; and yet we know that the annual produce of every pair is from one to perhaps a million young; so that it is mathematically certain that, on the average, as many are killed by natural causes as are born every year, and only those escape which happen to be a little better fitted to resist destruction than those that die. The individuals of a species are like crew of a foundered ship, and none but good swimmers have a chance of reaching the land.

  1. Man does not kill wild animals.

  2. More wild animals are born every year than are killed naturally.

  3. Most of the wild animals survive destruction.

  4. Wild animals do not disturb man.


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The passage says that man does not interfere with wild animals and as many wild animals are born as are destroyed by natural causes. This means that wild animals are destroyed only by natural calamities and not by human action.

The “robber” in the first sentence most likely would mean

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the question that follows:

The ground was full of seeds that cannot rise into seedlings: they rob one another of air, light and water, the strongest robber winning the day and extinguishing his competitors. Year after year, the wild animals with which man never interferes are, on the average, neither more nor less numerous than they were; and yet we know that the annual produce of every pair is from one to perhaps a million young; so that it is mathematically certain that, on the average, as many are killed by natural causes as are born every year, and only those escape which happen to be a little better fitted to resist destruction than those that die. The individuals of a species are like crew of a foundered ship, and none but good swimmers have a chance of reaching the land.

  1. wild animals

  2. individuals of a species

  3. seedlings

  4. ground


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

“Robber” in the first sentence refers to seeds who rob each other of essentials like air, light and water and do not allow other seeds to germinate into seedlings. Hence, it means ‘individuals of a species'.

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