CDS 2015 English Question Paper -2

ORDERING OF SENTENCES

SPOTTING ERRORS

Directions: Each item in this section has a sentence with three underlined parts labelled (a), (b) and (c). Read each sentence to find out whether there is any error in any underlined part and indicate your response in the Answer Sheet against the corresponding letter i.e., (a) or (b) or (c). If you find no error, your response should be indicated as (d).

Of all those involved with the accident none was seriously injured. No error

(b) (c) (d)

Radar equipments that is to be used for ships must be installed carefully. No error

(a) (b) (c) (d)

New types of electrical circuits has been developed by our engineers. No error

(a) (b) (c) (d)

Recently I visited Kashmir and found the sceneries to be marvellous. No error

(b) (c) (d)

It is of primary importance in swimming to learn to breathe properly. No error

(b) (c) (d)

When the party was over, he looked around for the girl who had come with him. No
(a) (b) (c)
error

(d)

After we were driving for miles on the winding road I was suddenly sick. No error

(b) (c) (d)

The forecast was for fair and warm weather and the day dawned dark and chill. No
(a) (b) (c)
error

(d)

To write, to speak or to act seems very easy. No error

(a) (b) (c) (d)

I have not had tea since two days. No error

(a) (b) (c) (d)

Beside his mother he has two aunts who stay with him. No error

(b) (c) (d)

This photograph appears to be the best of the two. No error
(a) (b) (c) (d)
Either the operator or the foreman are to blame for the accident. No error.

(b) (c) (d)

The article offers good advice to whomever must accept it. No error.
(a) (b) (c) (d)
She dislikes you being most organized them she is . No error.
(a) (b) (c) (d)

SELECTING WORDS

Directions: In the following passage at certain points you are given a choice of three words marked , (b) and (c), one of which fits the meaning of the passage. Choose the best word out of the three. Mark the letter, viz., (a), (b) or (c), relating to this word on your Answer Sheet.

Passage -1

‘What happen to them after us?’This most(16), question continually torments the (17),parents of these children. So they are mainly interested in(18), some kind of vocational training for them,(19), special schools for such children,(20), spread all the world, lay emphasis on vocational training,(21), they are taught to make paper bags,(22), wall hangings etc. This, of course,(23), is quite and admirable.(24) But what about play and(25).

Can
Will
Must
None of these

Joyous
Distressing
Distracting
None of these

Unethical
Unnatural
Unfortunate
None of these

Providing
Making
Giving
None of these

But
Yet
Hence
None of these

Above
Under
Over
None of these

However
Accordingly
Similarly
None of these

Dubious
Simple
Clumsy
None of these

Agreeable
Astute
Additional
None of these

Sports?
Game?
Ground?
None of these

Passage-2

Galileo used mathematical calculation as well as observation of nature and was the first astronomer to use a telescope. With an instrument of his own Galileo observed Jupiter(26), and four of moons, the phases of Venus and the spots on the sun.(27), His and calculations confirmed that Copernicus and Kepler were right.(28), He saw his own eyes (29),and made other people(30), too that the earth was not the fixed center of universe(31), as Ptolemy had said. Galileo made some important discoveries in mechanics. He did not (32),drop cannon balls from the Leaning Tower of Pisa(33), that all (34),bodies fall at the speed, but he did roll balls(35), a slope to show that(36), the a body falls is proportionate(37), the square of the time it takes to fall. Galileo(38), also noticed the regular of the lamps in Pisa Cathedral; (39),gave him the idea of the pendulum, a device that enabled him to make the clock a scientific instrument for the first time.(40).

Experiment
Construction
Calculation
None of these

The
Their
Its
None of these

Observing
Observations
Observed
None of these

By
From
With
None of these

To see
See
Seeing
None of these

An
A
The
None of these

Instead
Also
Therefore
None of these

As legend say
As stories say
As people say
None of these

Having provide
Proving
To prove
None of these

Same
Equal
Similar
None of these

Downside
Down over
Down
None of these

Track
Distance
Path
None of these

To
Of
With
None of these

Swings
Swinging
Swaying
None of these

These
This
Those
None of these

SENTENCE IMPROVEMENT
Directions: Look at the underlined part of each sentence. Below each sentence are given three possible ; substitutions for the underlined part. If one of them (a), (b) or (c) is better than the underlined part, indicate your response on the Answer Sheet against the corresponding letter (a), (b) or (c). If none of i the substitutions improves the sentence, indicate (d) as your response on the Answer Sheet. Thus a”No improvement” response will be signified by the letter (d).

It’s ten o’clock already. It’s high time you went

you had gone
you were going
you had been
No Improvement

The students are playing volley-ball since 8 A.M.

were playing
have playing
have been playing
No Improvement

Our plans for the trip fell down because we had no money.

off
out
through
No Improvement

None of these groups has reported accurately on the prevailing situation.

have reported
was reported
has reporting
No improvement

Among the athletes undergoing training Ramesh was easily the better.

best
better
the best
No improvement

The earth moves round the sun, isn’t it?

wasn’t it?
hasn’t it?
doesn’t it?
No improvement

Supposing if he is arrested what will he do ?

if he will be arrested
he is arrested
if he was arrested
No Improvement

My students have been interesting in learning French.

have been interested
are being interesting
have also interesting
No Improvement

Hardly I had fallen asleep, when the bell rang.

I was fallen
had I fallen
I fell asleep
No improvement

These days, Radha finds it difficult to make both her ends meet.

both ends meet
both the ends meet
ends meet
No Improvement

My mother always asks us to close the fan when we leave the room.

on the fan
off the fans
turn off the fan
No Improvement

If she does not get more high salary, she will resign.

more higher salary
high salaries
a higher salary
No Improvement

The parents should not discriminate from the girl child.

discriminate between
discriminate against
discriminate at
No Improvement

Shakespeare’s play ‘Macbeth’ is another of his greatest

one of his greatest
best of his greatest
greatest of his
No Improvement

Some schools require children to wear black leather expensive shoes.

black expensive leather shoes
expensive leather black shoes
expensive black leather shoes
No improvement

It is a good thing for him should recognize his faults.

that he to recognise his faults
him recognizing his faults
for him to recognize his faults
No Improvement

Some boys speak their mother-tongue among one another.

between them
among themselves
with them
No Improvement

Prior than taking any decisions he always consults his lawyer.

Prior to
Previous to
Prior as
No Improvement

He does not know what the university is.

an
a
one
No Improvement

The Prime Minister called on the President.

by
in
to
No Improvement

No sooner did we reach the railway station when it began to rain.

than
and
while
No Improvement

Well-bred children always listen to their parents’ advice.

hear to
agree
obey
No Improvement

We had not met since then, neither did I wish to meet him now.

never did I wish
nor did I wish
did not I wish
No Improvement

Even she had taken a taxi, she would have been late.

Even if she had
Although she had
As if she had
No Improvement

He felt sure of his success, though he was beginning to get worried.

his succeed
his successes
being succeeded
No Improvement

COMPREHENSION

Directions: In this section there are four short passages. After each passage, you will find some questions based on the passage. First, read a passage and answer the questions based on it. You are required to select your answers based on the contents of the passage and opinion of the author only.

Passage-I

Much rhapsodical nonsense has been written about the “Mona Lisa” and her enigmatic smile, and there have been endless speculations as to her character and the meaning of her expression. It is all beside the mark. The truth is that the “Mona Lisa” is a study of modeling. Leonardo da Vinci had discovered that the expression of smiling is much more a matter of modeling of the cheek and of the forms below the eye than of the change in the line of the lips. It interested him to produce a smile wholly by these delicate changes of surface; hence the mysterious expression.

The word rhapsodical as used in the passage means

plain
unreadable
enthusiastic
uniformed

“Mona Lisa” is the name of

a beautiful woman who made history in ancient Rome
a famous painting
the artist’s mistress
an art technique

The truth about the “Mona Lisa” is that it is a study in

feminine psychology
facial expression
feminine form
modelling

The painter was able to produce that strange smile on Mona Lisa’s face by

delicate changes on the surface of cheeks below the eyes
using bright colours
using a painting knife
looking constantly at a smiling model while painting

The author of the above passage has examined ‘Mona Lisa’ from

an idealistic angle
an imaginary point of view
a purely artistic angle
a scientific and realistic standpoint

Passage-II

It is possible to give wedding presents, birthday and Christmas presents, without any thought of affection at all, they can be ordered by postcard; but the unbirthday present demands the nicest care. It is therefore the best of all, and it is the only kind to which the golden rule of present-giving imperatively applies – the golden rule which insists that you must never give to another person anything that you would not rather keep: nothing that does not cost you a pang to part from. It would be better if this rule governed the choice also of those other three varieties of gifts, but they can be less exacting.

The author says that wedding, birthday and Christmas presents

are always indicators of the giver’s affection
may not always be given with any thought of affection
are given only to flatter the recipient
are given only to fulfil an obligation

‘They can be ordered by postcard’ means that

the present may only be a postcard
the present would be an expensive one
the choice does not involve much care
present would not be worth giving

The ‘unbirthday’ present is the best of all because

it cannot be ordered by postcard
it means giving expensive presents
its choice needs the utmost care
other occasions are better than birthdays for giving presents

A ‘golden rule’ is a rule which

brings profit
is very important
is very difficult
is very easy

The writer is of the view that one should give a present that

one would like to possess oneself
one would like to get rid of
cannot be ordered by mail
is highly expensive and attractive

Passage-Ill

People project their mental processes into their handwriting. They subconsciously shape and organise their letters, words and lines in ways that directly reflect their personalities. This explains why no two handwritings are – or even can be – alike; the medium is just too personal. Everyday observation confirms the link between handwriting and personality, at least in an elementary way. Precise people construct their words with care, slowly and exactly; dynamic people dash them off. Flamboyant people boldly cover half a page with a few words and a signature, whose size fittingly reflects their expansive sense of self. Most of us have made such observations. But it takes a practiced eye to discern the scores of variations and interpret the subtle interplay of forces at work in any given handwriting. In fact in Europe, handwriting analysis known as graphology, now enjoys scientific acceptance and common use.

If you are a showy and colourful person, your handwriting is likely to be

neat and slow
dashing and careless
bold and large
legible but small

Graphology is

the study of graphs
the analysis of handwriting
a special branch of phonetics
a graphical description of handwriting

Handwriting analysis is

not useful to us
an elementary study
an imprecise science
a means of studying personality

According to the author, people are:

not conscious of what they write
aggressive in the nature of their writing
not conscious of the way they write
not used to personal writing

The fact that handwriting is related to personality

has been noticed by most people
is appreciated by dynamic people
is restricted to persons who write carefully
is known only to graphologists

Passage-IV

The simplest method of welding two pieces of metal together is known as pressure welding. The ends of metal are heated to a white heat — for iron, the welding temperature should be about 1300°C — in a flame. At this temperature the metal becomes plastic. The ends are then pressed or hammered together, and the joint is smoothed off. Care must be taken to ensure that the surfaces are thoroughly clean first, for dirt will weaken the weld. Moreover, the heating of iron or steel to a high temperature cause oxidation, and a film of oxide is formed on the heated surfaces. For this reason, a flux is applied to the heated metal. At welding heat, the flux melts, and the oxide particles are dissolved in it together with any other impurities which may be present. The metal surfaces are pressed together, and the flux is squeezed out from the centre of the weld. A number of different types of weld may be used, but for
fairly thick bars of metals, a vee-shaped weld should normally be employed. It is rather stronger than the ordinary butt weld.

The simplest way of welding two pieces of metal together is

heating the metal
holding it in a flame
coating the metal with plastic
hammering heated pieces

Unless the surfaces are cleaned first

the metal will not take white heat
the resulting weld will be weak
the joint will be rough
the metal will be less plastic

When iron is heated to about 1300 degree centigrade

flames turn from white to blue
chemical reaction starts
oxide film is found on its surfaces
it turns into steel

The flux is used to

make the metal plastic
cool the heated metal
cover up any dirt
dissolve oxide and other impurities

For fairly thick bars of metals

a vee shaped weld should be used
ordinary butt weld should be used
a number of different types of weld may be used
a pressure weld may be used

SYNONYMS

Directions: Each item in this section consists of a sentence with an underlined word followed by four words or group of words. Select the word or group of words that is most similar in meaning to the underlined word.

All these items have been marked down.

reserved
packed up
reduced in price
entered

How can you have the effrontery to ask for another loan?

right
impudence
heart
courage

There was a devastating attack on his work.

terrible
casual
unethical
motivated

The committee conducted an exhaustive

time-consuming
complicated
renewed
thorough

He is just laving up a lot of trouble for himself.

clearing
accumulating
accepting
removing

He fought the demon with all his might.

heaviness
strength
density
popularity

Devotees believe that God dwells in their heart.

lives
insists
travels
enters

Not everyone can respond to a difficult question quickly.

discuss
argue .
answer
deny

The sage did not want to be bothered with mundane

worldly
meaningless
trivial
superfluous

Mountaineering in bad weather is dangerous.

threatening
shaky
perilous
slippery

Stellar groupings tend to be unlimited.

lengthy
heavenly
huge
infinite

One who rules with unlimited power is called a dictator.

anarchist
autocrat
egoist
sychophant

He was not ready with his annual

yearly
important
monthly
permanent

Society cannot depend upon a fanatic for guidance.

optimist
martyr
bigot
anarchist

A busy person cannot waste his time on trivial

unimportant
rude
crude
tribal

ANTONYMS
Directions: Each item in this section consists of a sentence with an underlined word followed by four words or group of words. Select the word or group of words that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the underlined word.

The officer exaggerated the damage caused by the rowdies.

underwrote
condemned
ignored
underestimated

The speaker was unable to pacify the crowd.

excite
antagonize
threaten
challenge

His officer was a very strict

pleasant
open hearted
lenient
indifferent

Servitude is not helpful for mental growth.

Disservice
Retirement
Freedom
Termination

His attitude to poor people is deplorable.

commendable

miserable
equitable
desirable

The guest made derogatory remarks about the food he was served.

interesting
complimentary
unnecessary
cheerful

He has an aversion to milk.

dear
loving
liking
pet

The paucity of good teachers is the chief reason for the present condition of these schools.

presence
surplus
appointment
retention

Don’t you think his account of things was monotonous?

agreeable
acceptable
varied
indecent

Spurious drugs can prove to be fatal.

Virtuous
Inferior
Genuine
Contemptuous

FILL IN THE BLANKS

Directions: Each of the following sentences has a blank space and four words are given below it. Select the word you consider most appropriate for the blank space and indicate your choice on the answer sheet.

We must not _______ the real and important advances science has made

Oppose
Question
Ignore
Doubt

These trousers are too long, ______ the length please

Diminish
Lessen
Curtail
Reduce

“What did you think of the film?” ______,” I didn’t like it very much.”

To be honest
Being honest
To be fair
In honesty

He_______ in this school since 2010.

Studied
was studying
has been studying
had studied

“His parents died when he was young.” “I think that’s why he has_____ problems.”

too many
so many
any more
much more

________ if he is willing to fit in with the plans of the group.

There is no objection to him joining the party
There is no objection on his joining the party
There is no objection to his joining the party
There was no objection for his joining the party

Having secured the highest marks in the class,__________ .

the college had offered him a scholarship
he was offered a scholarship by the college
a scholarship was offered him by the college
a college scholarship had been offered to him

After they______ lunch, the boys ran outside.

have eaten
had eaten
were eating
would eat

As he was______ and had saved enough money, his family escaped misery when he died suddenly.

prudent
preparatory
persistent
providential

Some mysteries remain in desert research: especially relating to why some regions, once fertile, are now_______ .

blossoming
cultivable
barren
irrigated