Directions (1-7): In the following passage there are blanks, each of which has been numbered. These numbers are printed below the passage and against each, five options are given. Find the word which fits the blank most appropriately.
Last Saturday, as _________(1) _________ explosions went off at Aramco’s Khurais oilfield and Abqaiq processing facility in Saudi Arabia, an all-too-familiar sense of dread swept over Indian markets and consumers. At the pump the spectre of rising oil prices came back to ________(2) __________ people while RBI governor Shaktikanta Das told CNBC-TV18 that India’s current account and fiscal _________(3) _________ could take a hit if oil prices continued to rise.
Just how long will India allow itself to be held _________(4) _________ by the global oil mafia?
That 10 automated drones could disrupt 5% of the global oil supply is a cautionary note on their _________(5) _________ powers but is also about how oil continues to be the lynchpin around which global business revolves. In the immediate aftermath of the attack, US oil futures spiked 14.7%, the biggest spike in the last 10 years. It forced US President Donald Trump to authorize release of oil from the country’s 645 million barrels of Strategic Petroleum Reserves. With analysts now saying that even a disruption of a few weeks could increase the risk premium in oil prices, the _________(6) _________ is/are grim for India whose dependence on oil imports for meeting its energy needs is at an alarmingly high 84% and whose strategic reserves are the lowest among the countries most ________(7) __________.
- (a) vibrant (b) fetter (c) simultaneous
(d) exorcist (e) None of these
- (a) haunt (b) excerpt (c) diatribe
(d) invective (e) None of these
- (a) deficient (b) deficit (c) defiant
(d) dispel (e) None of these
- (a) detente (b) exhort (c) docile
(d) hostage (e) None of these
- (a) conspicuous (b) bristle (c) assiduous
(d) destructive (e) None of these
- (a) grudge (b) portents (c) fiasco
(d) enigma (e) None of these
- (a) grilled (b) impacted (c) frisked
(d) garbled (e) None of these
Directions (8-12): In the following questions, a paragraph is given. There are several words which are highlighted following numbers. These words may or may not be used in their correct sense in the given paragraph. The numbers provided with these words are then followed by five options. These options contain words that can replace the words in the paragraph. You need to find the words that can replace the highlighted words and mark them as your answers. If the word highlighted is used correctly then mark option (e) i.e. “No replacement required” as your answer.
The major news story of 23 September 2019 was the (8) stiffen of the 178 year old Thomas Cook UK. While newspaper headlines were (9) authored by the story of this unexpected collapse, there were smaller articles tucked in on the side highlighting that Thomas Cook India Ltd (TCIL) is not part of Thomas Cook UK and is not affected by the collapse.
Now TCIL is at pains to highlight through public notices and press articles that it is (10) owned by Fairfax of Canada since 2012. The brand name, for which they were reportedly paying a fee of ₹2 crore per year, overnight turned into a (11) department for TCIL. Even while TCIL has issued press releases sharing its healthy financials, its stocks fell by 2.68% at the end of the day’s trading in the (12) transitive aftermath of the news.
- (a) hiring
(b) virtualization
(c) collapse
(d) affiliation
(e) No replacement required
- (a) included
(b) dominated
(c) demonstrated
(d) departed
(e) No replacement required
- (a) tailored (b) legitimated (c) sequenced
(d) shuffled (e) No replacement required
- (a) obligatory (b) dividend (c) zealous
(d) liability (e) No replacement required
- (a) immediate (b) deduction (c) pious
(d) dearth (e) No replacement required
Directions (13-22): In each of the questions given below four words are given in bold. These four words may or may not be in their correct position. The sentence is then followed by options with the correct combination of words that should replace each other in order to make the sentence grammatically and contextually correct. Find the correct combination of the words that replace each other. If the sentence is correct as it is then select option (e) as your choice.
- Senator Van Hollen wasrequested (A) when rebuffed (B) permission to visit Srinagar in an effort (C) to assess the situation (D) on the ground.
(a) A-B (b) B-C (c) C-D
(d) A-C (e) None of these
- After the Wuhanchanged (A), many things have Summit (B), altering the circumstances (C) surrounding India-China relations(D).
(a) A-B (b) B-C (c) C-D
(d) A-C (e) None of these
- China and India continue(A) to compete and have a contradictory(B) outlook on many issues (C) and civilisationalstrategic (D).
(a) A-B (b) B-C (c) C-D
(d) A-C (e) None of these
- It has to be acknowledged (A) that since the Wuhan Summit (B),little has concerned (C) as far as India-China relations are changed (D).
(a) A-B (b) B-C (c) C-D
(d) A-C (e) None of these
- Hopes raised (A) at the Wuhan Summit that the two evanescent (B) would jointly work together (C) on an economic project in Afghanistan have proved to becountries (D).
(a) A-B (b) B-D (c) C-D
(d) A-C (e) None of these
- The move to cut (A) corporatetaxes, for which an (B) sentiment has already been issued by the (C) government, is on a par with the(D) ordinance -boosting ‘dream budget’ of 1997.
(a) Only D-A
(b) Only C-B
(c) Both A-B and A-C
(d) Only B-D
(e) All are correct
- The government’s (A) statisticalmachinery has begun work on revising the (B) workers that opens up the (C) prospect for an upward revision in the wages paid out to (D) indices under the act.
(a) Only D-A
(b) Only B-D
(c) Both C-B and C-D
(d) Only C-D
(e) All are correct
- The (A) conservativeto win a fifth term in office could (B) elude Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the (C) ambition Likud (D) party.
(a) Only B-D
(b) Only A-C
(c) Both A-B and A-D
(d) Both (a) and (b)
(e) All are correct
- (c): Vibrant: full of energy and life.
Fetter: restrain with chains or manacles, typically around the ankles.
Simultaneous: occurring, operating, or done at the same time.
Exorcist: a person who expels or attempts to expel a supposed evil spirit from a person or place.
Hence, option (c) is correct answer choice.
- (a): Haunt: (of a ghost) manifest itself at (a place) regularly.
Excerpt: take (a short extract) from a text.
Diatribe: a forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something.
Invective: insulting, abusive, or highly critical language.
Hence, option (a) is correct answer choice.
- (b): Deficient: not having enough of a specified quality or ingredient.
Deficit: the amount by which something, especially a sum of money, is too small.
Defiant: showing defiance.
Dispel: make (a doubt, feeling, or belief) disappear.
Hence, option (b) is correct answer choice.
- (d): Detente: the easing of hostility or strained relations, especially between countries.
Exhort: strongly encourage or urge (someone) to do something.
Docile: ready to accept control or instruction; submissive.
Hostage: If you say you are hostage to something, you mean that your freedom to take action is restricted by things that you cannot control.
Thus, option (d) is correct answer choice.
- (d): Conspicuous: clearly visible.
Bristle: a short, stiff hair on an animal’s skin or a man’s face.
Assiduous: showing great care and perseverance.
Thus, option (d) is correct answer choice.
- (b): Grudge: a persistent feeling of ill will or resentment resulting from a past insult or injury.
Portents: a sign or warning that a momentous or calamitous event is likely to happen.
Fiasco: a complete failure, especially a ludicrous or humiliating one.
Enigma: a person or thing that is mysterious or difficult to understand.
Hence, option (b) is correct answer choice.
- (b): Grilled: subject (someone) to intense questioning or interrogation.
Impacted: strongly affected by something.
Frisked: skip or leap playfully; frolic.
Garbled: (of a message, sound, or transmission) confused and distorted; unclear.
Hence, option (b) is correct answer choice.
- (c): From the given words, ‘collapse’ fits in the sentence grammatically and contextually. The following sentence. The hint can be drawn from the statement following the highlighted word.
- (b): To form a grammatically and contextually meaningful sentence ‘dominated’ can be used to replace ‘authored’. Hence, option (b) is correct answer choice
- (e): The highlighted word is correctly used grammatically and contextually in the given sentence. Hence, option (e) is correct answer choice.
- (d): The word ‘department’ is contextually incorrect. Rather ‘liability’ should be used as the theme of the passage explains that the TCIL was using the brand Thomas cook but was owned by Fairfax. And the brand Thomas Cook became a liability for TCIL. Hence, option (d) is correct answer choice.
- (a): From the given words ‘immediate’ will replace ‘transitive’ to form a grammatically and contextually correct sentence. Hence, option (a) is correct answer choice.
- (a): In the given statement, we will notice that the positions of (C) effort and (D) situation are correct in context of the sentence. But (A) requested and (B) rebuffed have been incorrectly placed and interchanging them will make the sentence grammatically and contextually correct.
The correct statement thus formed will be:
Senator Van Hollen was rebuffed when requested permission to visit Srinagar in an effort to assess the situation on the ground.
- (a): In the given statement, we will notice that the positions of (C) circumstances and (D) relations are correct in context of the sentence. But (A) changed and (B) Summit have been incorrectly placed and interchanging them will make the sentence grammatically and contextually correct.
The correct statement thus formed will be:
After the Wuhan Summit, many things have changed, altering the circumstances surrounding India-China relations.
- (c): In the given statement, we will notice that the positions of (A) continue and (B) contradictory are correct in context of the sentence. But (C) issues and (D) strategic have been incorrectly placed and interchanging them will make the sentence grammatically and contextually correct.
The correct statement thus formed will be:
China and India continue to compete and have a contradictory outlook on many strategic and civilisational issues.
- (c): In the given statement, we will notice that the positions of (A) and (B) are correct in context of the sentence. But (C) and (D) have been incorrectly placed and interchanging them will make the sentence grammatically and contextually correct.
The correct statement thus formed will be:
It has to be acknowledged that since the Wuhan Summit, little has changed as far as India-China relations are concerned.
- (b): In the given statement, we will notice that the positions of (A) raised and (C) together are correct in context of the sentence. But (B) evanescent and (D) countries have been incorrectly placed and interchanging them will make the sentence grammatically and contextually correct.
The correct statement thus formed will be:
Hopes raised at the Wuhan Summit that the two countries would jointly work together on an economic project in Afghanistan have proved to be evanescent.
- (d): The given sentence needs the rearrangement of the words ‘sentiment’ and ‘ordinance’. This is because there is use of ‘an’ in front of ‘sentiment’, hence, it is grammatically incorrect. Moreover ‘sentiment-boosting’ is contextually correct. Other words are correct. Hence, option (d) is correct answer choice.
- (b): The phrase ‘revising the workers’ is contextually incorrect. Instead it should be ‘revising the indices’. Moreover the pages should be paid to ‘workers’. Other to words are in their correct places. Hence, option (b) is correct answer choice.
- (b): The use of ‘conservative’ and ‘ambition’ in the given sentence is incorrect. It should be ‘The ambition to win’ and ‘the ambition Likud party’. So these words need interchanging. Hence, option (b) is correct answer choice.