Questions

In the following passage, some of the words have been left out. Read the passage carefully and select the correct answer for the given blank out of the four alternatives.

Once ______________, it is that time of the year when the examination results season may be just ending and the admissions season is in progress, and marked by a _________________ of two contradictory voices — often from the same people — that rose to deafening ____________ from April to May when the results of various school boards _________________. The first voice __________________ those who succeeded and did wondrously well.

marked by a _________________ of two contradictory voices

In the following question, the sentence given with blank to be filled in with an appropriate word. Select the correct alternative out of the four and indicate it by selecting the appropriate option.

Oats are cut shortly before reaching _______________, when they are known as oat­hay.

Read the passage carefully and select the best answer to each question out of the given four alternatives.

One should consciously engage in activities that will nourish your soul. Just as we nourish the body, we need to nurture the soul to connect to the creative power of the universe and to manifest joy in our lives. Often, we forget to address the soul, lost as we are in a jungle of material and sensual pleasures. But the more you embrace what feeds your soul, the happier you become. So if you want to enjoy the abundance of life, engage in what enriches your soul. Nurturing the soul is all about finding calm amidst chaos. There are a number of practices that empower people towards this end including silent contemplation, various forms of meditation, yoga and tai chi However, the rigor and discipline involved in the pursuit of such practices often seems to discourage people. Add to this, the temptations of the material world that leave little time and motivation for anyone to pursue the spiritual path. Poet Walt Whitman declared: “Whatever satisfies the soul is truth”. The good news is that simple, everyday activities can also nutrify the soul — like spending time in the midst of nature, dancing in the rain or just putting thoughts on paper. Do whatever is calming and pleases you. Creative pursuits are particularly appealing as inside each one of us, there is an artist craving for release and awaiting an opportunity for expression. One of the ways to indulge the artist within is to get started with the practice of any one or more of the creative art forms such as music, singing, dancing, acting, drawing, painting, sculpting, poetry, fiction or essay writing.

When you engage in such soul nourishing activities, all thought and energy gets focused toward goal accomplishment. At this point, you will find that even unknown forces of the universe are conniving to assist you in your amateurish but sincere attempts. As you progress, you are motivated to do better. You touch and access a faculty, a part of you that you never knew existed. Your inner artist is unleashed, baring the beauty of your soul that has found a fond medium of expression. For instance, a sculptor’s soul is seen in his artwork; a musician’s in his compositions; an actor’s in his acting, a painter’s in his paintings and so on. It is immaterial whether your effort is an immaculate artwork or just a clumsy attempt by a layperson. The idea is to try, be inspired and to create giving free rein to the mind. As Michelangelo remarked: “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free”!

What can you infer from Michelangelo’s statement - "I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free"?

In the following question the 1st and the last part of the sentence/passage are numbered 1 and 6. The rest of the sentence/ passage is split into four parts and named P, Q, R and S. These four parts are not given in their proper order. Read the sentence/passage and find out which of the four combinations is correct.

1. I got on a colourful bus filled with all kinds of strange people.
P. We arrived at a gate like the one in Salvador Dali's paintings.
Q. The bus rode across the dirty expanses without roads.
R. At first, I wasn't aware that the bus roof was loaded with drugs.
S. Everyone was filled with dust and often the wheels would sink into the soft soil.
6. It was a gate neither separated nor connected anything from or to anything.

In the following question, a sentence / a part of sentence is underlined. Below are given alternatives to the underlined part which may improve the sentence. Choose the correct alternative. In case no improvement is required, choose "No Improvement" option.

The burglar broke in the shop last night.

In each of the questions, four alternatives are given for the Idiom/Phrase. Choose the alternative which best expresses the meaning of the Idiom/Phrase and click the button corresponding to it.

To put a spoke in one's wheel

In the following passage some of the words have been left out. Read the passage carefully and select the correct answer for the given blank out of the four alternatives.

Once again, a _____________ monsoon so vital to India's economic fortunes has left some states in shambles. From Assam to Karnataka, heavy rainfall in a ____________ has created paralysing floods that have taken a _______________, wiped out crops and destroyed hard-earned assets. When the waters ___________, a familiar cycle of assessment of damage by Central teams, preparation of loss estimates and expensive ____________ work such as repairs of river embankments, will follow.

a _____________ monsoon so vital to India's economic fortunes

In the following question, out of the four alternatives, select the alternative which best expresses the meaning of the idiom/phrase.

To burn the midnight oil