Directions (1-15): Some questions have a sentence with two blanks followed by five pairs of words as choices. Others have a single blank followed by five words as choices. From the choices, select the word/pair of words that can best complete the given sentences and mark its number as your answer.
Q1. Though one eye is kept firmly on the __________, the Company now also promotes __________ contemporary art.
(a) present, experimental
(b) future, popular
(c) present, popular
(d) market, popular
Q2. The law prohibits a person from felling a sandalwood tree even if it grows on one’s own land, without prior permission from the government. As poor people cannot deal with the government, this legal provision leads to a rip-roaring business for __________ who care neither for the __________ nor for the trees.
(a) middlemen, rich
(b) the government, poor
(c) touts, rich
(d) touts, poor
(e) enjoins, fails
Q3. It will take some time for many South Koreans to __________ the conflicting images of North Korea, let alone to __________ what to make of their northern cousins.
(a) reconcile, decide
(b) understand, clarify
(c) make out, decide
(d) reconcile, understand
(e) restrain, conceal
Q4. The manners and __________ of the nouveau riche is a recurrent __________ in the literature.
(a) style, motif
(b) morals, story
(c) wealth, theme
(d) morals, theme
(e) tract, enacting
Q5. The best punctuation is that of which the reader is least conscious; for when punctuation, or lack of it, __________ itself, it is usually because it __________.
(a) obtrudes, offends
(b) enjoins, fails
(c) conceals, recedes
(d) effaces, counts
(e) market, popular
Q6. The argument that the need for a looser fiscal policy to __________ demand outweighs the need to __________ budget deficits is persuasive.
(a) assess, minimize
(b) outstrip, eliminate
(c) stimulate, control
(d) restrain, conceal
(e) the government, poor
Q7. This simplified __________ to the decision-making process is a must read for anyone __________ important real estate, personal, or professional decisions.
(a) primer, maximizing
(b) tract, enacting
(c) introduction, under
(d) guide, facing
(e) divergent, distinct
Q8. Physicians may soon have __________ to help paralysed people move their limbs by bypassing the __________ nerves that once controlled their muscles.
(a) instruments, detrimental
(b) ways, damaged
(c) reason, involuntary
(d) impediments, complex
(e) middlemen, rich
Q9. Early __________ of maladjustment to college culture is __________ by the tendency to develop friendship networks outside college which mask signals of maladjustment.
(a) treatment, compounded
(b) detection, facilitated
(c) identification, complicated
(d) prevention, helped
(e) make out, decide
Q10. The British retailer, M & S, today formally __________ defeat in its attempt to __________ King’s, its US subsidiary, since no potential purchasers were ready to cough up the necessary cash.
(a) admitted, acquire
(b) conceded, offload
(c) announced, dispose
(d) ratified, auction
(e) outstrip, eliminate
Q11. Companies that try to improve employees’ performance by __________ rewords encourage negative kinds of behaviour, instead of __________ a genuine interest in doing the work well.
(a) giving, seeking
(b) bestowing, discouraging
(c) conferring, discrediting
(d) withholding, fostering
(e) make out, decide
Q12. A growing number of these expert professionals __________ having to train foreigners as the students end up __________ the teachers who have to then unhappily contend with no jobs at all or new jobs with drastically reduced pay packets.
(a) resent, replacing
(b) resist, challenging
(c) welcome, assisting
(d) are, supplanting
(e) make out, decide
Q13. The __________ regions of Spain all have unique cultures, but the __________ views within each region make the issue of an acceptable common language of instruction an even more contentious one.
(a) different, discrete
(b) distinct, disparate
(c) divergent, distinct
(d) different, competing
(e) admitted, acquire
Q14. The interest generated by the soccer World Cup is __________ compared to the way cricket __________ the nation.
(a) milder, fascinates
(b) lukewarm, electrifies
(c) tepid, inspires
(d) unusual, grips
(e) present, popular
Q15. No doubt, it was our own government but it was being run on borrowed ideas, using __________ solutions.
(a) worn out
(b) second hand
(c) impractical
(d) appropriate
(e) work out
Solutions
S1. Ans.(b)
Sol. future, popular fits in the context correctly.
S2. Ans.(d)
Sol. touts, poor- fits in the context correctly.
S3. Ans.(a)
Sol. reconcile, decide fits in the context correctly.
S4. Ans.(d)
Sol. morals, theme -fits in the context correctly.
S5. Ans.(b)
Sol. enjoins, fails -fits in the context correctly.
S6. Ans.(c)
Sol. stimulate, control -fits in the context correctly.
S7. Ans.(d)
Sol. guide, facing -fits in the context correctly.
S8. Ans.(b)
Sol. ways, damaged -fits in the context correctly.
S9. Ans.(c)
Sol. identification, complicated -fits in the context correctly.
S10. Ans.(b)
Sol. conceded, offload -fits in the context correctly.
S11. Ans.(d)
Sol. withholding, fostering fits in the context correctly.
S12. Ans.(a)
Sol. resent, replacing -fits in the context correctly.
S13. Ans.(d)
Sol. different, competing- fits in the context correctly.
S14. Ans.(b)
Sol. lukewarm, electrifies -fits in the context correctly.
S15. Ans.(b)
Sol. second hand- fits in the context correctly.
