[SSC-FCI] Main Exam: English Language & Comprehension Previous Years Paper, Topicwise breakup

Based on the SSC-FCI Assistant Grade III mains exam held on April 2012.

1. Topicwise Breakup
2. Reading comprehension (15Qs)
3. Passage with Blanks (20Qs)
4. Sentence improvement (10Qs)
5. Direct/Indirect Speech (10Qs)
6. Active-Passive (10Qs)
7. Idioms and Phrases (5Qs)
8. Synonyms- Antonyms (10Qs)
9. Fill in the blanks (5Q)
10. Sentence Correction (10Q)
11. Sentence Arrangement(5Q)

Topicwise Breakup

If you rearrange the same data differently then:

English Grammar	Qs	Vocabulary	Qs	RC and SA	Qs
Sentence improvement	10	Idioms and Phrases	5	Comprehension	15
Direct/Indirect Speech	10	Synonyms	5	Sentence Arrangement	5
Active-Passive	10	Antonyms	5
Sentence Correction	10	Fill in the blanks	5
		Passage with Blanks	20
Total:	40		40		20

Meaning,

• majority of the paper is occupied with English grammar and Vocab (40-40),
• remaining gap is filled up with Reading comprehension and Sentence arrangement questions (20) to make up 100 questions.

Reading comprehension (15Qs)

RC#1: Humor and Jokes (10qs)

The common people have a way of laughing at their own misfortunes. They can also laugh at their oppressors. Satire became a habit with them while they groaned under the oppression of kings, priests and plutocrats. In contemporary India, the politician and the bureaucrat are the ones they take their revenge upon. There is much humour in Indian proverbs. Even the Gods are not spared. There is a special form of worship called ninda-stuti, praise by dispraiseReal humour in India, as else-where, is contained within the different languages and it is difficult for Indians of one region to understand the humour of another.India is also by tradition a class-ridden and hierarchical society.

Excessive reverence is shown to elders and to those in authority, though this may be changing. Sons and daughters don’t usually joke with their parents and vice-versa; a boss can’t afford to be seen in a mood of levity with his employees; the landlord wouldn’t dream of sharing a joke with his peasant labourers. The path to wit and humour is strewn with pitfalls. With Indian intellectuals, solemnity is a motto. Many of them wouldn’t be seen dead with a joke. And the higher they go in the cerebral scale, the drier they become.

Who does not oppress the commoner? Authors . Plutocrats Bureaucrats Politicians Who laughs at their own misfortunes? Intellectuals Commoners Politicians Kings Whom do the commoners laugh at? Misfortunes Oppressors Intellectuals Writers ‘Cerebral scale’ means a device to measure height a device to measure intelli-gence intellectual ability head massager Who becomes drier in the matter of wit? The greater intellectual The lesser intellectual The commoner An employee

According to the passage, the Indian intellectuals are by nature the rulers the bureaucrats the youngsters the common public Satire became a habit for witty solemn humorous rich A plutocrat is a bureaucrat an alien a labourer a rich person A ‘ninda-stuti’ is a dispraise by praise a hymn a praise by dispraise a proverb Who often find themselves at the end of the common people’s sarcastic wit? Sons and daughters Parents and elders Labourers Politicians and bureaucrats

RC#2: Keeping the Art alive (5Qs)

The art of storytelling is not bad and it will not be allowed to die. The invention of printing, literacy and the average man’s increasing enslavement to visual media in the recent decades threatened to stamp out the art altogether.

It faces a nutrient even in Indian homes, at least in urban areas, where it has been kept alive for centuries by indulgent and mothers using the tales of Princes, princesses and flying horses for lullaby.

1. Which or who of the following have kept this art alive for centuries?
   1. Invention of printing and progress of literacy
   2. changing in men’s likes and dislikes
   3. indulgent grandmothers
   4. urban people in India
2. Why is it necessary to keep the art alive?
   1. There is a heavy demand for it
   2. deals with stories of princes, princesses and flying horses.
   3. Children love to listen to stories.
   4. All grandmothers like to tell stories.
3. “art” as used in the paragraph refers to
   1. a habit of grandmothers
   2. story telling
   3. stories from epics
   4. artificial way of story telling
4. ‘tales’ in this paragraph relate to
   1. stories of competitions held in schools
   2. bedtime stories
   3. stories of princes, princesses and flying horses
   4. tragic stories
5. According to the passage, the threat to story telling is the result of
   1. invention of printing, literacy and man’s enslavement to visual media
   2. invention of new methods of entertainment
   3. lack of interest in telling stories and listening to the stories
   4. unwillingness of urban people to tell stories.

Passage with Blanks (20Qs)

Passage#1: Happiest Person

The happiest person is the one who enjoys what life offers. (b1) age has its pleasures and its pains. Old age has always been thought of as the (b2) age to be. But it is not (b3) for the old to be unhappy. With old age should come (b4) and the ability to guide others with (b5) wisely given. The old can have the joy of seeing their (b6) making progress in life. They can watch their grandchildren (b7) up around them. If (b8) life has been a useful one, they can feel the happiness of having come through the (b9) of life (b10).

Questions:

b1. (1) Each (2) All  (3) No (4) Everyb2. (1) worst (2) best (3) dreadful (4) impossibleb3. (1) proper (2) needful (3) necessary (4) unnecb4. (1) knowledge (2) studies (3) learning (4) wisdom b5. (1) riches (2) advice (3) money (4) property b6. (1) parents (2) ancestors (3) children (4) neighbours b7. (1) looking (2) growing (3) climbing (4) chatting b8. (1) our (2) his (3) mine (4) their b9. (1) attack (2) war (3) battle (4) skirmish b10. (1) badly (2) successfully (3) bitterly (4) sorrowfully

Passage#2: Timely Actions

Timely actions are always (b1) When a cloth gets torn it must mended (b2), if it is to be us the act of stitching is (b3) , the may become bigger and it may more stitches and the cloth may come (b4) for use. In the same ner, whenever any action is to be it must be done at the (b5) When (b6) comes, we must utilize or else the delay may result in (b7) failure and (b8). So remember (b9), stitch (b10) time saves nine.

b1. (1) hopeful (2) essential (3) beneficial (4) usefulb2. (1) later (2) .at once (3) then (4) next dayb3. (1) undone (2) left (3) rejected (4) postponedb4. (1) ugly (2) worst (3) unfit (4) waste b5. (1) fixed (2) appropriate (3) accurate (4) constant b6. (1) opportunity (2) time (3) chance (4) luck b7. (1) enjoyment (2)disaster (3) destruction (4) disappointment b8. (1) sorrow (2) tragedy (3) unhappiness (4) joy b9. (1)nine (2) a (3) no (4) any b10. (1)in (2) on a any (4) over

Sentence improvement (10Qs)

In the following questions, a part of the sentence is printed in *bold*. Alternatives are given in answer-choices, which may improve the statement. Pick the correct alternative.

The music show *began* when we arrived in the hall. had begun had began would begin No improvement There will be *black* murder when she hears this. red blue. pink No improvement The congregation believes that *it has selected* a suitable preacher. it has been selected it have selected it has select No improvement My group of tenth-graders *are such well behaved.* is so well behaved are so well behaved is such well behaved No improvement My *admonishing to him* will not change his mind. admonishing at him admonishing him admonishing for him No improvement

She *gave* most of her time to dance. lent spent devoted No improvement The people *criticized* the terrorist attack. condoned condemned conceded No improvement Surbhi’s father did not want her *to have spent* all her money at the fair. to be spending to have been spending to spend No improvement Basmati rice is *more superior than* most other varieties of rice. superior than more superior to superior to No improvement Those were the days when we *would all go out* together. will all go out will be going out would have been going No improvement

Direct/Indirect Speech (10Qs)

In the following questions, a sentence has been given in Direct/Indirect form. From the given answer choices, select the best choice that expresses the same sentence in Indirect/Direct form.

1. The Principal told us, “Wait here till I return.”
   1. The Principal told us wait here till he return.
   2. The Principal told us to wait there till he returned.
   3. The Principal told us to wait there till return,
   4. The Principal told us please wait here till he returned.

2. My mother said to me, “Who is your best friend ?”
   1. My mother questioned me as to who my best friend was.
   2. My mother asked me who is my best friend.
   3. My mother asked me who my best friend was.
   4. My mother asked me who my best friend is

3. The teacher said to the boys, “If you do your best you will surely pass.”
   1. The teacher asked the boys to work hard so that they can pass.
   2. The teacher told the boys that unless they work hard they will not pass.
   3. The teacher requested the boys that if they work better, they will surely pass.
   4. The teacher told the boys that if they did their best they would surely pass.

4. The boy pleaded that he had not stolen the book.
   1. The boy said, “I don’t steal the book.”
   2. The boy said, “I didn’t steal the book.”
   3. The bOy said, “I hadn’t stolen the book.”
   4. The boy said, t 1 haven’t stolen the book.”

5. Kavitha said, “I saw the photograph.”
   1. Kavitha told that she saw the photograph.
   2. Kavitha said that she had seen the photograph.
   3. Kavitha said that the photograph was seen by her.
   4. Kavitha said that she has seen the photograph.

6. The king said to his men, “Put the man in prison.”
   1. The king implored his men to put the man in prison.
   2. The king commanded his men to put the man in prison.
   3. The king requested his men to put the man in prison.
   4. The king informed his men to put the man in prison.

7. He said, “I have made a kite.”
   1. He says that he made a kite.
   2. He will say that he had made a kite.
   3. He said that I had made a kite.
   4. He said that he had made a kite.

8. Dravid’s neighbour said, “Do you like to play golf ?
   1. Dravid’s neighbour questioned him and said if he liked to play golf.
   2. Dravid’s neighbour asked him to like golf.
   3. Dravid’s neighbour asked him if he would like to .play golf.
   4. Dravid’s neighbour asked him if he liked to play golf.

9. She announced that they had selected Pradeep as their leader.
   1. She said, “Pradeep is our leader.
   2. She announced, “We have selected Pradeep as our leader.”
   3. She announced, “Let us se-, lect Pradeep as our leader.”
   4. She declared, “Pradeep had been selected as our leader.”

10. He told the boy not to sit there.
    1. “Didn’t sit here,” he said to the boy.
    2. “Don’t sit there,” he said to the boy.
    3. “Didn’t sit there,” he said to the boy.
    4. “Don’t sit here,” he said to the boy.

Active-Passive (10Qs)

Change the voice of the given question statements

1. The whole village was ravaged by the man-eater.
   1. The man-eater ravages the whole village.
   2. The whole village is ravaged by the man-eater.
   3. The man-eater ravaged the whole village.
   4. The whole village is being ravaged by the man-eater.

2. The purity of justice is maintained by the reports of proceedings in the law courts.
   1. The law courts maintain purity of justice in the reports of the proceedings.
   2. The reports of the proceedings of the law courts maintain the purity of justice.
   3. Pure justice is maintained in the proceedings of the law courts.
   4. The maintanance of justice is pure in the proceedings of the law courts.

3. He handed her a chair.
   1. She was handed a chair by him.
   2. He handed a chair to her.
   3. He will hand a chair to her.
   4. A chair will be handed to her by him.

4. Call the police at once.
   1. Let the police be called at once.
   2. The police was to be called at once.
   3. The police is to be called at once.
   4. Let the police called at once.

5. Post the letter.
   1. The letter is posted.
   2. The letter was posted.
   3. Let the letter be posted.
   4. The letter will be posted.

6. Who painted it?
   1. It was painted?
   2. Was it painted?
   3. Had it been painted by?
   4. By whom was it painted?

7. Newton wrote this letter yesterday
   1. Yesterday was written letter by Newton.
   2. This letter is written by Newton yesterday.
   3. This letter was written by Newton yesterday
   4. This letter was wrote by Newton yesterday

8. An awareness is being created among the people by the government about the importance of trees.
   1. The Government is creating awareness among the people about the importance of trees.
   2. The Government are creating awareness among the people about the importance of trees.
   3. The Government awareness an about the b trees.
   4. The Governs awareness an about the trees.
9. Ads on TV increase the sale of any commodity.
   1. The sale of any commodity is being increased by ads on TV.
   2. The sale of any commodity are increased by ads on TV.
   3. The sale of any commodity are being increased by ads on TV.
   4. The sale of any commodity is increased by ads on TV.
10. The Indian Government is encouraging the Europeans to visit India.
    1. The Europeans are encouraged by the Indian government to visit India
    2. The Europeans are encouraing the Indian government to visit India.
    3. The Europeans are being encouraged by the Indian government to visit India
    4. The Europeansis encouraged by the Indian government to visit India

Idioms and Phrases (5Qs)

To take one to task to reprove to take care of to approve to give a job A red letter day an important day an auspicious day a dangerous day an unimportant day To cast away to leave a place to discard for ever to develop new habits to keep in a hospital

To give a cold shoulder to rub shoulder to tease to take no notice of to give a cold shower To kick the bucket to die to escape to attack to disappear

Synonyms- Antonyms (10Qs)

Synonyms (5Q) Apparent Glaring Vague Similar Dress Discourse Sermon Calamity Intricate Worsen Bombastic Pompous Sensitive Rapid (4) sufficient Customary Unusual Traditional Rare Exceptional Slain Pained Wronged Duped Killed

Antonyms (5Q) Vague Unclear Definite Cloudy Ambiguous Perfect Imperfect Ugly Defect Complete Explicit Implicit Surplus Superfluous Profit Disadvantage Boon None of the above Obsolete New Boutique Physique Deficit Bane Antique

Fill in the blanks (5Q)

He felt _____ making so many mistakes. worthy of aware of ashamed of fond of The chief guest _____ the prizes. gave up gave in gave away gave way This problem _____ a lot of thought. calls for comes across calls on comes into

Which is ____ longest river in India? a an the No article I promise to you in all circumstances. stand up to stand with stand off stand by

Sentence Correction (10Q)

He caught the boy,(a)/ steal (b)/the parcel. (c)/ No error. (d) I am (a)/ taller than you .(b)/ aren’t I ? (c)/ No error. (d) A man of fifty (a)/ cannot he called (b)/ as young. (c)/ No error. (d) One of my (a)/ brothers live (b)/in U.S.A. (c)/ No error. (d) I will (a)/ meet him (b)/ when he will come. (c) No error. (d) I will not (a)/ agree to (b)/ the proposal. (c)/ No error. (d) He wanted to go (a)/ to home (b)/ as he was sick. (c)/ No error. (d) Either you (a)/ or he (b)/ are happy. (c)/ No error. (d) In her address (a)/ she advised us to protect (b)/ our nation. (c)/ No error. (d) Besides me (a)/ many other (b)/were present. (c)/ No error. (d)

Sentence Arrangement(5Q)

In the following questions, the first and last parts of the sentence are given correctly. The rest of the sentence 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 and find out which of the four combinations is correct.

1. (First Statement) The CentreP. for vehicles carrying food articlesQ. on the windshield andR. has made it mandatory S. to display details (Last Statement) the rear screen. RPSQ PQRS SRQP PRQS	2. (First Statement) The manP. would have given himQ. was singularly inconspicuousR. and no one passing him in the street S. who was called Alfred Not, (Last Statement)  another look. SQRP RPQS PRQS QRSP
3. (First Statement) If my fatherP. gives meQ. I shall spendR. permission S. a few months (Last Statement) abroad QRPS PARS PRQS QPRS	4. (First Statement) R.K. Narayan’s charactersP. merchants, hermits, teachers, etc.Q. come from everyR. and represent in miniature S. area of Indian society (Last Statement)  a wealth of human experience. PRQS QSPR RPSQ SQPR
5. (First Statement) ElephantsP. in their feetQ. to sense seismic vibrationsR. have special bones S. that enable them (Last Statement) long before we can. QRSP PRQS RPSQ RSQP