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.

We get sleepy and wake up, become hungry and thirsty at certain hours, ____________ force of habit. We form the habit of liking a certain chair, or nook, or corner, or path, or desk, and __________ seek this to the exclusion of all others. We ______________ use a particular pitch of voice and type of enunciation in speaking, and this becomes one of our characteristic marks; or we _________ the habit of using barbarisms or solecisms of language in __________, and these cling to us and become an inseparable part of us later in life.

desk, and __________ seek this to the exclusion

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”!

According to the passage, why even our amateurish attempts motivate us?

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.

And then, a few glorious minutes ______________, it was time to reluctantly head ashore. ____________ time, the strokes were more fluid, the movements more relaxed. I turned back one last time ____________ hello to a clown fish, the reason why I came to the Andamans. As I watched, it played hide-and-seek _________ a sea anemone, before frisking away. Suddenly, I realised a kinship with the blue waters ___________ the Bay of Bengal.

kinship with the blue waters ___________ the Bay of Bengal.

In the following question, a sentence has been given in Direct/Indirect speech. Out of the four alternatives suggested, select the one which best express the same sentence in Indirect/Direct speech.

Sheela reassured me,"I can come tonight."

In the following question, some part of the sentence may have errors. Find out which part of the sentence has an error and select the appropriate option. If a sentence is free from error, select ‘No Error’.

Acquired immunity is the result of an (1)/ interaction with our new environment and (2)/ proper digestion of all that we take off. (3)/ No error (4)

n 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.

The rising sun has great inner ______. Not just to ______ the new morning right after the dark night, but also the new rhythms and vibrations within existence. The entire universe – including the trees, birds and flowers – wake up to the rising sun. When we listen to the birds chirping and see the flower petals open, remember that the sunrise is not just a great happening on the outside. If we are alert and aware, then the sunrise is also happening deep within us. Something within ourselves is also ______ with the first rays of the sun. We just need to be sensitive and available; we just need to be ______. Like the outside world, we need to open the inner door to let the new dawn enter within. Just open the window of our inner world and allow the beautiful experience of sunrise to ______ within ourselves – this experience is beyond anything earthly.

we just need to be ______.

In the following question, a sentence has been given in Active/Passive Voice. Out of the four alternatives suggested, select the one which best expresses the same sentence in Passive/Active Voice.

Did they pay the clerks their salary on the first day of the month?

In the following question, a sentence has been given in Direct/Indirect speech. Out of the four alternatives suggested, select the one which best express the same sentence in Indirect/Direct speech.

The teacher said to the boys, "Can you sit still and do you work?"