Questions

In the following question, out of the four alternatives, select the alternative which will improve the bracketed part of the sentence. In case no improvement is needed, select "no improvement".

Gilbert de Lafayette's father and grandfather and great-grandfather (have all been) brave and noble men.

In the following question, out of the given four alternatives, select the one which best expresses the meaning of the given word.

Poignant

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.

Irony. __________________word captures our response to the ongoing nationwide drought in more ways than one. We have woken _________ the reality of drought a full six months after the end of monsoon. After waking up, we focus ____________ the drinking water __________ in urban centres and not the multidimensional crisis of life and livelihood in _______________ hinterland.

drinking water __________ in urban centres

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

"What makes you so sad?" she asked Manoj.

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

India’s title triumph in the Under-19 cricket World Cup at the Bay Oval in New Zealand seemed inevitable. Prithvi Shaw’s boys, astutely coached by Rahul Dravid, maintained an unbeaten record through their three-week sojourn. The rousing campaign commenced with a 100-run win against Australia on January 14; in subsequent games, Papua New Guinea, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Pakistan were all emphatically defeated. There were no big-game nerves and even in the much- hyped semifinal against Pakistan, India pocketed a facile 203-run victory. In the summit clash against Australia, Shaw’s boys followed their template of dominance.

Australia was bowled out for 216 and India cruised home in 38.5 overs with eight wickets to spare, and enjoyed the added lustre of opener Manjot Kalra’s unbeaten 101. Through the tournament India found diverse heroes. Fittingly, its batting troika of Shaw, Kalra and Shubman Gill, along with seamer Kamlesh Nagarkoti and spinner Anukul Roy, found a berth in the International Cricket Council’s Under-19 World Cup team, essentially a tribute to the best players on view in the championship. Cricketing excellence allied with the resultant celebrity status, especially during the teenage years, can be a double-edged sword and it helped that in the dressing room there was the calming presence of Dravid. As the ecstatic players leapt and photo-bombed after clinching the trophy, Dravid cut through the hype and said that this win should not be the team’s defining memory as each individual cricketer has much more to achieve in his career. Dravid has a point. India has won the Under-19 World Cup on four occasions, including the previous golden runs in 2000, 2008 and 2012. From among these champion sides, only a few graduated to the big stage. Yuvraj Singh and Virat Kohli came through the under-19 ranks and managed to carve a niche for themselves, but Unmukt Chand, who led the team to the Cup in 2012, and then featured in a soft drink advertisement besides writing a book, has been unable to make it to the Indian senior team.

Which one quality of Rahul Dravid is mentioned in the passage as a captain of U-19 Cricket team of India?

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.

For me the ______________ and the chill of those nights dissolved into those little flames of fire that for hours made us live in a wonderland, in a ___________ fair of fireflies, and made us _________ there’s nothing that can blow those divine lights ________. In my mind I can still hear the jingling sounds of ________ tiny bells that grandma used to ring during the puja.

in a ___________ fair of fireflies,

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.

Most __________________ of all to the rambler on avian lore intent is the fact that there are many species and genera that are peculiar to the West, and ______________ new to him, keeping him constantly on the 'qui vive'. _____________ Colorado you will look in vain for the common blue jay, so abundant in all parts of the East; but you will be more _______________ compensated by the presence of seven other species _____________ the jay household.

presence of seven other species _____________ the jay household.

In the following question, out of the four alternatives, select the alternative which is the best substitute of the phrase.

To sell (stocks or other securities or commodities) in advance of acquiring them, with the aim of making a profit when the price falls.