English Questions

A passage is given with five questions following it. Read the passage carefully and select the best answer to each question out of the given four alternatives.

He wasn't the first, nor would he be the last, but the wiry, bespectacled man from Gujarat is certainly the most famous of the world's peaceful political dissidents. Mohandas Gandhi – also affectionately known as Mahatma – led India's independence movement in the 1930s and 40s by speaking softly without carrying much of a big stick, facing down the British colonialists with stirring speeches and non-violent protest. More than anything else, historians say, Gandhi proved that one man has the power to take on an empire, using both ethics and intelligence.

Urges Britain to quit India

It is hard to imagine the thin, robed Gandhi working in the rough and tumble world of law, but Gandhi did get his start in politics as a lawyer in South Africa, where he supported the local Indian community's struggle for civil rights. Returning to India in 1915, he carried over his desire to improve the situation of the lower classes.

Gandhi quickly became a leader within the Indian National Congress, a growing political party supporting independence, and traveled widely with the party to learn about the local struggles of various Indian communities.

It was during those travels that his legend grew among the Indian people, historians say.

Gandhi was known as much for his wit and intelligence as for his piety. When he was arrested several more times over the years for his actions during the movement,  Gandhi calmly fasted in prison, believing that his death would embarrass the British enough to spur independence, which had become the focus of his politics by 1920.

Gandhi's non-cooperation movement, kicked off in the early 1920s, called for Indians to boycott British goods and traditions and become self-reliant. His most famous protest came in 1930, when Gandhi led thousands of Indians on a 250-mile march to a coastal town to produce salt, on which the British had a monopoly.

What led to the growth of legend of Mahatma Gandhi among the Indians?

Read each sentence to find out whether there is an error in it. The error, if any, will be in one part of the sentence. If there is no error, the answer will be “No Error”.

In the following question, out of the four alternatives, choose the word which is opposite in meaning to the given word and click the button corresponding to it.

MALLEABLE

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.
I will keep your secret.

A sentence has been given in Direct/Indirect Speech. Out of the four given alternatives, select the one which best expresses the same sentence in Indirect/Direct Speech.

“How clever you are!” he said.

Read the passage carefully and choose the best answer to each question out of the four alternatives and click the button corresponding to it.

Modern civilisation is completely dependent on energy, which has therefore to be abundant and also economical. About 85% of the world's energy is supplied by oil, coal and natural gas while nuclear, hydro, wind and solar power and biomass supply the rest. Coal, nuclear and hydro are used primarily to generate electricity while natural gas is widely used for heating. Biomass is used both for heating and cooking. The wind and solar power is the future's hope as they are sustainable energy sources. Oil powers almost all machines that move and that makes oil uniquely versatile. Oil powered airplanes carry 500 people across the widest oceans at nearly the speed of sound. Oil powered machines produce and transport food. Oil powered machines are ubiquitous. Clearly, we live in the age of oil but it is drawing to a close. According to data available if oil production remains constant until it's gone, there is enough to last 42 years. Oil wells will produce less as they become depleted, which will make it impossible to keep production constant. Similarly natural gas and coal will last another 61 years and 133 years respectively. Naturally, as they become scarce, they become expensive, leading to a worldwide energy crisis. If we are to survive on this planet, we have to make a transition to sustainable energy sources. The transition may be willy-nilly or planned - the choice is ours.

The dawning era of limited and expensive energy will be very difficult for everyone on earth but will be even more difficult if it is not anticipated. It is of utmost importance that the public and policymakers understand the global energy crisis and act in tandem to ensure that the species 'homo sapiens' does not become extinct.

The survival of mankind will depend on

The question below consists of a set of labelled sentences. These sentences, when properly sequenced form a coherent paragraph. Select the most logical order of sentences from among the options.

P: Most often, the things in this list are forgotten by us or taken for granted, as we continue to interact with the world on a daily basis.
Q: The gratitude list is a list of those things that we have and that we are grateful for.
R: A simple gratitude list would go thus: I am grateful for being alive, that I have a roof over my head and can afford two square meals, that I have work, that I am
earning, that I don’t have any major disease etc.
S: This list is endless, and we can all keep adding our own small or big personal items to the list.

Look at the underlined part of each sentence. Below each sentence are given three possible substitutions for the underlined part. If one of them (a), (b) or (c) is better than the underlined part, indicate your response on the Answer Sheet against the corresponding letter. If none of the substitutions imporves the sentence, indicate (d) as your response on the Answer Sheet.

I shall be obliged if you could grant me an interview.