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SSC CGL · 4,800 questions

SSC CGL 2025 PYQs

Real previous year questions, subject-wise. Try the question, then open the answer and the explanation in Hindi & English – free, no login.

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1,200 questions in English Comprehension.

Directions (Qs. 96-100): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.

Deep beneath the ocean's surface lies one of the least explored frontiers on Earth — the abyssal plain. Stretching across vast regions of the seabed, these flat, dark expanses are home to an array of organisms uniquely adapted to conditions of crushing pressure, perpetual darkness and scarce food supply. Life here thrives not on sunlight but on chemical energy derived from hydrothermal vents, where mineral-rich fluids gush from the Earth's crust. Around these vents, chemosynthetic bacteria form the foundation of an entire ecosystem, sustaining giant tube worms, blind shrimp and specialised crabs. The discovery of these vent-based ecosystems in the late 20th century revolutionised our understanding of life itself, challenging the long-held notion that sunlight was essential for biological productivity. The study of such organisms has also deepened scientific insight into possible extraterrestrial life, particularly on icy moons like Europa and Enceladus, where similar energy sources may exist beneath frozen crusts. Yet the growing interest in deep-sea mining threatens to disturb these fragile habitats. Extraction of minerals such as cobalt, nickel and rare earth elements could irreversibly damage ecosystems that have taken millennia to evolve. Scientists urge that conservation and research must precede exploitation, ensuring that curiosity does not turn into destruction.
Q521.
What role do hydrothermal vents play in the deep-sea ecosystem?
  1. AThey act as shelters for marine creatures.
  2. BThey supply mineral-rich fluids that support chemosynthetic life.
  3. CThey provide oxygen for photosynthetic organisms.
  4. DThey function as geological traps for sediments.
Show answer

Concept: Answer from what the passage directly states.

  1. Vents release mineral-rich fluids from the Earth's crust.
  2. Chemosynthetic bacteria use this chemical energy and form the base of the food web.
  3. No mention of shelter, oxygen for photosynthesis or sediment traps.

Trick: Look for the option that repeats the passage's key words – "mineral-rich fluids" and "chemosynthetic".

Answer: (B) They supply mineral-rich fluids that support chemosynthetic life.

अवधारणा: उत्तर वही जो गद्यांश में सीधे लिखा है।

  1. Vents पृथ्वी की परत से खनिज-युक्त द्रव छोड़ते हैं।
  2. Chemosynthetic बैक्टीरिया इसी रासायनिक ऊर्जा से खाद्य-श्रृंखला का आधार बनते हैं।
  3. आश्रय, ऑक्सीजन या तलछट का कोई उल्लेख नहीं।

ट्रिक: वह विकल्प खोजो जिसमें गद्यांश के मुख्य शब्द हों – "mineral-rich fluids", "chemosynthetic"।

उत्तर: (B) They supply mineral-rich fluids that support chemosynthetic life.

SSC CGLEnglish ComprehensionReading comprehension – role of ventsSSC CGL 2025 · 21 Sep Shift 1
Directions (Qs. 96-100): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.

Deep beneath the ocean's surface lies one of the least explored frontiers on Earth — the abyssal plain. Stretching across vast regions of the seabed, these flat, dark expanses are home to an array of organisms uniquely adapted to conditions of crushing pressure, perpetual darkness and scarce food supply. Life here thrives not on sunlight but on chemical energy derived from hydrothermal vents, where mineral-rich fluids gush from the Earth's crust. Around these vents, chemosynthetic bacteria form the foundation of an entire ecosystem, sustaining giant tube worms, blind shrimp and specialised crabs. The discovery of these vent-based ecosystems in the late 20th century revolutionised our understanding of life itself, challenging the long-held notion that sunlight was essential for biological productivity. The study of such organisms has also deepened scientific insight into possible extraterrestrial life, particularly on icy moons like Europa and Enceladus, where similar energy sources may exist beneath frozen crusts. Yet the growing interest in deep-sea mining threatens to disturb these fragile habitats. Extraction of minerals such as cobalt, nickel and rare earth elements could irreversibly damage ecosystems that have taken millennia to evolve. Scientists urge that conservation and research must precede exploitation, ensuring that curiosity does not turn into destruction.
Q522.
Which scientific assumption was challenged by the discovery of vent-based life forms?
  1. ALife cannot exist without sunlight.
  2. BChemical energy is unimportant in biology.
  3. CDeep-sea exploration is impossible.
  4. DOnly land organisms use minerals for energy.
Show answer

Concept: Find the "long-held notion" mentioned in the passage.

  1. The passage says vent life challenged the idea that sunlight was essential for biological productivity.
  2. These ecosystems run on chemical energy, showing life can exist without sunlight.

Trick: Phrases like "long-held notion/belief" point straight to the answer of assumption questions.

Answer: (A) Life cannot exist without sunlight.

अवधारणा: गद्यांश में बताई "long-held notion" खोजो।

  1. गद्यांश कहता है vent-जीवन ने इस धारणा को चुनौती दी कि जैविक उत्पादकता के लिए सूर्य-प्रकाश आवश्यक है।
  2. ये पारितंत्र रासायनिक ऊर्जा पर चलते हैं – यानी बिना धूप के भी जीवन संभव।

ट्रिक: "long-held notion/belief" जैसे शब्द assumption प्रश्नों का सीधा उत्तर दिखाते हैं।

उत्तर: (A) Life cannot exist without sunlight.

SSC CGLEnglish ComprehensionReading comprehension – assumption challengedSSC CGL 2025 · 21 Sep Shift 1
Directions (Qs. 96-100): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.

Deep beneath the ocean's surface lies one of the least explored frontiers on Earth — the abyssal plain. Stretching across vast regions of the seabed, these flat, dark expanses are home to an array of organisms uniquely adapted to conditions of crushing pressure, perpetual darkness and scarce food supply. Life here thrives not on sunlight but on chemical energy derived from hydrothermal vents, where mineral-rich fluids gush from the Earth's crust. Around these vents, chemosynthetic bacteria form the foundation of an entire ecosystem, sustaining giant tube worms, blind shrimp and specialised crabs. The discovery of these vent-based ecosystems in the late 20th century revolutionised our understanding of life itself, challenging the long-held notion that sunlight was essential for biological productivity. The study of such organisms has also deepened scientific insight into possible extraterrestrial life, particularly on icy moons like Europa and Enceladus, where similar energy sources may exist beneath frozen crusts. Yet the growing interest in deep-sea mining threatens to disturb these fragile habitats. Extraction of minerals such as cobalt, nickel and rare earth elements could irreversibly damage ecosystems that have taken millennia to evolve. Scientists urge that conservation and research must precede exploitation, ensuring that curiosity does not turn into destruction.
Q523.
Why does the author caution against deep-sea mining?
  1. AIt could cause pollution in coastal waters.
  2. BIt threatens to destroy delicate and ancient ecosystems.
  3. CIt produces insufficient economic benefit.
  4. DIt interferes with undersea communication cables.
Show answer

Concept: Locate the author's reason in the mining part of the passage.

  1. The author says extracting minerals may cause permanent harm to the deep-sea habitats.
  2. These ecosystems are fragile and took millennia to evolve → delicate and ancient.
  3. Coastal pollution, economics and cables are not mentioned.

Trick: Reject options that bring in ideas not present in the passage (A, C, D).

Answer: (B) It threatens to destroy delicate and ancient ecosystems.

अवधारणा: खनन वाले भाग में लेखक का कारण खोजो।

  1. कोबाल्ट, निकल, दुर्लभ मृदा तत्वों का खनन इन आवासों को "अपूरणीय क्षति" पहुँचा सकता है।
  2. ये पारितंत्र नाज़ुक हैं और हज़ारों वर्षों में बने → delicate and ancient।
  3. तटीय प्रदूषण, आर्थिक लाभ, केबल का उल्लेख नहीं।

ट्रिक: जो विकल्प गद्यांश से बाहर की बात लाएँ (A, C, D), उन्हें हटाओ।

उत्तर: (B) It threatens to destroy delicate and ancient ecosystems.

SSC CGLEnglish ComprehensionReading comprehension – caution on miningSSC CGL 2025 · 21 Sep Shift 1
Directions (Qs. 96-100): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.

Deep beneath the ocean's surface lies one of the least explored frontiers on Earth — the abyssal plain. Stretching across vast regions of the seabed, these flat, dark expanses are home to an array of organisms uniquely adapted to conditions of crushing pressure, perpetual darkness and scarce food supply. Life here thrives not on sunlight but on chemical energy derived from hydrothermal vents, where mineral-rich fluids gush from the Earth's crust. Around these vents, chemosynthetic bacteria form the foundation of an entire ecosystem, sustaining giant tube worms, blind shrimp and specialised crabs. The discovery of these vent-based ecosystems in the late 20th century revolutionised our understanding of life itself, challenging the long-held notion that sunlight was essential for biological productivity. The study of such organisms has also deepened scientific insight into possible extraterrestrial life, particularly on icy moons like Europa and Enceladus, where similar energy sources may exist beneath frozen crusts. Yet the growing interest in deep-sea mining threatens to disturb these fragile habitats. Extraction of minerals such as cobalt, nickel and rare earth elements could irreversibly damage ecosystems that have taken millennia to evolve. Scientists urge that conservation and research must precede exploitation, ensuring that curiosity does not turn into destruction.
Q524.
What is the closest meaning of the term 'chemosynthetic' in the passage?
  1. AUsing light energy to make food
  2. BDepending on decayed organic matter
  3. CProducing food through chemical reactions
  4. DFeeding on other organisms
Show answer

Concept: Chemo (chemical) + synthesis (making) = making food using chemical energy.

  1. The passage contrasts vent life with sunlight-based life.
  2. So chemosynthetic organisms produce food through chemical reactions.
  3. Using light energy (A) is photosynthesis – the opposite idea here.

Trick: Split the word: photo = light, chemo = chemical; synthesis = making.

Answer: (C) Producing food through chemical reactions

अवधारणा: Chemo (रसायन) + synthesis (बनाना) = रासायनिक ऊर्जा से भोजन बनाना।

  1. गद्यांश vent-जीवन को सूर्य-आधारित जीवन से अलग बताता है।
  2. अतः chemosynthetic जीव रासायनिक क्रियाओं से भोजन बनाते हैं।
  3. प्रकाश ऊर्जा (A) = photosynthesis – यहाँ उल्टा विचार।

ट्रिक: शब्द तोड़ो: photo = प्रकाश, chemo = रसायन; synthesis = बनाना।

उत्तर: (C) Producing food through chemical reactions

SSC CGLEnglish ComprehensionReading comprehension – word meaningSSC CGL 2025 · 21 Sep Shift 1
Directions (Qs. 96-100): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.

Deep beneath the ocean's surface lies one of the least explored frontiers on Earth — the abyssal plain. Stretching across vast regions of the seabed, these flat, dark expanses are home to an array of organisms uniquely adapted to conditions of crushing pressure, perpetual darkness and scarce food supply. Life here thrives not on sunlight but on chemical energy derived from hydrothermal vents, where mineral-rich fluids gush from the Earth's crust. Around these vents, chemosynthetic bacteria form the foundation of an entire ecosystem, sustaining giant tube worms, blind shrimp and specialised crabs. The discovery of these vent-based ecosystems in the late 20th century revolutionised our understanding of life itself, challenging the long-held notion that sunlight was essential for biological productivity. The study of such organisms has also deepened scientific insight into possible extraterrestrial life, particularly on icy moons like Europa and Enceladus, where similar energy sources may exist beneath frozen crusts. Yet the growing interest in deep-sea mining threatens to disturb these fragile habitats. Extraction of minerals such as cobalt, nickel and rare earth elements could irreversibly damage ecosystems that have taken millennia to evolve. Scientists urge that conservation and research must precede exploitation, ensuring that curiosity does not turn into destruction.
Q525.
Which statement best summarises the central idea of the passage?
  1. ADeep-sea mining is necessary for technological progress.
  2. BLife in the ocean depths depends on sunlight and photosynthesis.
  3. CThe abyssal plain hosts unique ecosystems that rely on chemical energy and need protection.
  4. DMarine organisms are easily adaptable to environmental changes.
Show answer

Concept: The central idea must cover the whole passage, not one detail.

  1. First part: unique abyssal ecosystems living on chemical energy.
  2. Last part: mining threatens them; conservation must come first.
  3. (C) joins both parts; (B) contradicts the passage; (A) and (D) are not its message.

Trick: For main-idea questions, choose the option that links the beginning and the ending of the passage.

Answer: (C) The abyssal plain hosts unique ecosystems that rely on chemical energy and need protection.

अवधारणा: मुख्य विचार पूरे गद्यांश को समेटे, किसी एक बात को नहीं।

  1. पहला भाग: रासायनिक ऊर्जा पर चलने वाले अनोखे गहरे-समुद्री पारितंत्र।
  2. अंतिम भाग: खनन से इन्हें खतरा; पहले संरक्षण ज़रूरी।
  3. (C) दोनों भाग जोड़ता है; (B) गद्यांश के विपरीत; (A), (D) इसका संदेश नहीं।

ट्रिक: Main idea के लिए वह विकल्प चुनो जो गद्यांश की शुरुआत और अंत दोनों को जोड़े।

उत्तर: (C) The abyssal plain hosts unique ecosystems that rely on chemical energy and need protection.

SSC CGLEnglish ComprehensionReading comprehension – central ideaSSC CGL 2025 · 21 Sep Shift 1
Q526.
Choose the correct meaning of the idiom:
Her kindness put coals of fire upon his head after his rude behaviour.
  1. ATo punish someone for hypocrisy
  2. BTo provoke guilt through accusation
  3. CTo offer false forgiveness
  4. DTo shame an enemy through kindness
Show answer

Concept: Idiom meaning: repaying unkindness with kindness so the wrongdoer feels ashamed.

  1. He was rude; she was kind in return.
  2. Her goodness made him feel guilty and ashamed – no punishment or accusation involved.
  3. So it means shaming an enemy through kindness.

Yaad rakhein: The phrase is biblical (Proverbs/Romans): return good for evil and the other person's conscience 'burns'.

Answer: (D) To shame an enemy through kindness

अवधारणा: मुहावरे का अर्थ: बुराई का बदला भलाई से देकर सामने वाले को शर्मिंदा करना।

  1. वह असभ्य था, पर उसने दयालुता दिखाई।
  2. उसकी भलाई से उसे अपराध-बोध और शर्म हुई – न सज़ा, न आरोप।
  3. अर्थ: दयालुता से शत्रु को लज्जित करना।

याद रखें: यह बाइबल से आया मुहावरा है – बुराई के बदले भलाई करो, तो सामने वाले का मन 'जलता' है।

उत्तर: (D) To shame an enemy through kindness

SSC CGLEnglish ComprehensionIdiom – heap coals of fire on one's headSSC CGL 2025 · 20 Sep Shift 3
Q527.
Select the correct spelling.
  1. AAccomplice
  2. BAccomplise
  3. CAcomplicee
  4. DAcomplice
Show answer

Concept: Accomplice = a partner in a crime.

  1. Correct form: ac-com-plice (double c, single m, ends in -ice).
  2. Accomplise (-ise), Acomplicee (single c, extra e), Acomplice (single c) are wrong.

Trick: Same family: accomplish, accompany – all start with 'acc'.

Answer: (A) Accomplice

अवधारणा: Accomplice = अपराध में साथी।

  1. सही रूप: ac-com-plice (दो c, एक m, अंत -ice)।
  2. Accomplise, Acomplicee, Acomplice – गलत।

ट्रिक: एक ही परिवार: accomplish, accompany – सब 'acc' से शुरू।

उत्तर: (A) Accomplice

SSC CGLEnglish ComprehensionSpelling – AccompliceSSC CGL 2025 · 20 Sep Shift 3
Q528.
Sentences of a paragraph are given below in jumbled order. Arrange the sentences in the correct order to form a meaningful and coherent paragraph.
1. Virtual reality (VR) immerses users in fully simulated digital environments.
2. VR is widely used in gaming, education, and professional training.
3. Users access VR through headsets, gloves, and motion sensors.
4. High costs and motion sickness remain obstacles for widespread adoption.
  1. A1-3-2-4
  2. B3-2-1-4
  3. C2-1-3-4
  4. D4-1-2-3
Show answer

Concept: Order: definition → how it works → uses → limitations.

  1. 1 introduces VR with its full form – opener.
  2. 3 explains how users access it; 2 gives its applications.
  3. 4 states obstacles – conclusion.

Trick: A sentence with the full form 'Virtual reality (VR)' starts the paragraph; later sentences use only 'VR'.

Answer: (A) 1-3-2-4

अवधारणा: क्रम: परिभाषा → कैसे काम करता है → उपयोग → सीमाएँ।

  1. वाक्य 1 में VR का पूरा नाम है – शुरुआत।
  2. 3 बताता है उपयोगकर्ता VR कैसे चलाते हैं; 2 उपयोग बताता है।
  3. 4 बाधाएँ बताता है – अंत।

ट्रिक: जिस वाक्य में पूरा नाम 'Virtual reality (VR)' है वह पहले आता है; बाद में केवल 'VR' लिखा जाता है।

उत्तर: (A) 1-3-2-4

SSC CGLEnglish ComprehensionPara jumble – Virtual realitySSC CGL 2025 · 20 Sep Shift 3
Q529.
Sentences of a paragraph are given below in jumbled order. Arrange the sentences in the correct order to form a meaningful and coherent paragraph.
1. Electric vehicles (EVs) are gaining popularity worldwide.
2. They reduce greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on fossil fuels.
3. EVs rely on batteries and electric motors for propulsion.
4. However, limited charging infrastructure and battery costs slow their adoption.
  1. A1-3-2-4
  2. B3-2-1-4
  3. C2-1-3-4
  4. D4-1-2-3
Show answer

Concept: Introduction → working → benefits → 'However' (problems).

  1. 1 introduces EVs (full form given).
  2. 3 describes how EVs work; 2 ('They reduce…') lists benefits.
  3. 4 begins with 'However' – contrast, so it closes.

Trick: 'However' can never start a paragraph – it follows the positive points, so 4 goes last.

Answer: (A) 1-3-2-4

अवधारणा: परिचय → कार्य-प्रणाली → लाभ → 'However' (समस्याएँ)।

  1. 1 EVs का परिचय (पूरा नाम)।
  2. 3 कार्य-प्रणाली; 2 ('They reduce…') लाभ।
  3. 4 'However' से शुरू – विरोध, इसलिए अंत में।

ट्रिक: 'However' से अनुच्छेद शुरू नहीं होता – वह सकारात्मक बातों के बाद आता है।

उत्तर: (A) 1-3-2-4

SSC CGLEnglish ComprehensionPara jumble – Electric vehiclesSSC CGL 2025 · 20 Sep Shift 3
Q530.
Select the correct spelling.
  1. AAmnistl
  2. BAmmnisty
  3. CAmnesty
  4. DAmnistey
Show answer

Concept: Amnesty = an official pardon, especially for political offences.

  1. Correct form: am-nes-ty (single m, -nes-, ends in -ty).
  2. Amnistl, Ammnisty, Amnistey – wrong vowels/letters.

Yaad rakhein: Amnesty International is the human-rights NGO – remembering the name fixes the spelling.

Answer: (C) Amnesty

अवधारणा: Amnesty = सामूहिक क्षमादान (विशेषकर राजनीतिक अपराधों के लिए)।

  1. सही रूप: am-nes-ty (एक m, बीच में -nes-, अंत -ty)।
  2. Amnistl, Ammnisty, Amnistey – गलत।

याद रखें: 'Amnesty International' (मानवाधिकार संस्था) का नाम याद रखें – वर्तनी पक्की।

उत्तर: (C) Amnesty

SSC CGLEnglish ComprehensionSpelling – AmnestySSC CGL 2025 · 20 Sep Shift 3
Q531.
Choose the correct one-word substitute for:
The old machine is now something that is no longer in use.
  1. AObsolete
  2. BAbsolute
  3. CMedieval
  4. DAntique
Show answer

Concept: Obsolete = no longer in use; outdated.

  1. 'No longer in use' = obsolete.
  2. Absolute = complete/total; Medieval = of the Middle Ages; Antique = old and valued (still used/collected).

Trick: Don't confuse obsolete (out of use) with absolute (complete) – they sound similar.

Answer: (A) Obsolete

अवधारणा: Obsolete = जो अब उपयोग में नहीं; पुराना पड़ चुका।

  1. 'अब उपयोग में नहीं' = obsolete।
  2. Absolute = पूर्ण; Medieval = मध्यकालीन; Antique = पुरानी मूल्यवान वस्तु।

ट्रिक: obsolete (अप्रचलित) और absolute (पूर्ण) की ध्वनि मिलती है – भ्रमित न हों।

उत्तर: (A) Obsolete

SSC CGLEnglish ComprehensionOne-word substitution – ObsoleteSSC CGL 2025 · 20 Sep Shift 3
Q532.
Choose the correct one-word substitution for:
She is regarded as a person with great skill in music and the arts.
  1. APerformer
  2. BVirtuoso
  3. CComposer
  4. DProdigy
    Cloze Test
Show answer

Concept: Virtuoso = a person highly skilled in music or another art.

  1. 'Great skill in music and the arts' = virtuoso.
  2. Performer = one who performs; Composer = writes music; Prodigy = a young person with exceptional talent.

Trick: Prodigy stresses age (child genius); virtuoso stresses mastery at any age.

Answer: (B) Virtuoso

अवधारणा: Virtuoso = संगीत या कला में अत्यंत निपुण व्यक्ति।

  1. 'संगीत और कलाओं में महान कौशल' = virtuoso।
  2. Performer = प्रस्तुति देने वाला; Composer = संगीत रचने वाला; Prodigy = असाधारण प्रतिभाशाली बच्चा/युवा।

ट्रिक: Prodigy में उम्र पर ज़ोर (बाल प्रतिभा); virtuoso में निपुणता पर।

उत्तर: (B) Virtuoso

SSC CGLEnglish ComprehensionOne-word substitution – VirtuosoSSC CGL 2025 · 20 Sep Shift 3
Directions (Qs. 83-87): In the following passage some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank.

Urban decay is not merely a consequence of infrastructural erosion, but a semantic artifact where stone and steel function as archives of postponed modernities. Cracks, corrosion and spectral scaffolds do not erode meaning; rather, they transform it, encoding absence as presence and entropy as (83) ____ . These architectural remains resist the chronological discipline of masterplans, offering instead a fugitive temporality — unruly, layered and unresolved. The ruin, within this framework, is not evidence of failed design, but an overdetermined grammar of collapse. Its language is spoken through spalling concrete and oxidized signage, rejecting the sheen of civic optimism. To aestheticize decay without interrogation is to participate in ontological (84) ____ , where disorder is rendered ornamental and suffering elevated to spectacle. What presents itself as renewal often enacts spatial erasure, as memory is displaced by speculative capital and "heritage" becomes a sanitized curatorial gesture. To read ruins poetically is to suspend utility in favour of (85) ____ , allowing debris to articulate what infrastructure conceals. Such spaces demand not beautification, but semiotic excavation, wherein rusted railings and abandoned corridors emerge as sites of interpretive resistance. Yet decay defies even romantic appropriation. It is not allegory, but ontic excess — a surplus that escapes containment. Gentrification cannot domesticate it; nostalgia cannot preserve it. It persists, insurgent and mnemonic, as a (86) ____ syntax inscribed across civic amnesia. The ruins of the city are not remnants of the past; they are discursive ruptures — interruptions in the urban narrative that must be read not as loss, but as infrastructural (87) ____ .
Q533.
Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank number (83).
  1. Amemorial
  2. Blegibility
  3. Cdecadence
  4. Dmonumentality
Show answer

Concept: Fill the blank to complete the contrast 'absence as presence, entropy as ___'.

  1. The passage treats ruins as a language that can be 'read' (grammar, syntax, semiotic).
  2. Entropy (disorder) is turned into something readable ⇒ legibility.
  3. Decadence repeats decay; memorial/monumentality don't fit 'encoding'.

Trick: Each pair is an opposite: absence ↔ presence, so entropy (chaos) ↔ legibility (readable order).

Answer: (B) legibility

अवधारणा: 'absence as presence, entropy as ___' – विरोधी जोड़ी पूरी करनी है।

  1. अनुच्छेद खंडहरों को 'पढ़ी जा सकने वाली भाषा' मानता है (grammar, syntax)।
  2. Entropy (अव्यवस्था) को पढ़ने योग्य बनाना ⇒ legibility (सुपाठ्यता)।
  3. Decadence = क्षय ही दोहराता है; memorial/monumentality मेल नहीं खाते।

ट्रिक: हर जोड़ी विरोधी है: absence ↔ presence, इसी तरह entropy (अराजकता) ↔ legibility (पठनीयता)।

उत्तर: (B) legibility

SSC CGLEnglish ComprehensionCloze test – legibilitySSC CGL 2025 · 20 Sep Shift 3
Directions (Qs. 83-87): In the following passage some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank.

Urban decay is not merely a consequence of infrastructural erosion, but a semantic artifact where stone and steel function as archives of postponed modernities. Cracks, corrosion and spectral scaffolds do not erode meaning; rather, they transform it, encoding absence as presence and entropy as (83) ____ . These architectural remains resist the chronological discipline of masterplans, offering instead a fugitive temporality — unruly, layered and unresolved. The ruin, within this framework, is not evidence of failed design, but an overdetermined grammar of collapse. Its language is spoken through spalling concrete and oxidized signage, rejecting the sheen of civic optimism. To aestheticize decay without interrogation is to participate in ontological (84) ____ , where disorder is rendered ornamental and suffering elevated to spectacle. What presents itself as renewal often enacts spatial erasure, as memory is displaced by speculative capital and "heritage" becomes a sanitized curatorial gesture. To read ruins poetically is to suspend utility in favour of (85) ____ , allowing debris to articulate what infrastructure conceals. Such spaces demand not beautification, but semiotic excavation, wherein rusted railings and abandoned corridors emerge as sites of interpretive resistance. Yet decay defies even romantic appropriation. It is not allegory, but ontic excess — a surplus that escapes containment. Gentrification cannot domesticate it; nostalgia cannot preserve it. It persists, insurgent and mnemonic, as a (86) ____ syntax inscribed across civic amnesia. The ruins of the city are not remnants of the past; they are discursive ruptures — interruptions in the urban narrative that must be read not as loss, but as infrastructural (87) ____ .
Q534.
Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank number (84).
  1. Aexcess
  2. Blaundering
  3. Cdisintegration
  4. Dreiteration
Show answer

Concept: The blank is explained by the clause after it: 'disorder is rendered ornamental, suffering elevated to spectacle'.

  1. Beautifying decay without questioning = cleaning up / disguising an ugly truth.
  2. 'Laundering' (figuratively) = making something bad look clean or acceptable.
  3. Excess, disintegration, reiteration don't convey disguising.

Trick: Look for the 'where…' clause right after a blank – it usually defines the missing word.

Answer: (B) laundering

अवधारणा: रिक्त के बाद वाला 'where…' खंड अर्थ बताता है: अव्यवस्था को सजावट और पीड़ा को तमाशा बनाना।

  1. बिना प्रश्न किए क्षय को सुंदर बताना = बुरी सच्चाई को 'धोकर' साफ़ दिखाना।
  2. 'Laundering' (लाक्षणिक) = बुरी चीज़ को स्वीकार्य बनाकर पेश करना।
  3. excess, disintegration, reiteration यह भाव नहीं देते।

ट्रिक: रिक्त के ठीक बाद आने वाला 'where…' खंड अक्सर लुप्त शब्द की परिभाषा होता है।

उत्तर: (B) laundering

SSC CGLEnglish ComprehensionCloze test – launderingSSC CGL 2025 · 20 Sep Shift 3
Directions (Qs. 83-87): In the following passage some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank.

Urban decay is not merely a consequence of infrastructural erosion, but a semantic artifact where stone and steel function as archives of postponed modernities. Cracks, corrosion and spectral scaffolds do not erode meaning; rather, they transform it, encoding absence as presence and entropy as (83) ____ . These architectural remains resist the chronological discipline of masterplans, offering instead a fugitive temporality — unruly, layered and unresolved. The ruin, within this framework, is not evidence of failed design, but an overdetermined grammar of collapse. Its language is spoken through spalling concrete and oxidized signage, rejecting the sheen of civic optimism. To aestheticize decay without interrogation is to participate in ontological (84) ____ , where disorder is rendered ornamental and suffering elevated to spectacle. What presents itself as renewal often enacts spatial erasure, as memory is displaced by speculative capital and "heritage" becomes a sanitized curatorial gesture. To read ruins poetically is to suspend utility in favour of (85) ____ , allowing debris to articulate what infrastructure conceals. Such spaces demand not beautification, but semiotic excavation, wherein rusted railings and abandoned corridors emerge as sites of interpretive resistance. Yet decay defies even romantic appropriation. It is not allegory, but ontic excess — a surplus that escapes containment. Gentrification cannot domesticate it; nostalgia cannot preserve it. It persists, insurgent and mnemonic, as a (86) ____ syntax inscribed across civic amnesia. The ruins of the city are not remnants of the past; they are discursive ruptures — interruptions in the urban narrative that must be read not as loss, but as infrastructural (87) ____ .
Q535.
Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank number (85).
  1. Aattestation
  2. Battentiveness
  3. Cestrangement
  4. Dindeterminacy
Show answer

Concept: Poetic reading sets aside usefulness for a 'making-strange' view.

  1. 'Suspend utility in favour of ___' needs the opposite of practical familiarity.
  2. Estrangement = viewing the familiar as strange, letting debris reveal hidden meaning.
  3. Attestation = proof; attentiveness = alertness; indeterminacy = uncertainty – weaker fits.

Yaad rakhein: In literary theory, poetry 'defamiliarises' – estrangement is that idea.

Answer: (C) estrangement

अवधारणा: काव्यात्मक दृष्टि उपयोगिता को छोड़कर चीज़ों को 'अजनबी' नज़र से देखती है।

  1. 'suspend utility in favour of ___' – व्यावहारिक परिचय का उलटा चाहिए।
  2. Estrangement = परिचित को अजनबी रूप में देखना, जिससे मलबा छिपा अर्थ कहे।
  3. attestation = प्रमाण, attentiveness = सजगता, indeterminacy = अनिश्चितता – कम उपयुक्त।

याद रखें: साहित्य सिद्धांत में कविता 'अपरिचितीकरण' करती है – estrangement वही विचार है।

उत्तर: (C) estrangement

SSC CGLEnglish ComprehensionCloze test – estrangementSSC CGL 2025 · 20 Sep Shift 3
Directions (Qs. 83-87): In the following passage some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank.

Urban decay is not merely a consequence of infrastructural erosion, but a semantic artifact where stone and steel function as archives of postponed modernities. Cracks, corrosion and spectral scaffolds do not erode meaning; rather, they transform it, encoding absence as presence and entropy as (83) ____ . These architectural remains resist the chronological discipline of masterplans, offering instead a fugitive temporality — unruly, layered and unresolved. The ruin, within this framework, is not evidence of failed design, but an overdetermined grammar of collapse. Its language is spoken through spalling concrete and oxidized signage, rejecting the sheen of civic optimism. To aestheticize decay without interrogation is to participate in ontological (84) ____ , where disorder is rendered ornamental and suffering elevated to spectacle. What presents itself as renewal often enacts spatial erasure, as memory is displaced by speculative capital and "heritage" becomes a sanitized curatorial gesture. To read ruins poetically is to suspend utility in favour of (85) ____ , allowing debris to articulate what infrastructure conceals. Such spaces demand not beautification, but semiotic excavation, wherein rusted railings and abandoned corridors emerge as sites of interpretive resistance. Yet decay defies even romantic appropriation. It is not allegory, but ontic excess — a surplus that escapes containment. Gentrification cannot domesticate it; nostalgia cannot preserve it. It persists, insurgent and mnemonic, as a (86) ____ syntax inscribed across civic amnesia. The ruins of the city are not remnants of the past; they are discursive ruptures — interruptions in the urban narrative that must be read not as loss, but as infrastructural (87) ____ .
Q536.
Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank number (86).
  1. Asyntactic
  2. Binsurgent
  3. Cornamental
  4. Dequivocal
Show answer

Concept: The blank describes decay that refuses control.

  1. Preceding lines: gentrification cannot domesticate it, nostalgia cannot preserve it.
  2. So it is rebellious – 'insurgent'; the sentence itself says 'It persists, insurgent and mnemonic'.
  3. Syntactic + syntax is redundant; ornamental contradicts the passage; equivocal (ambiguous) misses the rebellion.

Trick: Words repeated inside the same sentence/paragraph are a strong clue in cloze tests.

Answer: (B) insurgent

अवधारणा: रिक्त शब्द उस क्षय का वर्णन करता है जो नियंत्रण नहीं मानता।

  1. पहले कहा गया: gentrification उसे वश में नहीं कर सकता, nostalgia उसे बचा नहीं सकता।
  2. अर्थात वह विद्रोही है – 'insurgent'; उसी वाक्य में 'insurgent and mnemonic' आया है।
  3. syntactic syntax दोहराव; ornamental विरोधी; equivocal (अस्पष्ट) विद्रोह नहीं दर्शाता।

ट्रिक: उसी वाक्य/अनुच्छेद में दोहराए शब्द क्लोज़ टेस्ट में मज़बूत संकेत होते हैं।

उत्तर: (B) insurgent

SSC CGLEnglish ComprehensionCloze test – insurgentSSC CGL 2025 · 20 Sep Shift 3
Directions (Qs. 83-87): In the following passage some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank.

Urban decay is not merely a consequence of infrastructural erosion, but a semantic artifact where stone and steel function as archives of postponed modernities. Cracks, corrosion and spectral scaffolds do not erode meaning; rather, they transform it, encoding absence as presence and entropy as (83) ____ . These architectural remains resist the chronological discipline of masterplans, offering instead a fugitive temporality — unruly, layered and unresolved. The ruin, within this framework, is not evidence of failed design, but an overdetermined grammar of collapse. Its language is spoken through spalling concrete and oxidized signage, rejecting the sheen of civic optimism. To aestheticize decay without interrogation is to participate in ontological (84) ____ , where disorder is rendered ornamental and suffering elevated to spectacle. What presents itself as renewal often enacts spatial erasure, as memory is displaced by speculative capital and "heritage" becomes a sanitized curatorial gesture. To read ruins poetically is to suspend utility in favour of (85) ____ , allowing debris to articulate what infrastructure conceals. Such spaces demand not beautification, but semiotic excavation, wherein rusted railings and abandoned corridors emerge as sites of interpretive resistance. Yet decay defies even romantic appropriation. It is not allegory, but ontic excess — a surplus that escapes containment. Gentrification cannot domesticate it; nostalgia cannot preserve it. It persists, insurgent and mnemonic, as a (86) ____ syntax inscribed across civic amnesia. The ruins of the city are not remnants of the past; they are discursive ruptures — interruptions in the urban narrative that must be read not as loss, but as infrastructural (87) ____ .
Q537.
Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank number (87).
  1. Arepair
  2. Btestimony
  3. Cblueprint
  4. Dorigin
Show answer

Concept: Ruins must be read 'not as loss, but as ___' – something positive and evidential.

  1. The passage calls ruins archives, a language, sites that reveal what is concealed.
  2. So they bear witness ⇒ testimony (evidence).
  3. Repair/blueprint suggest building; origin doesn't fit 'not as loss'.

Trick: 'Not X but Y' – Y continues the passage's main idea (ruins as record/witness).

Answer: (B) testimony

अवधारणा: खंडहरों को 'नुकसान नहीं, बल्कि ___' के रूप में पढ़ना है – कुछ प्रमाण जैसा।

  1. अनुच्छेद खंडहरों को archive, भाषा और छिपी बात कहने वाले स्थान मानता है।
  2. अर्थात वे गवाही देते हैं ⇒ testimony।
  3. repair/blueprint निर्माण दर्शाते हैं; origin अर्थ में फिट नहीं।

ट्रिक: 'Not X but Y' संरचना में Y अनुच्छेद के मुख्य विचार (खंडहर = साक्ष्य) को आगे बढ़ाता है।

उत्तर: (B) testimony

SSC CGLEnglish ComprehensionCloze test – testimonySSC CGL 2025 · 20 Sep Shift 3
Q538.
Select the most appropriate option to fill in the blank.
Scarcely had the CEO signed the contract ____ the company announced the merger.
  1. Awhen
  2. Bthan
  3. Cbefore
  4. Duntil
Show answer

Concept: Fixed pairs: Scarcely/Hardly … when (before); No sooner … than.

  1. Sentence starts with 'Scarcely had' ⇒ partner is 'when'.
  2. 'Than' goes only with 'No sooner'.

Trick: Mnemonic: 'No sooner–than' both have an N-sound; 'Hardly/Scarcely–when'.

Answer: (A) when

अवधारणा: निश्चित जोड़े: Scarcely/Hardly … when; No sooner … than।

  1. वाक्य 'Scarcely had' से शुरू ⇒ साथ में 'when'।
  2. 'than' केवल 'No sooner' के साथ।

ट्रिक: याद रखें: 'No sooner–than', 'Hardly/Scarcely–when'।

उत्तर: (A) when

SSC CGLEnglish ComprehensionCorrelatives – Scarcely … whenSSC CGL 2025 · 20 Sep Shift 3
Q539.
Select the most appropriate option to fill in the blank.
He was remembered not for what he said but ____ he refrained from saying.
  1. Awhich
  2. Bwhat
  3. Cthat
  4. Dfor what
Show answer

Concept: Elements joined by 'not … but' must have the same grammatical form.

  1. First part: 'for what he said'.
  2. Second part must match: 'for what he refrained from saying'.
  3. Corrected: '…not for what he said but for what he refrained from saying.'

Trick: Copy the structure after 'not' into the slot after 'but' – here 'for what'.

Answer: (D) for what

अवधारणा: 'not … but' से जुड़े भागों की व्याकरणिक संरचना समान होनी चाहिए।

  1. पहला भाग: 'for what he said'।
  2. दूसरा भाग भी वैसा: 'for what he refrained from saying'।
  3. सही वाक्य: '…not for what he said but for what he refrained from saying.'

ट्रिक: 'not' के बाद जो ढाँचा है, वही 'but' के बाद रखें – यहाँ 'for what'।

उत्तर: (D) for what

SSC CGLEnglish ComprehensionParallelism – not … butSSC CGL 2025 · 20 Sep Shift 3
Q540.
The following sentence has been divided into parts. One of them contains an error. Select the part that contains the error from the given options.
The company plans to hire (1)/ new group of interns (2)/ to assist with the upcoming (3)/ marketing campaign this summer. (4)
  1. A(1)
  2. B(2)
  3. C(3)
  4. D(4)
Show answer

Concept: A singular countable noun needs an article (a/an/the).

  1. 'group' is singular countable.
  2. 'hire new group of interns' ⇒ 'hire a new group of interns'.
  3. Error is in part (2).

Trick: Whenever a singular countable noun (with an adjective) stands alone, check for a missing 'a/the'.

Answer: (B) (2)

अवधारणा: एकवचन गणनीय संज्ञा से पहले article (a/an/the) चाहिए।

  1. 'group' एकवचन गणनीय है।
  2. 'new group of interns' ⇒ 'a new group of interns'।
  3. त्रुटि भाग (2) में है।

ट्रिक: विशेषण सहित अकेली एकवचन गणनीय संज्ञा दिखे, तो 'a/the' की कमी जाँचें।

उत्तर: (B) (2)

SSC CGLEnglish ComprehensionError spotting – missing articleSSC CGL 2025 · 20 Sep Shift 3