SSC CPO Paper I 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024 PYQs

Concept: Entomology (Greek entomon = insect + -logy = study) is the scientific study of insects.

1. Anthropology – study of human beings, their societies and cultures.
2. Microbiology – study of micro-organisms such as bacteria and viruses.
3. Ecology – study of the relationship between organisms and their environment.
4. Only Entomology deals with insects.

Yaad rakhein: Entomology = insects, but Etymology = origin of words – do not confuse the two.

Answer: (A) Entomology

Concept: Apathy means lack of interest, enthusiasm or concern; its opposite is interest.

1. Apathy = indifference, unconcern.
2. Interest = eagerness to know or be involved – the exact opposite.
3. Ignorance = lack of knowledge (not lack of feeling); Interruption and Sincerity are unrelated.

Trick: a- (without) + pathos (feeling) → 'without feeling'; opposite = feeling/interest.

Answer: (C) Interest

Concept: An immigrant is a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country.

1. Immigrant – one who comes into another country to settle.
2. Resident – anyone who lives in a place (need not come from another country).
3. Traveller – one who journeys, does not settle.
4. Refugee – one forced to flee because of war or persecution; the definition does not mention force.

Trick: Immigrant = comes in; Emigrant = exits (leaves) his own country.

Answer: (B) Immigrant

Concept: The structure one of the + superlative + plural noun is fixed: one of the most popular wonders.

1. 'One of the …' picks one item out of a group, so the superlative degree is needed.
2. Popular is a long adjective, so its superlative is most popular.
3. much, more, much more are not superlatives and cannot follow 'one of the'.
4. Correct: The Taj Mahal is one of the most popular seven wonders of the world.

Trick: 'One of the' → always superlative (+ plural noun).

Answer: (D) most

Concept: The past tense of the verb consider is spelt considered (c-o-n-s-i-d-e-r-e-d).

1. The sentence has 'considared' – the 'e' of consider has wrongly become 'a'.
2. Untouchability, major and social are spelt correctly.
3. Correct sentence: Gandhiji considered untouchability to be one of India’s major social ills.

Trick: Base word consider + -ed → considered; the base spelling never changes.

Answer: (C) considared

Concept: Crack someone up (informal) means to make someone laugh a lot.

1. Example: His jokes always crack me up = make me laugh loudly.
2. It has nothing to do with criticising, forcing a mistake or making someone angry.
3. Related: crack up (intransitive) = burst out laughing.

Trick: Think of someone 'cracking' (bursting) with laughter.

Answer: (D) To make someone laugh

Concept: Captivate means to attract and hold someone’s attention by charm – i.e. to allure.

1. Captivate = charm, fascinate, enchant.
2. Allure = attract powerfully, tempt – same meaning.
3. Arrest can mean 'catch attention', but its main sense is 'take into custody'; Study and Envelope are unrelated.

Trick: Captivate comes from captive – your heart is 'held captive' by charm (allure).

Answer: (B) Allure

Concept: Utility means the state or capacity of being useful for some purpose.

1. Utility = usefulness – exactly 'the capacity for being useful'.
2. Gain = profit or increase; Aid = help given.
3. Desirability = the quality of being wanted, not of being useful.

Trick: Utility ← use: utility = use-ability.

Answer: (B) Utility

Concept: A rejoinder is a reply, especially a quick or sharp answer. Its opposite is something that asks for an answer – a request/query.

1. Rejoinder = answer, retort, response.
2. Reply is a synonym, so it is ruled out.
3. Request = asking for something – it seeks a response, the opposite role of a rejoinder.
4. Expedite (speed up) and Ordinary are unrelated.

Trick: Rejoinder comes after a remark (answer); request comes before (asking).

Answer: (D) Request

Concept: The correct spelling is disseminate (d-i-s-s-e-m-i-n-a-t-e), meaning to spread widely.

1. Sentence C has 'dissiminate' – the second vowel should be 'e', not 'i'.
2. Sentences A, B and D contain no spelling mistakes (learnt, optimistic, peep, unique, practices are correct).
3. So option (A), which shows sentence C, is the answer.

Trick: dis + semin (seed, as in semen/seminal) + ate → 'scatter seeds' = spread.

Answer: (A) The daily routines of these great men dissiminate that they are different.

Concept: The correct idiom is as keen as mustard – very eager and enthusiastic.

1. Mustard is sharp/pungent, and 'keen' once meant sharp – hence the simile.
2. 'As keen as butter', 'as keen as a bee', 'as keen as salt', 'as keen as sugar' are not English idioms ('as busy as a bee' is a different one).
3. Correct: She is as keen as mustard – so she should join the team.

Trick: Keen (sharp) ↔ mustard (sharp taste).

Answer: (B) as keen as mustard

Concept: The ordinal of twelve is spelt twelfth (t-w-e-l-f-t-h).

1. Twelve → the 've' changes to 'f' and '-th' is added: twelfth.
2. 'Twelth' (in the sentence) misses the 'f'.
3. Twellth, Twwelfth and Tweltth add or swap letters wrongly.

Trick: Five → fifth, twelve → twelfth: 'v' becomes 'f' before -th.

Answer: (C) Twelfth

Concept: What a small world! is said when you unexpectedly meet someone you know, or discover a surprising connection – i.e. what a coincidence!

1. Example: You meet your school friend on a train in another country – 'What a small world!'
2. It does not describe the size, greatness or beauty of the world.
3. 'The world is a village' is close to 'global village', a different idea.

Trick: Unexpected meeting/link → 'small world' = coincidence.

Answer: (D) What a coincidence!

Concept: An antidote is a medicine taken to counteract a particular poison, e.g. snake venom.

1. Antidote = remedy that neutralises the effect of a poison – exact match.
2. Antiseptic prevents infection in wounds; it does not neutralise venom.
3. Anti-serum is blood serum containing antibodies – more specific/technical and not the standard one-word answer; remedy is too general.

Trick: anti (against) + dote (given) → 'given against' poison.

Answer: (D) antidote

Concept: An asset is something valuable that one owns or that is useful; its opposite is a liability – a debt or a disadvantage.

1. Asset = property, advantage, benefit.
2. Liability = debt/obligation or a burden – the accounting opposite of asset.
3. Wealth is a synonym; Mole and Refuge are unrelated.

Trick: Balance sheet: Assets on one side, Liabilities on the other.

Answer: (B) Liability

Concept: The correct spelling is miniature (m-i-n-i-a-t-u-r-e) – a very small copy of something.

1. 'Miniture' drops the 'a' before 'ture'.
2. Merriment (fun), Yearn (long for) and Zenith (highest point) are spelt correctly.

Trick: mini + a + ture – say it as 'min-i-a-ture'.

Answer: (D) Miniture

Concept: Placid means calm, peaceful and not easily disturbed; its opposite is turbulent – violently disturbed, agitated.

1. Placid = calm, tranquil (a placid lake).
2. Turbulent = rough, stormy, unsettled – direct opposite.
3. Pensive = thoughtful; Pristine = pure/unspoilt; Destined = fated – none is the opposite.

Trick: Placid lake ↔ turbulent sea.

Answer: (A) Turbulent

Concept: Set (one’s) sights on something means to decide firmly to achieve it and work towards it.

1. Ravi has a strong desire, a clear target and is working hard for it → he has set his sights on the college hockey team.
2. Rise to the occasion = perform well in a sudden challenge.
3. Make the cut = actually get selected (he has not yet).
4. Move the goal posts = unfairly change the rules.

Trick: Like aiming a rifle: you set the sights on the target.

Answer: (C) Set sights on

Concept: The Italian dish is spelt pizza (p-i-z-z-a), with double 'z' and no 't'.

1. 'Pitza' is written as it sounds ('peet-sa'), but the spelling is pizza.
2. Bread, Pasta and Noodle are spelt correctly.

Trick: In Italian, 'zz' is pronounced 'ts' – so the sound is 'peet-sa', but the letters are p-i-z-z-a.

Answer: (D) Pitza

Concept: The choice between a and an depends on the first sound: a before a consonant sound, an before a vowel sound.

1. Mercedes /m/, Jaguar /dʒ/, Fiat /f/ – all begin with consonant sounds.
2. So each takes a: a Mercedes, a Jaguar and a Fiat.
3. Options with 'an Jaguar', 'an Mercedes' or 'an Fiat' are wrong.

Trick: Say the word aloud – vowel sound → an (an hour, an MLA); consonant sound → a (a university, a Jaguar).

Answer: (C) There are three cars parked outside: a Mercedes, a Jaguar and a Fiat.