Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: 'Diary' = a personal daily record book; 'dairy' = a place where milk products are made.

1. One writes in a diary, not a dairy.
2. So 'He wrote his dairy' contains the spelling error.
3. Correct: He wrote his diary in code so that nobody could understand it.

Yaad rakhein: dIAry – I write; dAIry – cow's milk.

Answer: (D) He wrote his dairy

Concept: 'Negligent' means careless, failing to give proper attention. Its opposite is 'attentive' (careful, alert).

1. Attentive – paying close attention (opposite).
2. Reluctant – unwilling; Bored – uninterested.
3. Amplify – a verb (to increase), not an adjective opposite.

Yaad rakhein: Negligent ≠ Attentive / careful.

Answer: (A) attentive

Concept: A person trained for or engaged in spaceflight is an astronaut (astro = star, naut = sailor).

1. Astronaut – space traveller (matches).
2. Astronomer – scientist who studies celestial bodies, does not fly in space.
3. Astute – clever; Atrocious – very cruel or bad.

Yaad rakhein: Astronaut = star sailor; Astronomer = star scientist.

Answer: (C) Astronaut

Concept: 'Site' means the place where something is, was or will be located.

1. Location – a particular place (same meaning).
2. Lap – part of the body/round of a track; Globe – the earth.
3. Pull – to drag.

Yaad rakhein: Site ≈ location, place, spot.

Answer: (B) Location

Concept: 'Comparison' follows the root 'compar(e)' + '-ison': com-par-i-son.

1. Serene, Triumph and Unveil are correct.
2. 'Comparsion' has the letters jumbled; correct is Comparison.
3. So option (C) is incorrectly spelt.

Yaad rakhein: Compare → compar-I-son (I before S).

Answer: (C) Comparsion

Concept: Future perfect tense = will have + past participle (V3).

1. 'She will have participate' uses the base form – wrong.
2. Correct: She will have participated in the dance competition.
3. 'By the time … returns' correctly uses present tense in the time clause.

Yaad rakhein: will have + V3: will have gone, will have participated.

Answer: (B) She will have participate

Concept: Working quickly and effectively in an organised way, without wasting time or effort, is efficient.

1. Efficient – productive with minimum waste (matches).
2. Extensive – large in extent; Excellent – very good.
3. Effusive – expressing feelings excessively.

Yaad rakhein: Efficient = right output, less waste.

Answer: (A) Efficient

Concept: 'Abandon' means to leave completely and finally; to desert.

1. Desert – to leave without help (same meaning).
2. Perish – to die; Prolong – to extend.
3. Retain – to keep (opposite).

Yaad rakhein: Abandon ≈ desert, forsake, leave.

Answer: (B) Desert

Concept: 'Damp' means slightly wet. Its opposite is 'arid' (very dry).

1. Arid – dry, having little or no rain (opposite).
2. Misty and Soaked – wet conditions (similar).
3. Tropical – relating to the hot humid tropics.

Yaad rakhein: Damp ≠ Arid (dry).

Answer: (B) Arid

Concept: 'A leopard can't change his spots' means a person's basic nature or character cannot be changed.

1. Just as a leopard's spots are permanent, so is a person's nature.
2. Option (D) 'You cannot change who you are' matches.
3. (A) = apple of one's eye; (B) = a picture is worth a thousand words; (C) = a diamond in the rough.

Yaad rakhein: Leopard's spots = fixed nature.

Answer: (D) You cannot change who you are

Concept: The blank needs a verb meaning 'extends over an area', agreeing with the singular subject 'that' (the rainforest).

1. A rainforest spans across several countries – it extends over them.
2. 'Reaches' needs 'to/into', not 'across several countries'.
3. 'Lengths' and 'amounts' are nouns (as verbs they make no sense here).

Yaad rakhein: Span across = stretch over a region or time.

Answer: (D) spans

Concept: Large areas like a forest are given approximate figures; the natural collocation is 'an estimated area of …'.

1. 'Covering an estimated area of 5.5 million square kilometres' – approximate measurement.
2. 'Gauged', 'rated' and 'evaluated' are not used before figures in this way.
3. Also 'an' fits 'estimated' (vowel sound).

Yaad rakhein: an estimated + number = approximately.

Answer: (C) estimated

Concept: The blank is followed by 'for'; the collocation 'renowned for' means famous for.

1. The Amazon is renowned for its remarkable biodiversity.
2. 'Great for' changes the meaning (suitable for).
3. 'Acclaimed' and 'pre-eminent' are not normally followed by 'for' in this sense.

Yaad rakhein: renowned for = famous for = known for.

Answer: (C) renowned

Concept: An adjective is needed before 'and complex ecosystem', parallel to 'complex'; a lively, full-of-life ecosystem is 'vibrant'.

1. 'Vigour' is a noun – cannot qualify 'ecosystem'.
2. 'Spirited' describes people or performances; 'lavish' means extravagant.
3. A vibrant and complex ecosystem – full of life and energy.

Yaad rakhein: Adjective + and + adjective + noun – check part of speech first.

Answer: (C) vibrant

Concept: Communities that have lived in a region for centuries, as original inhabitants, are 'indigenous' communities.

1. 'Thrived within its rich confines for centuries, preserving their traditions' – native people.
2. Indigenous = native, original inhabitants.
3. 'Ancient' communities would not still be living; 'late' = dead; 'organic' does not describe people.

Yaad rakhein: Indigenous = native (tribal people of a region).

Answer: (C) indigenous

Concept: The passage is about identifying highly effective people so their behaviour can be studied, cloned and passed on.

1. The researchers asked people to name colleagues who could really get things done.
2. Jassie, an efficient employee whose work ethics can be a case study, is exactly such a person.
3. Options on inflation, revenge or impatience are not discussed.

Yaad rakhein: Inference must stay within the passage's theme – effective people as models.

Answer: (D) Jassie is an efficient employee whose work ethics can be a case study to learn more about organisational and personal excellence.

Concept: A pragmatic structure presents a practical, purpose-driven approach: a problem, what was done practically, and how the result will be used.

1. The authors explain a practical aim – learn what effective people do, 'clone it and pass it on'.
2. They describe the practical method – asking over twenty thousand people.
3. There is no time sequence (chronological), no cause-effect chain and no comparison.

Yaad rakhein: Practical method + usable result → pragmatic.

Answer: (C) Pragmatic

Concept: 'Effective' means producing the desired result. Its opposite is 'fruitless' (producing no result).

1. Fruitless – useless, unproductive (opposite).
2. Deniable – able to be denied.
3. Harmonious – peaceful; Courteous – polite.

Yaad rakhein: Effective ≠ Fruitless / futile.

Answer: (C) Fruitless

Concept: A good title captures the central focus of the passage – here, finding the most effective (influential) colleagues.

1. People were asked to identify their most effective colleagues who could really get things done.
2. 'Most Effective Colleagues' covers this central idea.
3. 'Learn, Clone and Pass' is only one line; 'research grants' and 'different topics' are not the theme.

Yaad rakhein: Title = main idea in a few words, not a side detail.

Answer: (C) Most Effective Colleagues

Concept: The summary must state the main finding: some people are far more influential and effective at getting things done than others.

1. The passage ends: they wanted those 'far more influential than the rest'.
2. Option (D) states exactly this.
3. (A) and (C) misuse the 25-year figure; (B) on research grants is not mentioned.

Yaad rakhein: Summary = main idea; reject options that twist numbers or add new ideas.

Answer: (D) Some people are more effective and more influential than others to get things done.