VERBAL ABILITY QUESTIONS SET 11 - SOLUTIONS

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1-C

In the given sentence the only suitable word for the second

blank is “consequences” for a simple reason that the

experimental results cannot be foundations/conditions/

adjuncts of anything. This negates all the options except option

(c). ‘Illuminate’ means to make clear; explain; elucidate.

2- D

There is no error in any of the sentences.

3- B 

Chorale’ means a formal song written to be sung by a choir,

especially in a church. A ‘corral’ is an enclosure for cattle or

horses.

In the sentence 2, - ‘mendicity’ is the correct word, as we

read in the sentence, ‘little boys asking charity...the country

had swarmed with beggars’. While ‘mendicity’ is - the state of

being a beggar or mendicant ‘mendacity’ is - the act of not

telling the truth. E.g,- Politicians are often accused of

‘mendacity’.

In the sentence 3, the correct word is -’derisive’, which means

mocking; jeering. While ‘derisive’ means mocking or conveying

contempt, ‘derisory’ means laughable; ridiculous. ‘Derisory’ is

used for something that invites contempt or scorn.

In the sentence 4, the systems of old India can be ‘abstruse’

(difficult to understand) and not ‘obtuse’ (witless or unwilling

to try to understand).

In sentence 5, ‘bawl’ means to sob loudly; ‘bowl’ means to

hurl a cricket ball from one end of the pitch towards the

batsman at the other end.

4 - B 

Keep in mind the first and last sentence of the paragraph

where the author explains that his emotions made him a writer

which means that, earlier, he was not a writer. So, option (a)

can be ruled out because if he was not a writer in the first

place then his preference of getting inspired (to write) by

facts does not even arise.

Option (b) is the first sentence because ‘the impact of personal

events’ is the author’s feelings of ‘disgust’ and ‘hurt’. This

connects with the sentence given in the paragraph and

highlights the emotions that became the real source of

inspiration for the author.

Note that the paragraph uses first person narrative and past

tense. This is why option (c) is clearly incorrect. Also, (c)

pertains specifically to ‘writing style’.

Option (d) refers specifically to the writer’s relationship with

his characters which is discussed later in the paragraph and

hence cannot be the first sentence. Also, the sentence uses

repetitive words like translated ‘on paper’.

5- C

B is incorrect. It should be ‘cover of the book’ and not ‘the book

cover’. D uses ‘sometime’ incorrectly as it means at some

unknown time; it should be ‘sometimes’ which means

Occasionally.

6- D

Option (a) is incorrect. ‘Subsumed’ means to include

(something) under a larger classification or group. Learning

included in the genetic code does not make sense. Moreover,

‘primitive’ is not suitable for the second blank. The instinctive

behavioural responses cannot be taken as primitive, they are

spontaneous.

Option (b) is incorrect. ‘Transient’ means lasting for a short

time only. The word does not communicate the meaning properly.

Option (c) is incorrect ‘familiar’ is not the suitable word for the

second blank. It distorts the meaning of the sentence. Moreover,

learning ‘compatible with’ genetic code is not the correct

expression.

Option (d), ‘dictated by and stereotyped’ is the correct answer

as it explains the meaning of the sentence correctly without

distorting the meaning of the sentence. Learning is determined

by the genetic code and it is stereotyped in behaviour.

7 - D

Option (a) is incorrect because it refers to the properties

purchased by the Wrigley family whereas the beginning of

the paragraph refers to one specific mansion that was owned

by them.

Even though it may seem like a good choice, option (b) is

incorrect because the option specifies it was the Wrigley’s

mansion and the same is repeated in the given paragraph

‘owned by the Wrigleys’. This repetition sounds awkward

and is unnecessary.

Option (c) is not the best choice because it tends to hint that

this was just like any other mansion whereas the details of

the mansion given in the paragraph positively suggest that it

was special. Also, the author is not making any comparison of

this mansion with others.

Option (d) is the best choice because it highlights the main

reason of the author’s discussion ‘architectural beauty’ of

this particular mansion. The author explains the beauty of this

mansion as ‘fifteen bedrooms containing unique mahogany

wood work’ etc.

8 - A

In sentence 1, ‘slipshod’ means haphazard. To complement it

the other word cannot be slower. It has to be ‘sloven’ which

means untidy or careless in appearance. Further the latter

part also hints at ‘sloven’ as the needed word, as it states that

every thing must be kept in good repair.

In sentence 2 (B) is correct. The specimens of incrustation (a

crust or coating) shown to geologists, clearly hint that the

origin of the incrustation can be ‘igneous’; formed by

solidification from a molten state. (A)- ‘Ingenious’ which means

showing inventiveness or adeptness, is a sure misfit for the

sentence.

In sentence 3, ‘solecism’ means committing a grammatical or

idiomatic error- here it would refer to incorrect semantics.

‘Solipsism’ is the philosophical theory that the self is all that

you know to exist. In sentence 4, (A) ‘crevice’ which is a

narrow crack or space, especially in the surface of a rock,

befits the sentence. A ‘crevasse’ is a very deep crack in the

thick ice of a glacier.

In sentence 5, ‘fluting’ is the act of incising or making grooves.

This hints that the other word to correspond it should be

‘crimping’ and not ‘crumpling’. ‘To crimp’ is to make ridges by

pinching together. To ‘crumple’ means to crush.

9- C

As the second line of the paragraph is “it is not a matter of

chance or coincidence”; ‘it’ in it refers to a fact. Only option (c)

mentions a fact (blue skies and bright suns usually dominate

the drawings of children).

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