Directions (1-15): In each of the following questions, a sentence has been given with two blanks. From the corresponding options, find the one which gives the pair of words to suitably fill the blanks in order to make the sentence grammatically complete.
Q1. The new software is designed to _______ the user experience by _______ the interface and adding new features.
(a)improve, streamlining
(b)degrade, complicating
(c)maintain, stagnating
(d)enhance, confusing
(e)prolong, disrupting
Q2. Despite facing several challenges, the company managed to _______ its profits by _______ its market share and introducing new products.
(a)boost, expanding
(b)reduce, downsizing
(c)maintain, stagnating
(d)increase, diversifying
(e)stagnate, boosting
Q3. The new teacher had a _______ impact on the students, who were _______ to learn from her and enjoyed her classes.
(a)positive, reluctant
(b)negative, eager
(c)neutral, excited
(d)confusing, indifferent
(e)enthusiastic, bored
Q4. The new highway will _______ the commute time between the two cities, _______ the flow of traffic and reducing congestion.
(a)reduce, slowing
(b)increase, disrupting
(c)shorten, easing
(d)lengthen, accelerating
(e)complicate, facilitating
Q5. The company’s decision to _______ its operations was met with _______ from its employees, who were concerned about job security.
(a)expand, enthusiasm
(b)downsize, resistance
(c)maintain, apathy
(d)diversify, support
(e)centralize, indifference
Q6. The ___________ of the novel was engaging, but its ___________ was disappointing.
(a)plot, ending
(b)writing, direction
(c)storyline, editing
(d)characters, acting
Q7. The marathon runner’s ___________ stamina _________ her to finish the race.
(a) dwindling, prevented
(b) enduring, enabled
(c)erratic, stalled
(d)fleeting, hindered
(e)unstable, interrupted
Q8. The actor’s __________ performance __________ him critical acclaim.
(a) average, dismissed
(b) terrible, ridiculed
(c) flawless, earned
(d)mediocre, ignored
(e)powerful, feared
Q9. The chef’s ___________ dishes were ____________ by the restaurant patrons.
(a) exquisite, devoured
(b) bland, loathed
(c) spicy, criticized
(d) mediocre, ignored
(e) unappetizing, spat out
Q10. The politician’s __________ statement caused a __________ among his followers.
(a)erroneous, commotion
(b)accurate, harmony
(c)truthful, tranquillity
(d)impeccable, discord
(e)sincere, unity
Q11. The boxer __________ to the mat, his body __________ from the punishing blows.
(a)collapsed, writhing
(b)stood, stoic
(c)fought, agile
(d)resisted, supple
(e)stumbled, rigid
Q12. The couple’s __________ marriage was __________ by their constant quarrels.
(a)harmonious, tarnished
(b)blissful, enriched
(c)loving, solidified
(d)tumultuous, strengthened
(e)stable, deteriorated
Q13. The singer’s __________ voice __________ the audience into a trance.
(a)soothing, lulled
(b)grating, irritated
(c)melodious, entranced
(d)hoarse, annoyed
(e)piercing, distracted
Q14. The athlete’s __________ performance __________ his fans.
(a)outstanding, thrilled
(b)mediocre, disappointed
(c)exceptional, discouraged
(d)below average, disinterested
(e)impressive, elated
Q15. The student’s __________ effort __________ in his success.
(a)minimal, contributed
(b)diligent, resulted
(c)lackadaisical, prevented
(d)half-hearted, enhanced
(e)lacklustre, deterred
Solutions
S1. Ans (a)
Sol. The sentence talks about new software that is intended to improve the user experience. The second part of the sentence suggests that the software will simplify the interface and add new features.
Option (a) “improve, streamlining” is the best completion because it accurately describes the intended effect of the software. The word “improve” suggests that the software will make things better, and “streamlining” suggests that the software will simplify or make more efficient. Option (b) “degrade, complicating” is incorrect because it suggests that the software will make things worse. Option (c) “maintain, stagnating” is also incorrect because it suggests that the software won’t have much impact. Option (d) “enhance, confusing” is incorrect because it contradicts the intended effect described in the first part of the sentence. Option (e) “prolong, disrupting” is incorrect because it doesn’t make sense in the context of the sentence.
S2. Ans (d)
Sol. The sentence talks about a company that faced challenges but managed to improve its profits. The word “despite” suggests that the challenges were significant, so the company had to take some proactive steps to improve its performance. The first blank requires a word that means to improve or increase profits, and the second blank requires a word that suggests the company expanded its offerings or entered new markets.
Option (a) “boost, expanding” is a possible completion, but the word “expanding” doesn’t convey the sense of diversification that is implied in the second part of the sentence. Option (b) “reduce, downsizing” is incorrect because it suggests that the company reduced its operations, which would not have led to an increase in profits. Option (c) “maintain, stagnating” is also incorrect because it suggests that the company didn’t improve its profits, which contradicts the first part of the sentence. Option (e) “stagnate, boosting” is incorrect because it contradicts the first part of the sentence that says the company managed to improve its profits.
Option (d) “increase, diversifying” is the best completion because it accurately describes the actions the company took to improve its performance. By diversifying its offerings and entering new markets, the company was able to increase its profits.
S3. Ans (a)
Sol. The sentence describes the impact of a new teacher on her students. The second part of the sentence suggests that the students were initially hesitant or unwilling to learn, but something changed when the new teacher arrived.
Option (a) “positive, reluctant” is the best completion because it accurately describes the impact of the new teacher. The word “positive” suggests that the teacher had a beneficial influence on the students, and the word “reluctant” suggests that the students were not initially enthusiastic about learning. Option (b) “negative, eager” is incorrect because it contradicts the positive impact described in the first part of the sentence. Option (c) “neutral, excited” is also incorrect because it doesn’t convey the sense of transformation that is implied in the second part of the sentence. Option (d) “confusing, indifferent” is incorrect because it doesn’t make sense in the context of the sentence. Option (e) “enthusiastic, bored” is incorrect because it contradicts the second part of the sentence that says the students enjoyed her classes.
S4. Ans (c)
Sol. Option (c) “shorten, easing” is the best completion because it accurately describes the impact of the new highway. The word “shorten” suggests that the highway will reduce the amount of time it takes to travel between the two cities, and the word “easing” suggests that the highway will improve the flow of traffic and reduce congestion. Option (a) “reduce, slowing” is incorrect because it suggests that the highway will reduce the commute time but slow down traffic, which is contradictory. Option (b) “increase, disrupting” is also incorrect because it suggests that the highway will increase the commute time and disrupt traffic flow. Option (d) “lengthen, accelerating” is incorrect because it suggests that the highway will increase the commute time and accelerate traffic, which is contradictory. Option (e) “complicate, facilitating” is also incorrect because it suggests that the highway will make the commute more complicated instead of easier.
S5. Ans (b)
Sol. The sentence talks about a company’s decision to make changes to its operations. The second part of the sentence suggests that the employees were not happy about the decision and had concerns about job security.
Option (b) “downsize, resistance” is the best completion because it accurately describes the company’s decision and the employees’ reaction to it. The word “downsize” suggests that the company is reducing its operations or workforce, and “resistance” suggests that the employees are pushing back against the decision. Option (a) “expand, enthusiasm” is incorrect because it contradicts the downsizing described in the first part of the sentence. Option (c) “maintain, apathy” is also incorrect because it suggests that the employees are indifferent to the company’s decision, which contradicts the second part of the sentence. Option (d) “diversify, support” is incorrect because it doesn’t make sense in the context of the sentence. Option (e) “centralize, indifference” is also incorrect because it doesn’t accurately describe the company’s decision or the employees’ reaction.
S6. Ans (a)
Sol. In the statement, the first blank requires a word that denotes the story or the narrative, while the second blank requires a word that denotes the conclusion or the final part of the story. Among the given options, only “plot” and “ending” accurately match the required meanings in the blanks.
S7. Ans (b)
Sol. The first blank requires a word that means “long-lasting” or “able to endure,” and “enduring” fits this meaning. The second blank requires a word that means “made possible” or “facilitated,” and “enabled” fits this meaning. Therefore, the correct answer is (b).
S8. Ans (c)
Sol. The actor’s flawless performance earned him critical acclaim. The first blank requires a word that means “perfect” or “without errors,” and “flawless” fits this meaning. The second blank requires a word that means “received as a result of effort,” and “earned” fits this meaning. Therefore, the correct answer is (c).
S9. Ans (a)
Sol. The first blank requires a word that means “excellent” or “of high quality,” and “exquisite” fits this meaning. The second blank requires a word that means “consumed with enthusiasm,” and “devoured” fits this meaning. Therefore, the correct answer is (a).
S10. Ans (d)
Sol. The politician’s impeccable statement caused a discord among his followers. The first blank requires a word that means “flawless” or “perfect,” and “impeccable” fits this meaning. The second blank requires a word that means “disagreement” or “conflict,” and “discord” fits this meaning.
S11. Ans (a)
Sol. The boxer collapsed to the mat, his body writhing from the punishing blows. The first blank requires a word that means “falling down suddenly” or “fainting,” and “collapsed” fits this meaning. The second blank requires a word that means “twisting and turning in pain,” and “writhing” fits this meaning.
S12. Ans (d)
Sol. The couple’s tumultuous marriage was strengthened by their constant quarrels. The first blank requires a word that means “full of conflict” or “stormy,” and “tumultuous” fits this meaning. The second blank requires a word that means “made stronger” or “reinforced,” and “strengthened” fits this meaning.
S13. Ans (c)
Sol. The singer’s melodious voice entranced the audience into a trance. The first blank requires a word that means “pleasing to the ear” or “harmonious,” and “melodious” fits this meaning. The second blank requires a word that means “captivated” or “spellbound,” and “entranced” fits this meaning.
S14. Ans (a)
Sol. The athlete’s outstanding performance thrilled his fans. The first blank requires a word that means “excellent” or “remarkable,” and “outstanding” fits this meaning. The second blank requires a word that means “excited” or “overjoyed,” and “thrilled” fits this meaning.
S15. Ans (b)
Sol. The student’s diligent effort resulted in his success. The first blank requires a word that means “hardworking” or “persistent,” and “diligent” fits this meaning. The second blank requires a word that means “caused” or “led to,” and “resulted” fits this meaning.
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