Directions (1-5) There are certain words missing in the passage given below. The given options contain an answer that will fit in those given blanks. Choose the correct word to be used to make the sentence coherent and grammatically correct.
Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote a very famous story called Tarzan of the Apes. This story involves a 1)_________________ on the West coast of Africa. The passengers on the ship include a certain Lord and Lady Greystoke from England. Lord and Lady Greystoke are the only 2)________________ of the accident. Lord Greystoke builds a kind of shelter high up in the trees – a treehouse – for his pregnant wife and does his best to make them comfortable in their new jungle home. Lady Greystoke gives birth to a boy. They call the boy John. Unfortunately, she dies and leaves Lord Greystoke to take care of the baby on his own. Lord Greystoke is killed by an 3)__________________ ape that comes to investigate the strange house in the trees. The baby is left all alone. 4)__________________, a female ape, whose baby has recently died, finds the human baby alone in the treehouse. Even though the baby is white and hairless, she feels a mother’s love for it and begins to feed and take care of it. She becomes John’s mother. John – who later takes the name Tarzan, never having known his real 5)_________________ – grows strong and powerful living among the apes. He has the advantage of human intelligence and eventually grows up to be leader of the apes and, eventually, lord of the jungle.
Q1.
(a) ruse
(b) decorum
(c) shipwreck
(d) juxtaposition
(e) orator
Q2.
(a) altercations
(b) apologists
(c) pacifists
(d) survivors
(e) nuances
Q3.
(a) enormous
(b) bland
(c) jolly
(d) nonchalant
(e) poised
Q4.
(a) inquisitively
(b) selfishly
(c) bitterly
(d) punctually
(e) fortunately
Q5.
(a) salient
(b) identity
(c) objectivity
(d) pinnacle
(e) prompt
Directions (6-10) There are certain words missing in the passage given below. The given options contain an answer that will fit in those given blanks. Choose the correct word to be used to make the sentence coherent and grammatically correct.
The samurai (the word means ‘one who serves’) were the 6)________________ warrior class of Japan for nearly seven hundred years. In the tenth century, the imperial court in Kyoto tried and failed to organise a conscript army. If the court had succeeded in this, the wealthy landowners might not have decided to 7)__________________ private soldiers and the samurai might never have existed. The original samurai were 8)__________________ warriors who went into battle on horseback, challenging opponents to ritualised combat. Their customs would have seemed familiar to the medieval European knights if they had ever met each other. Later, as the armies became larger and the fighting more savage, most samurai trained for hand-to-hand 9)_________________. However, during a long period of peace in Japan things didn’t go well for the samurai and eventually, in the 1860s, they lost their position of power in Japanese society. The sword of a samurai symbolises the authority and luxury of the warrior class. It was both a weapon and an art object. This double identity mirrored the samurai themselves. As well as being warriors, they used to socialise with painters, playwrights and intellectuals. Samurai generals practised 10)_____________________, did flower arranging and went to the theatre.
Q6.
(a) scattered
(b) elite
(c) irksome
(d) zealous
(e) defiant
Q7.
(a) adjoin
(b) radiate
(c) advertise
(d) employ
(e) rationalize
Q8.
(a) chivalrous
(b) abundant
(c) abysmal
(d) reversible
(e) inadvisable
Q9.
(a) unilateral
(b) piety
(c) retention
(d) combat
(e) sentiment
Q10.
(a) unadorned
(b) epitome
(c) prelude
(d) antithesis
(e) calligraphy
Solutions
S1. Ans (c)
Sol. The only word which will fit the blank to make the sentence coherent is shipwreck.
It means the destruction of a ship at sea by sinking or breaking up, for example in a storm or after striking a rock.
Ruse- an action intended to deceive someone; a trick.
Decorum- behaviour in keeping with good taste and propriety.
Juxtaposition- the fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect.
Orator- a public speaker, especially one who is eloquent or skilled.
S2. Ans (d)
Sol. The only word which will fit the blank to make the sentence coherent is survivors.
It means a person who survives, especially a person remaining alive after an event in which others have died.
Altercations- a noisy argument or disagreement, especially in public.
Apologists- a person who offers an argument in defence of something controversial.
Pacifists- a person who believes that war and violence are unjustifiable.
Nuances- a subtle difference in or shade of meaning, expression, or sound.
S3. Ans (a)
Sol. The only word which will fit the blank to make the sentence coherent is enormous.
It means very large in size, quantity, or extent.
Bland- lacking strong features or characteristics and therefore uninteresting.
Jolly- happy and cheerful.
Nonchalant- (of a person or manner) feeling or appearing casually calm and relaxed; not displaying anxiety, interest, or enthusiasm.
Poised- having a composed and self-assured manner
S4. Ans (e)
Sol. The only word which will fit the blank to make the sentence coherent is fortunately.
It means happening because of good luck.
Inquisitively- inclined to ask questions especially; inordinately or improperly curious about the affairs of others.
Selfishly- with a lack of consideration for other people due to concern with one’s own personal profit or pleasure.
Bitterly- in an angry, hurt, or resentful way.
Punctually- at the agreed or proper time; promptly.
S5. Ans (b)
Sol. The only word which will fit the blank to make the sentence coherent is identity.
It means the fact of being who or what a person or thing is.
Salient- most noticeable or important.
Objectivity- lack of favouritism toward one side or another.
Pinnacle- the most successful point; the culmination.
Prompt- (of an event or fact) cause or bring about (an action or feeling).
S6. Ans (b)
Sol. The only word which will fit the blank to make the sentence coherent is elite.
It means the choice or best of anything considered collectively, as of a group or class of persons.
Scattered- occurring or found at intervals or various locations rather than all together.
Irksome- irritating; annoying.
Zealous- having or showing zeal.
Defiant- full of or showing a disposition to challenge, resist, or fight.
S7. Ans (d)
Sol. The only word which will fit the blank to make the sentence coherent is employ.
It means give work to (someone) and pay them for it.
Adjoin- be next to and joined with (a building, room, or piece of land).
Radiate- emit (energy, especially light or heat) in the form of rays or waves.
Advertise- describe or draw attention to (a product, service, or event) in a public medium in order to promote sales or attendance.
Rationalize- attempt to explain or justify (behaviour or an attitude) with logical reasons, even if these are not appropriate.
S8. Ans (a)
Sol. The only word which will fit the blank to make the sentence coherent is chivalrous.
It means courteous and gallant, especially towards women (typically used of a man or his behaviour).
Abundant- existing or available in large quantities; plentiful.
Abysmal- extremely bad; appalling.
Reversible- able to be turned the other way round.
Inadvisable- likely to have unfortunate consequences; unwise.
S9. Ans (d)
Sol. The only word which will fit the blank to make the sentence coherent is combat.
It means a fight, especially during a war.
Unilateral- (of an action or decision) performed by or affecting only one person, group, or country involved in a situation, without the agreement of another or the others.
Piety- the quality of being religious or reverent.
Retention- the ability to keep or hold.
Sentiment- a view or opinion that is held or expressed.
S10. Ans (e)
Sol. The only word which will fit the blank to make the sentence coherent is calligraphy.
It means the art of producing decorative handwriting or lettering with a pen or brush.
Unadorned- lacking embellishment or decoration; plain, simple.
Epitome- a person or thing that is a perfect example of a particular quality or type.
Prelude- an action or event serving as an introduction to something more important.
Antithesis- a person or thing that is the direct opposite of someone or something else.
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