CDS English Exam Paper – 23 October 2016

61. P. dear lodger, i agree, the roof is leaking; but there would be no need
Q. while it is raining
R. and when the sun shines
S. i can’t get it repaired
The correct sequence should be-
A. QRSP
B. SQRP
C. RSPQ
D. PRQS

62. P. there is no reason that life may exist
Q. in great profusion
R. why we should not be willing to think
S. in other worlds
The correct sequence should be-
A. RSPQ
B. PQSR
C. RPQS
D. RQSP

63. P. the reagent released voltaire
Q. having discovered that
R. he had imprisoned an innocent man
S. and gave him a pension
The correct sequence should be-
A. PQRS
B. PRSQ
C. QRSP
D. QRPS

64. P. which is sold
Q. for its horn
R. the rhinoceros i hunted by poachers
S. at high prices
The correct sequence should be-
A. SQPR
B. QRSP
C. RQPS
D. QPSR

65. P. as environmental tools

Q. for military purposes
R. are finding various new uses
S. the world’s fastest computers initially conceived
The correct sequence should be-
A. SQRP
B. PQRS
C. RPSQ
D. QPSR

66. P. is a painful feeling
Q. without this indirect appeal to our self love
R. the sense of inferiority in others
S. and not an exalting one
The correct sequence should be-
A. PRSQ
B. RSPQ
C. SRQP
D. RQSP

Comprehension

Directions– (Q. 67-86) in this section, you have five short passages. After each passage, you will find some questions based on the passage. First, read a passage and answer the questions based on it. You are required to select your answers based on the contents of the passage and opinion of the author only.

Passage – 1

One of the most important things to notice about the power of art is the way in which great works continue to exert their influence through the ages. Scientific discoveries which are of major importance at the time when they are made are superseded. Thus, newton’s theory of gravitation has been superseded by Einstein’s theory of relativity. Hence the work of great scientists has value in stages on the way to a goal which supersedes them. Broadly speaking, the achievements of generals, politicians, and statesmen have an importance only in their own time. Hence these people and their acts, great as they may have been are like milestones which mankind passes on its way to something else. But with works of art it is not so. The place which they occupy in the estimation of succeeding ages and the power which they exercise over men’s spirits are as great as they were in the age which produced them; indeed, their power tends to increase with time, as they come to be better understood.

67. The power of art can be judged through-
A. its influence on a few individuals
B. its influence on the people over the years
C. the greatness of great artists
D. the opinions of great thinkers

68. The statement “newton’s theory of gravitation has been superseded by einstein’s theory of relativity” suggests that- A. the theory of relativity has nothing to do with the theory of gravitation
B. the theory of relativity is new in comparison to the theory of gravitation
C. the theory of relativity is an improvement over the theory of gravitation
D. the theory of relativity has suppressed the theory of relativity

69. The achievements of generals, politicians and statesmen have been compared to milestones by the author because-
A. they are inscribed on the milestones
B. they have contemporary relevance
C. they have topical and historical interest
D. they are strong and lasting stones

70. How is a work of art different from the work of a scientist ?
A. a work of art is as permanent as the work of scientist
B. the influence of a work of art increases from age to age unlike the work of a scientist which diminishes in course of time
C. a work of art has no material value like the work of a scientist
D. a work of art is an expression of creative power while the work of a scientist is not

Passage – 2

Most disputes about whether or not men are stronger than women are meaningless because the word ‘strong’ may mean many things. Most men can surpass most women in lifting heavy weights, in striking an object, in running, jumping or doing heavy physical labour. But most women live longer than most men, they have a better chance of resisting disease, they can beat men at operations requiring finger dexterity and the ability to work accurately under monotonous conditions. So, it would be legitimate to argue that women are stronger than men. The truth is that each gender can surpass the other in certain kinds of activities. To say that one is stronger than the other is to indulge in futile arguments.

71. Which one of the following statements best reflects the main contention of the author ?
A. in most cases men are stronger than women
B. since women are healthier than men they are also stronger
C. in some activities men are stronger than women and in some others women are stronger than men
D. men and women are equally strong

72. The author says that any dispute about whether or not men are stronger than women is meaningless, because –
A. it is an already established fact that men are stronger than women
B. the word ‘stronger’ can be interpreted in various ways
C. it is difficult to assess the comparative strength of men and women
D. it is a dispute that might harm the man-woman relationship in our society

73. The author says it would be legitimate to argue that women are stronger than men, because –
A. the author believes in the superior strength of women
B. the author is not committed to any opinion
C. in some of the activities women do give an impression that they are stronger than men
D. in fact women are inferior to men in every respect

74. From the passage, which of the following statements is most likely to be correct ?
A. women live longer than men because they can resist diseases better than men
B. monotonous living conditions make women stronger than men
C. all women are incapable of running, jumping and doing physical labour because they are not strong
D. statistically speaking, most women live longer than most men

Passage – 3

In national no less than in individual life there are no watertight compartments. No sharp lines can be drawn to mark off the political from the moral, the social from the economic regions of life. Politician often talk as though one has only to introduce certain political and economic changes for paradise to descend on earth, forgetful of the fact that the efficiency of an institution depends on the way it is worked, which itself is determined, by the character and wisdom of the men who work it.

75. Which one of the following statements most clearly suggests the central theme of the passage ?
A. political and economic changes can solve all the problems facing the nation
B. there is no difference between the political, moral, social and economic regions of life
C. it is not the institutions that are important but the character and wisdom of the people who manage them
D. national progress depends solely on the efficient running of our institutions

76. Which one of the following phrases best helps to bring out the precise contextual meaning of ‘watertight compartments’ ?
A. activities of life unaffected by public opinion
B. spheres of life where no liberty of opinion is tolerated
C. ways of life peculiar to each nation and each section of society
D. spheres of life which are independent and unconnected with one another

77. Which one of the following statements most correctly reflects the attitude of the author towards politicians’ opinions ?
A. the author totally disbelieves what the politicians say
B. the author believes what the politicians say
C. the author is sceptical about the claims of the politicians
D. the author thinks that the opinions of the politicians are contradictory

78. Which one of the following statements most correctly indicates the implication of the phrase ‘paradise to descend on earth’ ?
A. a world of perfect economic, political and social well-being
B. a world ruled by religious persons
C. a world of total liberty and equality
D. a world in which nobody needs to labour

Passage – 4

Just as some men like to play football or cricket, so some men like to climb mountains. This is often very difficult to do, for mountains are not just big hills. Paths are usually very steep. Some mountainsides are straight up and down, so that it may take many hours to climb as little as one hundred feet. There is always the danger that you many fall off and be killed or injured. Men talk about conquering a mountain. It is a wonderful feeling to reach the top of a mountain after climbing for hours and may be even for days. You look down and see the whole country below you. You feel good-like. Two italian prisoners of war escaped from a prison camp in kenya during the war. They did not try to get back to their own country, for they knew that was impossible. Instead they climbed to the top of mount kenya, and then they came down again and gave themselves up. They had wanted to get that feeling of freedom that one has, after climbing a difficult mountain.

79. Some men like to climb mountains because-
A. they do not like to play football or cricket
B. they know the trick of climbing
C. they want to have a wonderful feeling
D. they like to face danger

80. To climb a mountain is often difficult because-
A. mountains are big hills
B. it consumes more time
C. prisoners often escape from camps and settle there
D. paths are steep and uneven

81. It is a wonderful feeling………….’it’ refers to-
A. the steep path
B. the prisoner
C. the mountain
D. mountaineering

82. Two italian prisoners escaped the camp and climbed to the top of mount kenya to-
A. escape to italy
B. come down and give up
C. gain fame as mountaineers
D. get the feeling of freedom

Passage – 5

Most of the people who appear most often and gloriously in the history books are great conquerors and generals and soldiers, whereas the people who really helped civilization forward are often never mentioned at all. We do not know who first set a broken leg, or launched a seaworthy boat, or calculated the length of the year, or manoeuvred a field; but we know all about the killers and destroyers. People think a great deal of them, so much so that on all the highest pillars in the great cities of the world you will find the figure of a conqueror or a general or a soldier. And i think most people believed that the greatest countries are those that have beaten in battle the greatest number of other countries and ruled over them as conquerors.

83. People who are glorified often in history book are those-
A. who contributed to the public health
B. who contributed to the technical knowledge of man
C. who made calendars
D. who fought and won wars

84. The words “the people who really helped civilization forward” suggest that conquerors, generals, and soldiers-
A. contributed a great deal to civilization
B. contributed only towards civilization
C. were least interested in the progress of civilization
D. contributed little to civilization

85. We will find the figure of a conqueror or a general or a soldier on all the highest pillars in great cities because-
A. they sacrificed their lives for the benefit of humanity
B. people have exaggerated notions about their achievements
C. they had a deep concern for the welfare of humanity
D. they built most cities

86. The passage implies that the greatest countries are those that-
A. have conquered many countries and ruled over them
B. are very large in their size
C. have the largest population
D. are civilized

Spotting Errors

Directions – (Q. 87-106) each question in this section has a sentence with three parts labelled A, B and C. read each sentence to find out whether there is any error in any part and indicate your response in the answer sheet against the corresponding letter i.e., A or B or C. if you find no error, your response should be indicated as D.

87. A. i am senior
B. than him
C. by two years
D. no error

88. A. when i finished writing the letter
B. i could not help admiring myself
C. to have achieved the impossible
D. no error

89. A. i am
B. glad
C. that you are here
D. no error

90. A. he will be
B. cured from
C. his fever

D. no error

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