English is a crucial subject in competitive government exams as it is a medium of communication and the language used for many official purposes. Here are some of the key reasons why English is important in competitive government exams:
In addition to these reasons, a good command of English language also helps in developing critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, and analytical skills. It helps candidates to understand complex ideas and communicate them effectively.
Therefore, it is essential for candidates preparing for competitive government exams to focus on developing their English language skills. They should work on improving their grammar, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and writing skills. Regular practice through mock tests and previous year papers can also help in identifying areas of weakness and improving performance.
Direction: Out of the statements given below, one statement may be grammatically and contextually correct. If all the statements are correct, choose D, i.e. ‘All are correct’.
Q. Choose the correct statement as your answer.
Note the errors in the given options:
In A, ‘of’ should follow the verb ‘disapprove’ to make it grammatically and contextually correct.
In C, the verb ‘make’ should be in past form i.e. ‘made’.
Q. Out of the statements given below, which statement is grammatically and contextually correct?
In A, ‘smart’ should be used before ‘enough’. Note that ‘enough’ can be placed as an adjective or an adverb in a sentence. When ENOUGH is before a noun, it is an adjective. When ‘Enough’ is after an adjective, it is an adverb. The given statement is the latter case.
In B, ‘died’ should be used instead of ‘die’. The current structure is incorrect. It should be ‘have died’ to make the sentence contextually and grammatically correct. This is according to rule, ‘have + verb” always takes the past participle form of the verb.
In C, the use of singular noun ‘place’ is incorrect ad there are various examples of cities so we’ll need a noun in its plural form. Hence, D is the right answer choice.
Q. Find the correct sentence and mark it as your answer.
In option A, “displayed” should change to “displaying” as the sentence is in the simple present tense. Present participles can be used after verbs of perception in the pattern verb + object + present participle to indicate the action being perceived.
In option B, the correct spelling is restruant is restaurant.
In option C, the correct phrasal verb is ‘speak up’ which means ‘express one’s opinions frankly and publicly’.
Option D is grammatically and contextually correct.
Direction:
Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Certain words are printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of these.
Only 29 per cent of the water in the Ganga is from glaciers till the river reaches Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh; the rest comes from the springs. This shows the centrality of Himalayan springs in maintaining the flow of the mountain’s rivers. The mountain range is home to 3 million of India’s 5 million springs. Things, however, have changed quite rapidly in the past few decades.
About 50 per cent of the springs have dried up or turned seasonal. Drying up of springs is intricately linked to desertification because nearly every river in India has its origins in springs. Any change in spring hydrology has clear ramifications on river hydrology, whether in the headwater regions, where springs manifest themselves as sources of rivers or in the lower-reach plains of river systems where they contribute almost invisibly as base flows to river channels.
In fact, the ramifications of disappearing springs have already become visible on rivers. A decade ago, the flow of Binsar river was so strong that it would wash away bridges. Now sometimes its water level goes as low as 15 cm. The number of streams in Almora has gone down to just 60 from 360 in the past 150 years.
The drying up of springs is a major worry because they were the only source of water to 50 million people in 60,000 villages of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Assam and West Bengal. About 60 per cent of people in rural regions of the Himalayas still use stream water for drinking. With nearly a fifth of the Himalayan population involved in agriculture and 64 per cent of the cultivable land irrigated by streams, _____(A)_____ will have a substantial impact on farmers too.
The Himalayan springs are drying up primarily due to changes in land use, ecological degradation and the so-called developmental activities. These have depleted aquifers in the mountains. Scientists link it to climate change and say that the total rainfall in the Himalayas has decreased in the past century while winter rain has almost disappeared.
The drying up of springs has also impacted forests and wildlife. Many natural watering holes for wildlife are in the form of springs and seeps. Depletion has led to water insecurity inside forests and national parks and on their fringes as well. These springs ensure widespread water availability in rivers and provide moisture to the soil. Their disappearance will eventually be felt in the plains.
Q. According to the passage, which of the following is/are the factor(s) responsible for the depletion of aquifers?
From the passage, it can be seen that “These have depleted aquifers in the mountains. Scientists link it to climate change and say that the total rainfall in the Himalayas has decreased in the past century while winter rain has almost disappeared”.
Q.
Which of the following is TRUE as per the context provided in the passage?
I. Widespread water availability in rivers and moisture in the soil is ensured by springs.
II. Due to decline in number of streams in Almora, the flow of Binsar river has subsided.
III. The Himalayan springs are essential for maintaining the flow of the mountain rivers.
It is mentioned in the passage that “These springs ensure widespread water availability in rivers and provide moisture to the soil” and “This shows the centrality of Himalayan springs in maintaining the flow of the mountain’s rivers”. From these two statements it can be inferred that Statement I and III are true. Existence of a relationship between the number of streams in Almora with the flow of Binsar river has not been mentioned anywhere in the passage. Thus, statement II is incorrect.
Q.
Which of the following is the MOST SIMILAR in meaning to the given word as used in the passage?
Depleted
‘Depleted’ means ‘use up the supply or resources’. ‘Exhausted’ also means ‘use up (resources or reserves) completely’. So, they are synonymous.
Q. Which of the following words as used in the passage can be replaced by the word “importance”?
The word ‘Centrality’ means ‘the quality of being essential or of the greatest importance’.
Q. Which of the given options can be used to complete the blank labelled (A) in the most appropriate way, contextually and grammatically?
The sentence mentions ‘With nearly a fifth of the Himalayan population involved in agriculture and 64 per cent of the cultivable land irrigated by streams…’. So, the blank needs to be filled with something related to streams.
Direction:
In the following passage, there are blanks, each of which has been numbered. These numbers are printed below the passage and against each, five words/ phrases are suggested, one of which fits the blank appropriately.
Bumblebees are in drastic decline across Europe and North America ___(1)___ more frequent extremes in temperatures. A study suggests the likelihood of a bumblebee population surviving in any given place has declined by 30% in the Course of a single human generation. The researchers used data ___(2)___ over a 115-year period on 66 bumblebee species across North America and Europe to develop a model simulating “climate chaos” scenarios. They were able to see how bumblebee populations had changed over the years by ___(3)___ where the insects were now to where they used to be.
The findings by the researchers suggest that much larger declines are likely if the temperature increases ___(4)___ in the coming years. Many of the species could Perish forever if we do not take substantial efforts to reduce climate change.
Bumblebees play a key role in pollinating crops such as tomatoes, squash and berries. We must address climate change itself and ___(5)___ action we take to reduce emissions will help.
Q. Find the correct word for (1).
The phrase ‘owing to’ means: because of or on account of.
The statement means: Bumblebees are in drastic decline across Europe and North America because of more frequent extremes in temperatures.
Q. Find the correct word for (2).
In order to merge, you need two sets of information as ‘merge’ means to combine.
The sentence is in simple past. Hence ‘gather’ won’t fit here.
Q. Find the correct word for (3).
The sentence compares That researchers show how bumblebee populations had changed over the years by making a comparison on where the insects were now to where they used to be.
Q. Find the correct word for (4).
Evident- clearly seen or understood
Moderately- fair to a certain extent
Majority- the greater number.
Drastically- in a way that is likely to have a strong or far-reaching effect
The statement states: The findings by the researchers suggest that much larger declines are likely if the temperature increases in a far-reaching manner in the coming years.
Q. Find the correct word for (5).
We use ‘every’ to refer to a group or list of three or more things.
Since we are talking about every action we need to take for reducing emissions.