APTITUDE/CLASS-2/ENGLISH SAMPLER

Number of questions: 30
TIME: 25 MIN

(+4, for each correct; -1, for each wrong)

DIRECTIONS: (Q 1-5): Choose the word which best expresses the meaning of the
given statement.
1. Something which militates against commonsense
a]
absurd
b]
abracadabra c]
aberration

d]

abnegate

2. To help a wrongdoer and be an accessory to his crime

a]
abate
b]
alibi
c]
adopt

d]

3. Not just a collector of books but one who loves reading them enthusiastically:
a]
bibliophagic b] bibliophile
c] biblioklept
d]
4. Natural ability, aptitude, knack
a]
flair
b] foster

c] ferment

5. Awkward, clumsy especially on social occasions:

a]
gamut
b] gory
c] gauche

d]
d]

abet
bookworm
foible

gnaw

Directions (26-35): Choose the lettered word or phrase that is most nearly
opposite in meaning to the word in capital letters
6)IMPROMPTU

7)BALLOON

8) AVID

a)Carefully rehearsed
b) Widely recognized
c)Narrowly focused
d)Purposefully vague

a) Regain completely
b)Decrease slowly
c)Respond rapidly
d)Request humbly

a)Independent
b)Inquisitive
c) Swift
d)Indifferent

9)MOROSE

10)ANOMALY

a) Fast talking
b) Quick witted
c)Lighthearted
d) Casual

a)Predicted occurrence
b)Temporary solution
c) Easy problem
d)Continuous process

12)RAREFY

13)CAUSTIC

a)Condense
b)Conceive
c)Consign
d)Conduct

a)Nonflammable
b)Anesthetic
c)Antiseptic
d)Innocuous

11)NEOLOGISM
a)Syllogism
b)Idealism
c)archaism
d)ostracism
14)SOLVENT
a)Catalyst
b)Detergent
c)Reactant
d)Precipitant
15)ESTIMABLE
a)Recalcitrant
b)Mendacious
c)Infamous
d)Obstinate

DIRECTIONS: (Q 16-20): The underlined portions of the sentences may carry error.
Replace each underlined portion with one of the four options given right after every
sentence.

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16. While Seychelles has smashed all Africans tourism revenue records this year, they still lag well
behind in exports.
a. In the past year, they still lag well behind in exports
b. In the past year, it lags still well behind in exports
c. This year, they lag still well behind in exports
d. This year, it still lags well behind in exports
17. Written in 1961, Joseph Heller scored a literary hit with his comedic first novel, Catch-22.
a. Written in 1961, Joseph Heller scored a literary hit with Catch-22, his comedic first novel.
b. Written in 1961, Catch-22, the comedic first novel by Joseph Heller, was a literary hit.
c. Catch-22, which was written in 1961 by Joseph Heller, scored a literary hit with his comedic
first novel.
d. Catch-22, the comedic first novel, scored a literary hit for Joseph Heller by its being written
in 1961.
18. The MARG survey discovered that the average Indian speaks 3.3 languages, buys a new bike
every 7.2 years, drinks 6 cups of tea every day, and forgot to pay at least one bill per month.
a.
a.
b.
c.

Drinks 6 cups of tea every day, and forgets to pay at least one bill per month.
Can drink 6 cups of tea every day and forgot to pay at least one bill per month.
Drinks 6 cups tea every day, and forgets at least to pay one bill per month.
Drank 6 cups of tea every day, and forgets to pay at least one bill per month.

19. There is Dr. Kalam whom they assert is the most distinguished scientist in town.
a.
b.
c.
d.

whom they assert is the most distinguished scientist in town.

whom they asserted was the most distinguished scientist in town.
who they assert is the most distinguished.
whom they assert was the most distinguished scientist in town.

20. As my niece describe about the beauty of the Himalayas, I listened spellbound.
a.
b.
c.
d.

As
As
As
As

my
my
my
my

niece
niece
niece
niece

described
described
described
described

about the beauty of the Himalaya

the beauty of Himalayas
the beauty of the Himalayas
about the beauty of Himalayas

DIRECTIONS: (Q 11-15): Read the short passages/ sentences and after logically/ critically
analyzing them answer the following question.
21. M. Night Shyamalans second movie Unbreakable which again features Bruce Willis is slated
to hit the theatres on Friday. Judging by the immense success of his first movie The Sixth Sense,
which has a sterling performance by Bruce Willis, this movie is expected to do well at the box
office.
Which of the following weakens the argument in the passage?
a) The Sixth Sense did not win an Academy Award in spite of its success.
b) The Sixth Sense though a success was not appreciated by all sections of the society.
c) Bruce Willis has had six flops in a row after The Sixth Sense.
d) Shyamalan has been asked to write the script for Spielbergs forthcoming movie.
22. The lives of hundreds of people at risk from kidney disease could be saved by a simple
inexpensive test now readily available to the doctors. The multi-banded indicator test gives early

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warning of kidney damage by detecting the amount of protein in urine along with high risks
patients such as those suffering diabetes or hypertension. Too much may indicate the kidneys are
not functioning efficiently and that the patient should be referred to a specialist. Pathologists in
India are now encouraging all people to buy home-kits of the same.
Which of the following, if true, would most question the recommendation of the pathologists?
a) It is normal for children to show a high content of protein in urine.
b) The indicator works only when seen against sunlight.
c) If the test is carried out just after taking a meal it does not always show the correct result.
d) The indicator shows erratic results when there is a slight difference in room temperature.
23. Value Added Tax (VAT) is not a new kind of tax levied but mere administration of tax in a
different form. It is a method of taxation of the final price paid by the consumers.
It is tax on the value added to the goods or services sold. Which of the following is not an example
of a tax which can be replaced by VAT?
a) Sales Tax paid by the customer to the retailer.
b) Sales Tax paid by the retailer to the wholesaler.
c) Sales Tax paid by the wholesaler to the manufacturer.
d) Income Tax paid by the manufacturer.
24. In the context of rural areas, land inequality is both a cause and effect of assets inequality.
Which of the following would best serve as an example for the above statement?
a) Small land holders make less profit on land than large holders.
b) Large land holders in areas like Bihar and A.P. exploit the small farmers and that has been the
cause of naxalism.
c) Large land holders form lobbies and corner major portions of agricultural inputs like fertilizers.
d) Large land holders are able to influence installation of irrigation facilities, and availability of
more irrigation facilities enables large farmers to generate surplus and hence buy more land.
25. Some literates can read and write.
Which of the following set of statements is the premise from which the above conclusion is drawn?
a) Some literates can read; some literates can write.
b) Some literates can write; all literates can read.
c) Some who write are literates; some who read are literates.
d) All literates can write; all literates cannot write.
DIRECTIONS: (Q 26-30): Read the passage and answer the following questions.
Our methods are based on principles of learning. Reading is assimilation-learning- and all
learning is a digestive process. But the mind can digest only so much at a time and no more.
If the reader goes twice as fast, he assimilates half as much. If he reduces his speed by half,
he assimilates twice as much. What, one might ask then, is the point of reading faster? It
seems to take as long, in the end, in relation to the amount of information that is
assimilated, unless we skim through our reading matter.
Any approach which emphasis speed and ignores efficiency has no effective answer to this.
But let us consider the position in the light of efficiency. As there is no possibility of
increasing the rate at which the brain can clear Information, the aim must be to increase the
efficiency of reading; to make the fullest possible use of the readers capacity and to avoid
wasting it. The evidence is unmistakable; there is an enormous waste of capacity; some of
the most able people are among the least efficient readers. This is largely the result of a
technical problem of communication between author and reader by means of the printed
word; and from this problem come the main obstacles to efficient reading. This is what
happens:

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First- the problem of communication. The writer, or for that matter, the speaker, conceives
his thought whole, as a unity, but must express it in a line of words; the reader, or listener
must take this line of symbols and from it reconstruct the original wholeness of thought.
There is little difficulty in oral communication, because the listener receives innumerable
cues from the physical expressions of the speaker; there is a dialogue, and the listener can
out in at any time. The advantage of group discussion is that people can overcome linear
sequences of words by examining ideas from different perspectives; which makes for
wholeness of thought. But the reader is confronted by line upon line of printed symbols,
without benefit of physical tone and vocal emphasis or the possibility of dialogue or
discussion. In his very eagerness to master the technical problem, he is prone to memorise,
concentrating on the words themselves, looking at them instead of looking for their
meaning: and to the extent that he uses this most inefficient method of learning, his
capacity is wasted.
Second assimilation is an active process of relating new information to existing knowledge.
If, by memorising, the reader turns his mind into a passive receptacle for printed words, he
cannot use his existing knowledge and his capacity is wasted.
Third because the rate at which the brain can clear information is limited, the reader must,
if he is to read efficiently, vary his reading speed, taking more time where the work is heavy
and less time where it is light. Reading, therefore requires a wide range of speed. Readers in
general seem to become subdued by the printed word and are not nearly flexible enough in
their speed: some appear to have only one speed, whatever their knowledge of the subject
or the difficulty of the material. This inflexibility wastes capacity.
Last, if the reader becomes passive, he is inclined to mistake or ignore his purpose. Lack of
purpose is a great waste of capacity.
Our aim, therefore, is efficient reading. It is, perhaps, comforting for the reader to know that
his eyes need no training: quick results would certainly not be possible if he had to increase
his visual capacity. Although the purpose of everyday reading is complex, the requisite skills
are not difficult to acquire and the reader can expect quick improvements.
26. According to the author, efficient reading implies all the following, except:
(a) purposeful reading.
(b) varying reading speed.
(c) increasing visual capacity.
(d) spending more time on difficult reading matter.
27. Passivity in reading is frequently the cause of:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

lack of purpose.
difficulty in assimilation.
technical problem caused by communication.
attempting to memorise communication.

28. The essence of assimilation is:

(a) varying the reading speed.
(b) overcoming the technical problems caused by the printed word.
(c) taking as much information as the brain can clear.
(d) relating new information to existing knowledge.
29. According to the author, people efficient in other spheres of activity, generally:
(a) read efficiently.
(b) are inefficient as readers.
(c) are slow readers.
(d) none of the above.

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30. The technical problems of communication in conversation are fewer than those that
exist between the author and the reader because:
(a) spoken words are live while printed ones are mare symbols.
(b) the listener does not have to reconstruct the original wholeness of thought
(c) the listener can easily establish are linear sequence of ideas
(d) the listener gets many cues from the physical expressions of the speaker.

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