Previous Year Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL CHSL CPO MTS Exam
Passage 01
Read the following passage and answer the questions given after it.
Amidst a maze of rocks tucked in the Aravalli mountain ranges of Haryana, a team of archaeologists discovered cave paintings they believe belong to the Upper Palaeolithic age. The cave paintings have been discovered just outside the national capital and a stone’s throw away from a holy grove called Mangar Bani- the region’s only surviving patch of primary forest.
While the residents of the villages have been familiar with the paintings for ages, the Haryana government’s museum and archaeology department took note of them just recently. A fact-finding team was sent to the area in the last week of June. The team came across cave paintings comprising images of human figurines, animals, foliage, and geometric drawings. While some have paled over time, others are still very visible. They also discovered rock art and open-air ceremonial sites.
Banani Bhattacharyya, deputy director of the department of archaeology and museums informed, “So far, cave paintings in Delhi-NCR have only been found here. The paintings are yet to be dated but at least some of them belong to the Upper Palaeolithic period in all likelihood. We are viewing the paintings in continuation with the Soanian culture which has been found in Shivalik hills, Narmada and Aravallis.”
Most of the cave paintings found were in ochre colour, but some were in white. As per experts, cave paintings in white are usually from a later stage (early contemporary era), while Stone Age paintings are more often than not in ochre. “Stone age paintings generally use red and ochre colours. Stones of these colour used to be available locally and inhabitants crushed the stones for preparing the colour for paintings,” added Bhattacharyya.
The Upper Paleolithic Age began around 40,000 years ago and lasted till around 10,000 years ago. While yet to be established through archaeological dating, Bhattacharyya says the Mangar cave art is 20,000-40,000 years old. Bhattacharyya claimed that the discovery is extremely significant. “Starting from the Lower Palaeolithic to Middle Palaeolithic then Upper Palaeolithic, we see the evolution here. We have found significant remains from Lower Palaeolithic till Middle and Upper Palaeolithic period too,” she explained. “Though tools from the Palaeolithic Age have been identified earlier in parts of the Aravallis, it is for the first time that cave paintings and rock art of a large magnitude have been found in Haryana,” she added.
Q1. The cave paintings found in Aravalli hills are significant mainly because
1. they are the only prehistoric cave paintings found in Aravalli Hills.
2. they are found in such a large magnitude for the first time.
3. they have been discovered just outside the national capital, Delhi
4. they depict the evolution from Lower to Upper Paleolithic period
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q2. Most of the cave paintings found in Mangar forest area in Haryana are in which colour?
1. black
2. white
3. red
4. ochre
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q3. Which of the following statement is NOT correct according to the passage?
1. The cave men crushed the locally available stones for preparing the colour for paintings.
2. The paintings comprise images of human figurines, animals, foliage, and geometric drawings.
3. The Mangar cave art is 20,000-40,000 years old.
4. The paintings in red belong to early contemporary era.
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q4. The archaeological findings in the Mangar Forest consist of all the following except
1. tools
2. ceremonial sites
3. cave paintings
4. rock art
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Answer
- 4
- 4
- 4
- 1
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Passage 02
Read the following passage and answer the questions given after it.
Total area sown under Rabi crops has increased by 3.25% from 697.98 lakh hectares in 2021-22 to 720.68 lakh hectares in 2022-23. This is 22.71 lakh hectares more this year compared to corresponding period of 2021-22. Comparing with normal sown area(average of the last five years), the increase is to the tune of 13.71% from 633.80 to 720.68 lakh hectares. The increase in area is across all crops, – highest being in rice. Out of 22.71 lakh hectares increase in all Rabi crops, increase in rice area is 11.20 lakh hectares from 35.05 lakh hectares in 2021-22 to 46.25 lakh hectares in 2022-23. However, this is lower than normal sown area of 47.71 lakh hectares. Maximum increase in area under rice is in states of Telangana and West Bengal.
Area under oilseeds increased by 7.31% from 102.36 lakh hectares during 2021-22 to 109.84 lakh hectares this year. The increase in area under oilseeds at the rate of 7.31% is more than double the rate of increase of 3.25% in all crops together. Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh accounted for major expansion in area of oilseeds.
Rapeseed & Mustard contributed maximum in increasing oilseeds area during this Rabi season. Mustard area increased by 6.77 lakh hectares from 91.25 lakh hectares in 2021-22 to 98.02 lakh hectares in 2022-23. Thus, out of 7.49 lakh hectares increase in area under oilseeds, rapeseed & mustard alone accounted for 6.44 lakh hectares.
Pulse production is being focused to make country self-sufficient in these commodities. Area under pulses increased by 0.56 lakh hectares from 167.31 to 167.86 lakh hectares. Mung bean and lentil accounted for increase in area under pulses.
The United Nations General Assembly has declared the year 2023 as the International Year of Millets and India is at the forefront in celebrating the event in a big way. In order to create awareness about the benefits of millets as superfood and to meet its growing demand around the world, the Government is promoting millet production through the NFSM-Nutri Cereals component of National Food Security Mission programme in 212 districts of 14 states. Coarse cum Nutri-cereals saw an increase of 2.08 lakh hectares in area under cultivation from 51.42 lakh hectares in 2021-22 to 53.49 lakh hectares in 2022-23.
Q1. Match the following crops with the area.
Crop area in 2022-23
a. millets 1. 98.02 lakh hectares
b. pulses 2. 53.49 lakh hectares
c. mustard 3. 167.86 lakh hectares
1. a-1, b- 3, c-2
2. a -3, b -1, c-2
3. a-2, b-1, c-3
4. a-2, b-3, c-1
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q2. On which of the following crops, is the Indian Government specially focussing this year?
1. rice
2. oilseeds
3. pulses
4. millets
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q3. The main theme of the passage is
1. increase in the area of Rabi crops in 2022-23
2. area under rabi crop in last five years
3. increase in the production of pulses
4. increase in the area of oilseeds like mustard
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q4. Which state recorded the maximum increase in sown area of the rice crop?
1. Chhattisgarh
2. Telangana
3. Rajasthan
4. Madhya Pradesh
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Answer
- 4
- 4
- 1
- 2
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Passage 03
Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow.
My grandmother, like everybody’s grandmother, was an old woman. She had been old and wrinkled for the twenty years that I had known her. People said that she once had been young and pretty and had even had a husband, but that was hard to believe. My grandfather’s portrait hung above the mantelpiece in the drawing room. He wore a big turban and loose fitting clothes. His long, white beard covered the best part of his chest and he looked at least a hundred years old. He did not look the sort of person who would have a wife or children. He looked as if he could only have lots and lots of grandchildren. As my grandmother being young and pretty, the thought was almost revolting. She often told us of the games she used to play as a child. That seemed quite absurd and undignified on her part and we treated it like the fables of the Prophets she used to tell us.
Q1. Select the most appropriate fact from the given options.
1. The author and grandma lived for twenty years.
2. Grandma was twenty years old.
3. The author was twenty when grandma died.
4. The author was twenty years old when he wrote the story.
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q2. Select an appropriate title for the given passage.
1. The Grandchildren
2. My Grandfather
3. Grandmothers
4. My Grandmother
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q3. Select the most appropriate ANTONYM of the given word.
Revolting
1. Attractive
2. Unpleasant
3. Rebel
4. Peace
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q4. Select the most appropriate inference drawn from the passage.
1. The author looked upon his grandmother as an old woman like every grandmother.
2. People said that the grandmother was pretty.
3. Grandmother had a husband.
4. Grandmother loved to talk of her childhood
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Answer
- 3
- 4
- 1
- 1
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Passage 04
Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow.
The sage of science, Einstein, was sitting in a depressive and pensive mood one evening. His eyes were brimming with tears. The pain was evident on his face. He peeped out of the window of his room. The sun had set a few minutes back. The sky was filled with a reddish glow. At this sunset, he felt that it was humanity that had sunk into devilish darkness and the reddish glow in the sky was the blood of humanity spilling all over the sky from earth. With tired steps, he walked back to his chair and settled down. It was the 9th of August 1945. Three days back, he had felt the same agony as if someone had torn him apart. He was deeply hurt and depressed when he heard on the radio that America had dropped an atom bomb on the Japanese city, Hiroshima. Today, within three days another bomb was dropped on another city, Nagasaki and lakhs of people had been killed.
He had heard that the blast released so much energy that it had paled all past destructions in comparison and death had played out a pitiable dance of destruction. The flames that broke out of the bomb were burning, melting, and exploding buildings. Scared of the heat of the bomb, people had jumped into lakes and rivers, but the water was boiling and the people too were burnt and killed. The animals in the water were already boiled to death. Animals, trees, herbs, fragrant flowering plants were all turned into ashes. The atomic energy destruction had just not stopped there. It had entered the atmosphere there and had spread radiation that would affect people for generations to come and would also bring about destructive irreversible biological change in animals and plants.
As the news of the atomic attack reached Einstein, and he became aware of the glaring horror of the abuse of atomic energy, his distress and restlessness knew no bounds. He could not control himself and picked up his violin to turn his mind on to other things. While playing the violin, he tried to dissolve his distress in its sad notes, but couldn’t. He was burning on the embers of destruction; his heart was filled with an ocean of agony and tears just continued streaming uncontrollably out of his eyes. Night had fallen. His daughter came up and asked him to eat something as he had not taken anything for the last four days. His voice was restrained and he said, “I don’t feel like eating.”
He could not sleep that night. Lying down, he was thinking how he had drawn the attention of the then American President Roosevelt towards the destructive powers of an atomic bomb. He had thought that this would be used to scare Hitler and put an end to the barbarism that Hitler was up to. However, Roosevelt kept him in the dark and made false promises. Eventually, he had abused Einstein’s equation of E = mc2 that resulted in the destructive experiments. His actions had made science and scientists as murderers. Einstein kept on thinking for a long time. Eventually, he slipped into sleep. When he woke up at dawn, there was a new dawn in him too. The atomic threat had transformed his heart.
Q1. Why did Einstein refuse to eat?
1. As he felt happy
2. As he felt worried
3. As he felt guilty
4. As he felt sick
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q2. Select an appropriate title for the passage.
1. War and Destruction
2. Death in Hiroshima
3. Einstein and his Violin
4. Atom Bombs
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q3. What is the central theme of the passage?
1. Einstein and his life
2. Atomic war and its consequences
3. Einstein and his love for music
4. Science and its bad side
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q4. Select the most appropriate ANTONYM of ‘set’ from the passage.
1. Stand
2. Get up
3. Rise
4. Level
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Answer
- 3
- 1
- 2
- 3
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Passage 05
Read the following passage and answer the questions given after it.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced another successful mission. ISRO chairman S. Somanath said that three small satellites successfully separated and were injected into orbit.
ISRO had launched three small satellites powered by its SSLV-D2 launch vehicle from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota on February 10, 2023 at 09:18 AM IST. The launch vehicle was carrying EOS-07, Janus-1 & AzaadiSAT-2 satellites and aimed to inject them into a 450 km circular orbit. The launch took place at the first launch pad at SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota.
The SSLV-D2 had to take a 15 minutes flight to inject EOS-07, Janus-1 and AzaadiSAT-2 satellites into 450 km circular lower orbit. “It is configured with three solid propulsion stages and a velocity terminal module. It is a 34 m tall, 2 m diameter vehicle having a lift-off mass of 120 t,” said ISRO. The EOS-07 satellite weighs 156.3 kg and is made by ISRO.
About 13 minutes into its flight, the SSLV rocket ejected EOS-07 and soon after that the other two satellites Janus-1 and AzaadiSAT-2 were ejected — all at an altitude of 450 km, said ISRO.
With the new rocket in its portfolio, ISRO will have three rockets — Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and its variants (cost about Rs 200 crore), Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-MkII cost about Rs 272 crore and LVM3 Rs 434 crore) and SSLV (Development cost of three rockets about Rs 56 crore each) and production cost may go down later.
“New experiments include mm-Wave Humidity Sounder and Spectrum Monitoring Payload. Janus-1, a 10.2 kg satellite belongs to ANTARIS, USA. A 8.7 kg satellite AzaadiSAT-2 is a combined effort of about 750 girl students across India guided by Space Kidz India, Chennai,” it added.
SSLV caters to the launch of up to 500 kg satellites to Low Earth Orbits on ‘launch-on[1]demand’ basis. “It provides low-cost access to Space, offers low turn-around time and flexibility in accommodating multiple satellites, and demands minimal launch infrastructure,” as per a statement by ISRO.
Q1. Which satellite was injected into the orbit first?
1. EOS-07
2. Janus 1
3. AzaadiSAT-2
4. Antaris
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q2. Match the satellites with their weight.
Satellites Weight
a. EOS-07 1. 10.2 kg
b. AzaadiSAT-2 2. 156.3
c. Janus 1 3. 8.7 kg
1. a-2, b-1, c-3
2. a-1, b- 3, c-2
3. a-2, b-3, c-1
4. a -3, b -1, c-2
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q3. What is the passage mainly about?
1. new experiments on satellites by ISRO
2. launch of three small satellites in orbit by ISRO
3. development of SSLV rocket by ISRO
4. efforts to cut costs of satellites by ISRO
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q4. After reading the passage it can be inferred that it is
1. a government release
2. a news item
3. a magazine article
4. an editorial
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Answer
- 1
- 3
- 2
- 2
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Passage 06
Read the following passage and answer the questions given after it.
Wetlands are amongst the most productive ecosystems on the Earth and provide many important services to human society. They exhibit enormous diversity according to their genesis, geographical location, water regime and chemistry, dominant species, and soil and sediment characteristics. Globally, the areal extent of wetland ecosystems ranges from 917 million hectares (m ha) to more than 1275 m ha. One of the first widely used wetland classifications systems, devised by Cowardin et al., 1979, categorized wetlands into marine (coastal wetlands), estuarine (including deltas, tidal marshes, and mangrove swamps), lacustrine (lakes), riverine (along rivers and streams), and palustrine ( marshes, swamps and bogs) based on their hydrological, ecological and geological characteristics.
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands was an international treaty signed in 1971. Overall, 1052 sites in Europe; 289 sites in Asia; 359 sites in Africa; 175 sites in South America; 211 sites in North America; and 79 sites in Oceania region have been identified as Ramsar sites or wetlands of International importance.
As per the Ramsar Convention definition most of the natural water bodies (such as rivers, lakes, coastal lagoons, mangroves, peat land, coral reefs) and man- made wetlands (such as ponds, farm ponds, irrigated fields, sacred groves, salt pans, reservoirs, gravel pits, sewage farms and canals) in India constitute the wetland ecosystem distributed in different geographical regions ranging from Himalayas to Deccan plateau. As of February, 2022, India has 49 Ramsar sites covering an area of 10,93,636 hectares, the highest in South Asia. As per the estimates, India has about 757.06 thousand wetlands with a total wetland area of 15.3 m ha, accounting for nearly 4.7% of the total geographical area of the country . Out of this, areas under inland wetlands accounts for 69%, coastal wetlands 27%, and other wetlands (smaller than 2.25 ha) 4%.
Gujarat has the highest proportion (17.5%) and Mizoram has the lowest proportion (0.66%) of the area under wetlands. Among Union Territories, Lakshadweep has the highest proportion (around 96%) and Chandigarh has the least proportion (3%) of geographical area under wetlands.
Q1. Which of the following questions cannot be answered after reading the above passage?
1. How many Ramsar sites are there in the world?
2. What is the classification of wetlands?
3. Why are wetlands important for human societies?
4. How much area is covered by wetlands In India?
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q2. Match the continents with the number of Ramsar sites.
continents no. of Ramsar sites
a. North America 1. 1052 sites
b. Europe 2. 211sites
c. Africa 3. 289 sites
d. Asia 4. 359 sites
1. a-2, b-1, c-4, d-3
2. a-2, b- 3, c-4, d-1
3. a -4, b -1, c-2, d-3
4. a-3, b-4, c-1, d -2
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q3. In India, what kind of wetlands occupy the largest area?
1. coastal wetlands
2. mangrove swamps
3. inland wetlands
4. small wetlands
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q4. Under which category of wetlands, are delta and mangrove swamps included?
1. marine
2. estuarine
3. lacustrine
4. palustrine
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Answer
- 3
- 1
- 3
- 2
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Passage 07
Read the following passage and answer the questions given after it.
Notwithstanding logistical challenges posed by COVID19 pandemic, India continues to expand its rice exports footprint in the African, Asian and European Union markets, thus having the largest share in global rice trade. The robust global demand also helped India’s growth in rice exports.
In 2020-21, India’s rice exports (Basmati and Non-Basmati) rose by a huge 87 per cent to 17.72 Million Tonne (MT) from 9.49 MT achieved in 2019-20.
In terms of value realisation, India’s rice exports rose by 38 per cent to USD 8815 million in 2020-21 from USD 6397 million reported in 2019-20. In terms of Rupees, India’s rice export grew by 44 per cent to Rs 65298 crore in 2020-21 from Rs 45379 crore in the previous year. In the first seven months of the current financial year (2021-22), India’s rice exports rose by more than 33 per cent to 11.79 MT from 8.91 MT achieved during April-October, 2020-21. It is anticipated that India’s rice exports in 2021-22 would likely surpass the record feet of 17.72 MT achieved in 2020-21.
In 2020-21, India shipped non-basmati rice to nine countries – Timor-Leste, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Papua New Guinea, Zimbabwe, Burundi, Eswatini, Myanmar and Nicaragua, where exports were carried out for the first time or earlier the shipment was smaller in volume. India’s Non-Basmati rice exports was valued at USD 4796 million (Rs 35448crore) in 2020- 21, with Basmati Rice exports a close second at USD 4018 million (Rs 29,849 crore).
In terms of volume of Basmati rice exports in 2020-21, top ten countries – Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Kuwait, United Kingdom, Qatar and Oman have a share of close to 80 per cent in total shipments of aromatic long grained rice from India.
Top ten countries – Nepal, Benin, Bangladesh, Senegal, Togo, Cote D Ivoire, Guinea, Malaysia, Iraq, United Arab Emirates – have a share of 57 per cent in India’s total exports of non-Basmati rice in 2020-21 in terms of volume.
Q1. What is the estimate of rice export in the year 2021-22?
1. It will remain the same as the 17.72 MT rice export achieved in 2020-21.
2. It may fall below the 17.72 MT rice export achieved in 2020-21.
3. It will exceed the 17.72 MT rice export achieved in 2020-21.
4. It will not pass beyond the 17.72 MT rice export achieved in 2020-21.
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q2. Which of the following questions cannot be answered on the basis of the above passage?
1. How much Basmati rice was exported by India in 2020-21?
2. How much rice (Basmati and Non Basmati) was exported by India in 2020-21?
3. Which top 10 countries buy Non -Basmati rice from India?
4. What was the value of Basmati rice export from India?
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q3. Which of the following countries imported rice from India for the first time?
1. Iraq
2. Bangladesh
3. Brazil
4. United Arab Emirates
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q4. Which of the following countries imports Basmati rice from India?
1. Malaysia
2. Nepal
3. Bangladesh
4. Kuwait
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Answer
- 3
- 1
- 3
- 4
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Passage 08
Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow.
As the Sun inches closer to its peak activity in its solar cycle, an explosion has been picked up behind the north-eastern limb of the star in our solar system. Solar observatories saw bits and pieces of the explosion, which remain obscured in view from Earth’s orbit.
The explosion was spotted on 31 July at around 2309 UT and Earth-orbiting satellites registered a long-lasting C9.3-class solar flare. “The intensity is probably an underestimate because it was partially eclipsed by the edge of the sun. Nasa’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) saw hot debris flying away from the blast site,” space weather, which tracks the solar activity, reported.
While the explosion was powerful, experts have predicted that Earth is not in the line of fire from the Sun. Scientists are expected to get a view of the active region later this week as it comes to sight. Earth is not in the line of fire. The explosion is significant because it may herald an active region set to emerge over the sun’s north-eastern limb later this week. A new sunspot group could bring an end to weeks of relative quiet,” space weather said in its report.
Q1. Select the most appropriate synonym of the given word from the passage.
Partially
1. Supportively
2. Partly
3. Frankly
4. Completely
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q2. Select the most appropriate synonym of the given word from the passage.
Debris
1. Detritus
2. Rays
3. Specks
4. Liquid
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q3. Select the most appropriate synonym of the given word from the passage.
Spotted
1. Witnessed
2. Speckled
3. Splotchy
4. Placed
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q4. Select the most appropriate synonym of the given word from the passage.
Peak
1. Glance
2. Point
3. Bottom
4. Zenith
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Answer
- 2
- 1
- 1
- 4
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Passage 09
Read the following passage and answer the questions given after it.
Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamoured for food and water on Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria and killed more than 19,300 on Monday, 6th February, 2023.
Emergency crews used pick axes, shovels and jackhammers to dig through twisted metal and concrete – and occasionally still pulled out survivors.
In the Turkish city of Antakya, dozens scrambled for aid in front of a truck distributing children’s coats and other supplies. Many of those who lost their homes found shelter in tents, stadiums and other temporary accommodation, but others slept outdoors. In Antakya, over 100 bodies were awaiting identification in a makeshift morgue outside a hospital.
Authorities called off search-and-rescue operations in the cities of Kilis and Sanliurfa, where destruction was not as severe as in other impacted regions.
The U.N. is authorised to deliver aid through only one border crossing, and road damage has prevented that thus far. U.N. Officials pleaded for humanitarian concerns to take precedence over wartime politics.
The scale of loss and suffering remained massive. Turkish authorities said on Thursday that the death toll had risen to more than 16,100 in the country, with more than 64,000 injured. In Syria, which includes government-held and rebel-held areas, more than 3,100 have been reported dead and more than 5,000 injured.
Rescue teams urged quiet in the hope of hearing stifled pleas for help, and the Syrian paramedic group known as the White Helmets noted that every second could mean saving a life. But more and more often, the teams pulled out dead bodies.
It was not clear how many people were still unaccounted for in both countries. Turkey’s disaster-management agency said more than 110,000 rescue personnel were now taking part in the effort and more than 5,500 vehicles, including tractors, cranes, bulldozers and excavators had been shipped.
The Foreign Ministry said 95 countries have offered help. More than half of that number have sent a total of nearly 6,500 rescuers. Another 2,400 more are still expected to arrive. International aid for Syria was far more sparse.
Efforts there have been hampered by the civil war and the isolation of the rebel-held region along the border that is surrounded by Russia-backed government forces.
Q1. How many foreign rescue workers are engaged in the rescue work?
1. 2400 rescue workers
2. 110,000 rescue workers
3. 5000 rescue workers
4. 6500 rescue workers
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q2. Match the words with their meaning.
Words meanings
a. clamoured 1. checked
b. scrambled 2. screamed
c. hampered 3. jostled
1. a-2, b-3, c-1
2. a-2, b-1, c-3
3. a -3, b -1, c-2
4. a-1, b- 3, c-2
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q3. The passage highlights all the following except
1. Syria’s rebel-held areas and the Civil war going on there
2. the foreign aid being offered to Turkey and Syria
3. the suffering of people in the earthquake hit areas of Turkey and Syria
4. the rescue work being carried out in Turkey and Syria
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q4. Why is the International aid much lesser in Syria than in Turkey?
1. Because Syria is a war –torn country and there are areas under rebels.
2. Because the destruction was not as severe in Syria as in Turkey.
3. Because the UN is allowed only one border crossing and Syria is not allowing that.
4. Because the roads have been damaged there
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Answer
- 4
- 1
- 1
- 1
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Passage 10
Read the following passage and answer the questions given after it.
The number of Indian students going abroad for higher studies has increased by 68.79 per cent in the past year, according to data provided by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Subhas Sarkar. As per the data provided by him in the Lok Sabha, the number of Indians enrolled in foreign varsities increased from 4.44 lakh in 2021 to 7.5 lakh in 2022. He clarified that while the Bureau of Immigration and Ministry of Home Affairs maintain departure and arrival data of Indians, there is no index for capturing the category of Indians going abroad for higher education.
“Purpose of Indians going abroad for higher education is captured manually based either on their verbal disclosure or the type of visa of the destination country produced by them at the time of immigration clearance,” Sarkar said.
According to the data provided by the ministry, the number of Indian nationals increased from 4.54 lakh in 2017 to 5.17 lakh in 2018. There was a significant increase in 2019 as well, with 5.86 lakh students flying out of the country. However, during the Covid pandemic, the number of Indian nationals in foreign varsities saw a drastic dip as only 2.59 lakh students were registered. While the number continued to remain low, it saw a slight increase in 2021 with 4.44 lakh registrations. However, the number has significantly jumped to 7.5 lakh in 2022. The increase in the number of Indian nationals abroad corresponds with the latest immigration reports from some of the popular study-abroad destinations such as the US, UK, and Australia. For the UK, the Immigration Statistics Report states that 127,731 visas were granted to Indian students in September 2022, an increase of 93,470 (+273 per cent) against 34,261 in 2019. Similarly, in the US, the number of Indian students has more than doubled, and the Open Doors Report 2022 has predicted that the number of Indian students heading to America is likely to surpass those from China in 2022-23.
Q1. In 2019, how many Indian students went abroad?
1. 5.17 lakh
2. 4.54 lakh
3. 5.86 lakh
4. 4.44 lakh
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q2. Which of the following countries is not very popular with Indian students for studies?
1. Australia
2. USA
3. UK
4. China
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q3. How do we know the number of students getting visas for studies in UK?
1. from the records of Ministry of Home Affairs
2. from the Immigration Statistics Report
3. from the records of the Bureau of Immigration
4. from the Ministry of Education
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q4. The passage is mainly about
1. immigration of Indians to UK, US, and Australia
2. Indians enrolled in foreign universities
3. Indians going to America for higher studies
4. Indians going abroad for higher studies
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Answer
- 3
- 4
- 2
- 4
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Passage 11
Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow.
We sit in the last row, bumped about but free of stares. The bus rolls out of the dull crossroads of the city, and we are soon in the open countryside, with fields of sunflowers as far as the eye can see, their heads all facing us. Where there is no water, the land reverts to the desert. While still on level ground, we see in the distance the tall range of the Mount Bogda, abrupt like a shining prism laid horizontally on the desert surface. It is over 5,000 metres high, and the peaks are under permanent snow, in powerful contrast to the flat desert all around. Heaven lake lies part of the way up this range, about 2,000 metres above sea level, at the foot of one of the highest snow-peaks.
As the bus climbs, the sky, brilliant before, grows overcast. I have brought nothing warm to wear. It is all down at the hotel in Urumqi. Rain begins to fall. The man behind me is eating overpoweringly smelly goat’s cheese. The bus window leaks inhospitably but reveals a beautiful view. We have passed quickly from the desert through arable land to pasture and the ground is now green with grass, the slopes dark with pine. A few cattle drink at a clear stream flowing past moss-covered stones; it is a Constable landscape. The stream changes into a white torrent, and as we climb higher I wish more and more that I had brought with me something warmer than the pair of shorts that have served me so well in the desert. The stream (which, we are told, rises in Heaven Lake) disappears, and we continue our slow ascent. About noon, we arrive at Heaven Lake, and look for a place to stay at the foot, which is the resort area. We get a room in a small cottage, and I am happy to note that there are thick quilts on the bed.
Standing outside the cottage, we survey our surroundings. Heaven Lake is long, sardine[1]shaped and fed by snowmelt from a stream at its head. The lake is an intense blue, surrounded on all sides by green mountain walls, dotted with distant sheep. At the head of the lake, beyond the delta of the inflowing stream, is a massive snow-capped peak which dominates the vista; it is part of a series of peaks that culminate, a little out of view, in Mount Bogda itself.
For those who live in the resort, there is a small mess-hall by the shore. We eat here sometimes, and sometimes buy food from the vendors outside, who sell kabab and naan until the last buses leave. The kababs, cooked on skewers over charcoal braziers, are particularly good; highly spiced and well-done. Horse’s milk is available too from the local Kazakh herdsmen, but I decline this. I am so affected by the cold that Mr. Cao, the relaxed young man who runs the mess, lends me a spare pair of trousers, several sizes too large but more than comfortable. Once I am warm again, I feel a pre-dinner spurt of energy—dinner will be long in coming—and I ask him whether the lake is good for swimming in.
Q1. Select the most appropriate ANTONYM of the word ‘accept’ from the passage.
1. Reject
2. Refuse
3. Decline
4. Turn down
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q2. Select an appropriate title for the passage.
1. Shorts to Trousers
2. Lake Heaven
3. Peasant Life
4. Journey to Mount Bogda
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q3. What is the tone of the passage?
1. Romantic
2. Angry
3. Serene
4. Agitated
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q4. What is the protagonist wearing in the bus?
1. A dhoti
2. Trousers
3. A pair of shorts
4. Long sleeved shirt
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Answer
- 3
- 2
- 3
- 3
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Passage 12
Read the following passage and answer the questions given after it.
From January 28 to February 4, 2023, a Chinese-operated, large white high-altitude balloon was seen in North American airspace, including Alaska, western Canada, and the contiguous United States. The American and Canadian militaries asserted that the balloon was for surveillance, while the Chinese government maintained it was a civilian meteorological research airship that had been blown off course. Analysts said that the balloon’s flight path and structural characteristics made it dissimilar from those which have typically been used for meteorological research. The U.S. Department of State said that the balloon was capable of locating electronic communication devices, including mobile phones and radios, and that American U-2 reconnaissance aircraft deployed to track the balloon in the air revealed that the balloon carried antennas and other equipment “clearly for intelligence surveillance and inconsistent with the equipment on board weather balloons.” The State Department said that the spy balloon was part of a global Chinese military-directed surveillance effort in which Chinese spy balloons have flown over more than 40 nations in five continents.
On February 4, the U.S. Air Force shot down the balloon over U.S. territorial waters off the coast of South Carolina, on the order of U.S. President Joe Biden. Debris from the wreckage was recovered and sent to the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, for analysis. The incident increased U.S.-China tensions. The incident prompted U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to delay a diplomatic visit to Beijing, which was set to be his first since 2018. It also further strained Canada–China relations, as Canada summoned the Chinese ambassador because of the violation of Canadian airspace. On February 3, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that a second Chinese balloon was passing over Latin America, which China also said belonged to it. On February 10, the Air Force shot down another aerial object over U.S. territory at the order of President Biden.
Q1. The passage is mainly about
1. the strained relations between US and China
2. a Chinese spy balloon flying over US and Canadian territories
3. China’s global military-directed surveillance
4. Chinese balloons flying all over the world
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q2. Read the statements given below.
A. The US Air Force shot down the Chinese balloon over US territorial waters.
B. Tensions between China and US have increased and the visit of the U.S. Secretary of State to Beijing has been postponed.
1. Both A and B are true but B is not the correct reason for A.
2. Both A and B are true and B is the correct reason for A.
3. A is false and B is true.
4. A is true and B is false
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q3. How did US make sure that the Balloon flying over its territory was a ‘spy’ balloon?
1. the FBI lab confirmed that it was a spy balloon
2. the analysts studied its flight path and said so
3. it’s reconnaissance aircraft saw the antennas and equipment of the balloon
4. it got the samples of the balloon checked in a lab
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Q4. The word ‘contiguous’ means
1. adjoining
2. far off
3. spreading
4. separated
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
Answer
- 2
- 2
- 3
- 1
Comprehension Passage for SSC CGL
English Grammar
Fill in the Blank for SSC Exam
Sentence Improvement for SSC Exam
Direct and Indirect Speech for SSC Exam