Mixed English Questions for Mains Exam — Set 319

Directions(1-5): In the sentence given below, an idiom/phrasal verb has been highlighted in brackets. Given below it are five options, out of which you need to find the one which has the same meaning as the idiom/phrasal verb used in the sentence and can successfully replace the idiom/phrasal verb without changing the meaning of the sentence.

1. The banks (drew a line in the sand): there was to be no additional help.
   made a decision
   set their final limit
   completed the task
   set the goals
   refused help
   Option B
   

    

2. Her working as a lawyer was not due to her passion for the job but solely as a (means to an end).
   medium to meet to people
   source of income
   necessary action carried out just to achieve a goal
   responsibility
   part of a duty
   Option C
   

    

3. Lucinda appeared like she was (full of beans) over her friend’s promotion.
   filled with happiness
   very jealous
   superficially happy
   going to cry
   very angry
   Option A
   

    

4. Her behaviour in public and private is (as different as chalk and cheese).
   exactly same
   very different
   somewhat same
   very smooth
   calm
   Option B
   

    

5. Lisa loves to leave things in (shades of grey).
   unclear state
   a messy state
   very certain
   not ambiguous situation
   None of these
   Option A
   

    

Directions(6-9): A sentence divided into three parts, I, II and III, is given. There may be an error in one or more parts. Determine the part(s) which requires correction and mark the relevant option as your answer.

6. Contrary to the belief that war is an effective way to created jobs, (I)/ US federal spending in the wars would have led to many jobs than existing,
   (II)/ had the money been invested instead, in other sectors (III).
   Only I
   Both I and II
   Only II
   Both I and III
   Both II and III
   Option B
   The error in part I of the sentence is that the phrase ‘to created’ is incorrect and needs to be replaced with the phrase ‘to create’ to make the
   sentence grammatically and contextually correct because ‘to’ will be followed by the first form of the verb.
   The error in part II of the sentence is that ‘many’ is incorrect and needs to be replaced with the ‘more’ to make the sentence grammatically and
   contextually correct. This is because we are making a comparison here and for comparing the comparative degree of adjective ‘more’ is used.
   The part III of the sentence is correct as the helping verb ‘had’ is used as a connector to connect the former part of the sentence with the latter.
   Hence, option B is correct.

    

7. SBI, the nation’s top bank by assets, is selling up to 8% stake, (I)/ or 80 million shares, in the unit as a part of the IPO, while, (II)/ BNP Paribas
   Cardiff is selling up to 4% stake, or 40 million shares. (III)
   Both I and III
   Only II
   All I, II and III
   None of I, II and III
   No correction required
   Option E
   The part I of the sentence is correct as the singular form of the verb ‘is’ is required for the singular noun ‘SBI’.
   The part II of the sentence is correct as the singular noun ‘part’ is needed instead of the plural noun ‘parts’.
   The part III of the sentence is correct as the singular noun ‘BNP Paribas Cardiff’ is followed by a singular verb ‘is’. Hence, option E is correct.

    

8. For census purposes, Egyptian towns are considered urban centers, (I)/ some of them contain large numbers of small peasants, (II)/ and most
   persons engaged in work belong to lower levels in agriculture and rural enterprises. (III)
   Both I and II
   Both II and III
   Only I
   Both I and III
   No correction required
   Option C
   The given sentence expresses two contradicting conditions occurring at the same time. One is the consideration of Egyptian towns as urban
   centers, while the other reflects that some of the towns contain large number of small peasants. Thus, in part I, we need to use ‘although’ to imply
   contradictory statements. Add “although” before “for” to make the part correct.
   The part II of the sentence is correct as ‘contain’ is the correct form of the verb to be used in the sentence instead of the gerund form of the verb
   ‘containing’.
   The part III of the sentence is correct as ‘engaged in’ is the correct form of the phrasal verb to be used in the sentence. Hence, option C is the
   answer.

    

9. Not all clothing sold in Amazon will be eligible for the Prime Wardrobe, (I)/ but items that can be put in a Wardrobe box will be marked off a logo,
   (II)/ for the service over 1 million of they. (III)
   Both I and II
   Both II and III
   Only I
   None of I, II and III
   All of I, II and III
   Option E
   The error in part I of the sentence is that the preposition ‘in’ is incorrect and needs to be replaced with the preposition ‘on’ to make the sentence
   grammatically and contextually correct. This is because things are sold ‘on’ and not ‘in’.
   The error in part II of the sentence is that the phrase ‘marked off’ is incorrect and needs to be replaced with the phrase ‘marked with’ to make the
   sentence grammatically and contextually correct.
   The error in part III of the sentence is that the pronoun ‘they’ is incorrect and needs to be replaced with the pronoun ‘them’ to make the sentence
   grammatically and contextually correct. This is because the objective pronoun is needed in place of a subjective pronoun. Hence, option E is
   correct.

    

10. A statement with a blank has been given, followed by three words. One or more than one word can fill the blank to make the sentence grammatically correct. Find the word (s) which can fill the blank and choose the option accordingly.

    The botanical garden _____________ an array of horticultural exotics from around the world.
    a) Boasts
    b) Aggregate
    c) Hosts

    Only a
    Both b & c
    Only b
    None of the given options
    Both a & c
    Option E
    Meaning of the following words:
    a) Boasts- to possess a certain feature
    b) Aggregate- a sum total or a
    formed by combining several separate elements
    c) Hosts- acting as a place or person who
    receives or entertains other people as guests
    Given the context, the botanical garden can be a place which entertains exotic plants.
    It can also possess certain exotic plants from around the world.
    Hence, both a & c can fill the blank.