How to prepare for verbal ability and reading comprehension - Sharma Arun, Upadhyay Meenakshi 2014

Level of Difficulty—I
Section 3: Fill in the Blanks
Part 2: Verbal Ability

Exercise 1

Directions: Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the options given below. Do not use the same word twice.

Options: abolished, abated, abdicated, abandoned, able, rebates, capable, abridged, banished, capacious, abbreviation, about, bear, exile, bared, sale, war, barter, battle, above)

1.Lord Buddha …………his kingship and became a hermit.

2.The Indian government ………..slavery.

3.The residents ……………the haunted house.

4.The rain ……………after some time.

5.The shops offer ……….in the off season.

6.Our government is ……….to confront any type of situation.

7.He is ……….of solving this problem.

8.Confucius possessed a ……….mind.

9.B.A. is an …………of ’Bachelor of Arts’.

10.……versions of classics are easier to read than the original versions.

11.It was …….ten in the night when we reached home.

12.The painting was hung ………the window.

13.The Shah of Iraq was ……….from his country.

14.Prospero, a character of Shakespeare’s play ’The Tempest’, was living in………….

15.The patient ……….his chest when the doctor examined him.

16.We have to ……..our own burdens.

17.Napoleon was killed in the ……….of Waterloo.

18.The world is on the verge of a third world……..

19.………..is an economic transaction involving exchange of articles.

20.This premises is for…………

Exercise 2

Directions: Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the options given below. Do not use the same word twice:

Options: bend, calamity, bow, captivated, dainty, elect, captured, careful, deduced, select, catastrophe, tragedy, cautious, character, conduct, decimated, delicate, delicious, destroy, fascinating.

1.I can ………..my head till my toes.

2.Lord Rama had to break Shiva’s ………..in order to marry Sita.

3.Alexander the Great ………..many kingdoms.

4.The movie Sholay ………..whosoever saw it.

5.The Niagara Falls is a ………..place to visit.

6.Sita had to give a test of her ………..after coming back from the clutches of Ravana.

7.The codes of ………..are specified in every job.

8.We ………..our clothes from the choices that we have.

9.We ………..our own representatives.

10.The floods are a natural ……….. .

11.The movie Titanic was a ……….. .

12.The atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki resulted in a ……….. .

13.We should be ………..of wild animals when we are walking through a forest.

14.We should be ………..to speak the right thing at the right time.

15.The daisy is a ………..flower.

16.Porcelain statues are very ……….. .

17.Lucknow is very famous for its ………..kebabs.

18.The Tsunami incident ………..a large number of people.

19.Some times one has to ………..to recreate.

20.This theory has been ………..from the observed data.

Exercise 3

Options: absolute, efficacious, anxious, ballad, curious, ballet, decrease, differs, reduce, diminishes, eagerly, effective, bail, effectual, elder, guarantee, older, deferred, efficient.

1.We should try to ………..our wants.

2.The payment was ………..

3.Coke ………..from coffee in taste and flavour.

4.There is a ………..in the sale of geysers in the summer.

5.With age, the physical beauty of every person ……….. .

6.The students ………..wait for the exams to end.

7.Children by nature, are a ………..lot.

8.Akhil is ………..about the results of his examinations.

9.Lord Krishna’s advice to Arjuna proved ……….. .

10.Rajeev used ………..methods to convince his students.

11.Sunil is an ………..worker.

12.The treatment given by the doctor to the patient was ……….. .

13.Ram was Lakshman’s ………..brother.

14.Balram was much ………..than Krishna.

15.A ………..is necessary to get the accused released from custody.

16.Nowadays, all companies give a ………..of their products.

17.A ………..is a type of traditional song, conveying a story.

18.The ………..dancers have to get initiated.

19.The ………..power in a democracy is in the hands of the common people.

Exercise 4

Options: accepted, quiet, accomplished, achievement, gathers, acquaintances, acquitted, incident, agreed, amassing, applauded, attaining, discharged, accident, factual, acclaimed, familiarity, obsolete, quite, accumulate,

1.The usage of a word like thou is ………..in common conversation.

2.The coffee is ………..good.

3.It was very ………..in the church.

4.Rahul ………..the offer given to him.

5.The teacher ………..to arrange for extra classes for weak students.

6.The boy was injured when he met with an ……. .

7.The tsunami ………..left a great impact on anyone who even remotely heard about it.

8.Amitabh is widely ………..as a great actor.

9.The mayor ………..the efforts of the citizens to protect the environment.

10.If dusting is not done regularly, wooden furniture has a tendency to ………..dust.

11.The politicians are only concerned with ……wealth.

12.It has been truly said that a rolling stone ………..no moss.

13.For India, to get a permanent place in the U.N Security Council will be a great ……….. .

14.For management students, ………..the position of the C.E.O of a big company is the final goal.

15.Our first President, Dr. Rajendra Prasad was an ………..scholar.

16.All our ………..cannot become our friends.

17.The proverb that ………..breeds contempt holds true for all relationships.

18.Innocent people who have been falsely charged with a crime should be ………..as soon as they are proved not guilty.

19.The patient was ………..from the hospital.

20.He gave a ………..account of the accident.

Exercise 5

Options: accentuate, congenial, action, bow, actuate, adjoining, congenital, adjourned, diffused, auction, bend, benefactor, beneficiaries, benefits, bough, defusing, intrusive, pestilent, postponed, urge.

1.Every ………..has an equal and opposite reaction.

2.The sword of Tipu Sultan was recently bought at an ………..by an Indian.

3.The vitamins ………..the human body to fight against diseases.

4.We should ………..the right words while reciting poetry.

5.Sometimes, even the most honest people have to ………..the rules to do the right things.

6.We ………..before God to show our reverence.

7.The word ………..has been replaced by the word branch in common conversation.

8.The greatest ………..of all is God.

9.Adversity has its ………..too.

10.The areas ………..river banks are generally fertile as they are rich in alluvial soil.

11.The parliament is ………..at the end of each session.

12.The exams when ……….., create problems for the students.

13. ………..should be thankful to their benefactors.

14. ………..lighting creates a pleasant ambience.

15. ………..a bomb requires skill as well as courage.

16.Some diseases are ………..and cannot be cured.

17.The atmosphere was ………..in the new workplace, so Shyam did not feel uneasy.

18.The online popup advertising is very ………..and distracts the surfer.

19.Sleeping sickness is caused by the bite of the ………..tse-tse fly.

20.An ………..can also be described as a strong inclination.

Exercise 6

Directions: Choose the best option.

1.	This is a ………..on his character.
	(a) blot	(b) blur
	(c) slur	(d) spot
	(e) mark
2.	This is a good ………..for a picnic.
	(a) plot	(b) spot
	(c) scene	(d) landscape
3.	The ………..of the state is efficient.
	(a) administration	(b) democracy
	(c) policy	(d) autocracy
	(e) plutscracy
4.	The ………..of private limited companies is in the hands of its directors.
	(a) managers	(b) administrators
	(c) management	(d) department
	(e) society
5.	Ram the prince of Ayodhya ………..his siblings.
	(a) adorned	(b) adored
	(c) vitiated	(d) endangered
	(e) abhored
6.	The Christmas tree was ………..with stars and other decorative items.
	(a) adorned	(b) endowed
	(c) encased	(d) enticed
	(e) encompassed
7.	There is no place for ………..in an accountant’s job.
	(a) assets	(b) asserts
	(c) errors	(d) duffers
8.	A wise person is one who learns from his ………. .
	(a) errors	(b) mistakes
	(c) falsities	(d) lies
	(e) bad manners
9.	Many companies ask their employees to sign a ………..of secrecy.
	(a) agreement	(b) bond
	(c) bondage	(d) espionage
	(e) treaty
10.	Slaves were freed from ………..only after they died.
	(a) ablution	(b) pilferage
	(c) agreement	(d) bondage
	(e) abolition
11.	Before the ………..of the Europeans in India, India was a free country.
	(a) entry	(b) amalgamation
	(c) emigration	(d) advent
	(e) immigration
12.	Duryodhana was the main ………..of the Pandavas.
	(a) enmity	(b) adversary
	(c) effrontery	(d) adversity
	(e) disparage
13.	Gandhi ………..the cause of the untouchables.
	(a) blessed	(b) held
	(c) advocated	(d) argued
	(e) confronted
14.	All citizens should be ready to ………..their country.
	(a) defend	(b) uphold
	(c) nurture	(d) assert
	(e) convoy
15.	Smoking ………..health.
	(a) effects	(b) kills
	(c) affects	(d) rejects
	(e) underestimates
16.	The theory of cause and ………..explains many mysteries of the universe.
	(a) affect	(b) effect
	(c) reasons	(d) concept
	(e) conquer
17.	It is difficult to drink from a cup which is full to the ……….. .
	(a) top	(b) edge
	(c) brim	(d) circumference
	(e) topmost
18.	………..and ecstasy are two sides of a puzzle called life.
	(a) pain	(b) penury
	(c) agony	(d) anguish
	(e) elation
19.	Leo experienced great ………..when his pet dog died.
	(a) pain	(b) anguish
	(c) losses	(d) serendipity
	(e) mourning
20.	A ………..of fresh air relaxes a tense mind.
	(a) breathe	(b) volley
	(c) gulp	(d) breath
	(e) brush
21.	Pollution causes a lot of ………..problems.
	(a) breath	(b) breathe
	(c) breather	(d) breathing
	(e) brethren
22.	If a rider doesn’t hold the ………..correctly, he can fall.
	(a) bridle	(b) bridal
	(c) whip	(d) saddle
	(e) pedal
23.	Ali’s horse is of an excellent ……….. .
	(a) brood	(b) steed
	(c) breed	(d) stood
	(e) quality
24.	Her complaints ………..with the complaints we have received from others.
	(a) agree	(b) similar
	(c) identical	(d) tally
	(e) accord
25.	His opinion ………..with the general opinion of the experts on this matter.
	(a) concurs	(b) tally
	(c) assert	(d) assimilate
	(e) simulate
26.	The ruling party found itself in full ………..with the opposition.
	(a) opinion	(b) accord
	(c) concord	(d) discordant
	(e) swing
27.	The jury’s views ………..with those of the lawyer on the issues of crime and punishment.
	(a) coincided	(b) ally
	(c) approve	(d) apprise
	(e) assert
28.	Her ideas do not ………..to the general definition of civilization.
	(a) review	(b) conform
	(c) opine	(d) confirm
	(e) contrite
29.	The committee ………..of all the changes in the report.
	(a) dissent	(b) assented
	(c) approved	(d) argued
	(e) accorded
30.	The political ………..of the1980s and 90s resulted in a civil war.
	(a) accord	(b) discord
	(c) contentment	(d) discretion
	(e) descent
31.	The president has ………..to the demands to release secret documents related to the army.
	(a) acceded	(b) refused
	(c) endorsed	(d) vetoed
	(e) incited
32.	The leading newspaper has revealed that the P.M. had ………..in the secret decision to sell arms to the dictator.
	(a) countenance	(b) acquiesced
	(c) forewarned	(d) accede
	(e) espionaged
33.	The King has ………..to a proposal to enhance the powers of the council of ministers.
	(a) coincided	(b) allied
	(c) assented	(d) opined
	(e) identified
34.	The disciplinary committee has ………..the use of detention after classes as a punishment for bad behaviour.
	(a) extended	(b) authorised
	(c) clamped	(d) embargo
	(e) intended
35.	The judge ………..the use of capital punishment for serious crimes.
	(a) franchised	(b) endorse
	(c) agreed	(d) condoned
	(e) endured
36.	The committee was in favour of the proposal but the president ………..it.
	(a) vetoed	(b) countenance
	(c) sanctioned	(d) condoned
	(e) assented
37.	The cabinet has ………..a proposal to change the way private educational institutions are funded and managed.
	(a) acceded	(b) actualize
	(c) endorsed	(d) approve
	(e) franchised
38.	The generals from the opposing armies declared a/an ………...
	(a) armistice	(b) treaty
	(c) truce	(d) accord
	(e) summit
39.	The two sides in the civil war signed a peace ………...
	(a) truce	(b) accord
	(c) alibi	(d) pretext
	(e) review
40.	Tony offered his most heartfelt ………..for having offended everyone.
	(a) sorry	(b) pardon
	(c) excuse	(d) apology
	(e) application
41.	Wearing a safety helmet is ………..in this area.
	(a) obligatory	(b) option
	(c) compulsion	(d) resolved
	(e) contented
42.	Some courses are optional but Maths and English are ………...
	(a) compulsion	(b) compulsory
	(c) essential	(d) referential
	(e) important
43.	Jess caused her parents a lot of ………..when she was a teenager.
	(a) problem	(b) yearning
	(c) anxiety	(d) vex
	(e) compulsion
44.	In all ………..Hursh will get the job.
	(a) likelihood	(b) odds
	(c) options	(d) candidates
	(e) evens
45.	At first there were some ………..with the software, but it’s okay now.
	(a) pitfalls	(b) impediments
	(c) ordeal	(d) snags
46.	The only ………..with the proposal is that it is a little expensive.
	(a) glitch	(b) blunder
	(c) hardship	(d) dilemma
	(e) snag
47.	To use a sporting ……….., middle age is like half-time at a hockey match.
	(a) device	(b) analogy
	(c) antonym	(d) synonym
	(e) acronym
48.	Jaya knew that to apologise would be ………..to admitting she had failed.
	(a) equate	(b) assumed
	(c) tantamount	(d) abrogate
	(e) about
49.	Mr. Sharma’s shop was ………..from all the others in the street.
	(a) indistinguishable	(b) inalienable
	(c) akin	(d) disreputable
	(e) impregnable
50.	There are several ………..categories of nouns in the English language.
	(a) various	(b) disparate
	(c) discrete	(d) divergent
	(e) types

◊ Answer Key