Blue print of CPO – Preliminary examination

151 – 200

151 – 155 Spot the Error

156 – 160 Fill in the blanks

161-165 Synonyms

166 – 170 Antonym

171 – 175 idiom and phrases in sentence

176 – 180 Sentence Improvement

181 – 185 one word substitution

186 – 190 mis-spelt words

191 – 200 Cloze Test

Q 151 – 155 - In the following question, some part of the sentence may have errors. Find out which part of the sentence has an error and select the appropriate option. If a sentence is free from error, select 'No Error'.

151. In my opinion (A)/a pencil is always (B)/ more preferable to a pen.(C)/ No error (D)

Options:

1) A
2) B
3) C
4) D

Correct Answer: C “ Delete more”

152. The climate(A)/ of Mumbai (B)/ is better than Hyderabad.(C)/ No error(D)

Options:

1) A
2) B
3) C
4) D

Correct Answer: C Add “ that of “ before Hyderabad

153. The best known leader(A)/ among them were(B)/ Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru.(C)/ No error(D)

Options:

1) A
2) B
3) C
4) D

Correct Answer: A Instead of” leader “ it should be”  leaders”

154. The burglar stole all the money(A)/ in the house but surprisingly missed(B)/ the jewelleries in the locker.(C)/ No error(D)

Options:

1) A
2) B
3) C
4) D

Correct Answer: C Instead of “jewelleries” it should be” jewellery”

155. Owing to the disturbing noise,( A)/ the speaker was forced (B)/ to adjourn the meetings.(C)/ No error (D)

Options:

1) A
2) B
3) C
4) D

Correct Answer: C Instead of” meetings” it should be” meeting”

156 – 160 In the following question, sentence given with blank to be filled in with an appropriate word(s). Four alternatives are suggested for the question. Choose the correct alternative out of the four and indicate it by selecting the appropriate option.

Q 156. Although the warring parties had settled a number of disputes, past experience made them .......... to express optimism that the talks would be a success.

A. rash 

B. ambivalent 

C. scornful 

D. overjoyed 

E. reticent

Explanation: Although" sets up a contrast between what has occurred--success on some issues--and what can be expected to occur--success for the whole talks. Hence, the parties are reluctant to express optimism. The common word "reluctant" is not offered as an answer choice, but a synonym--reticent--is. The answer is (E)

Q 157 Davis is an opprobrious and .......... speaker, equally caustic toward friend or foe--a true curmudgeon.

A. lofty 

B. vituperative 

C. unstinting 

D. retiring 

E. laudatory

Explanation: And" in the sentence indicates that the missing adjective is similar in meaning to "opprobrious," which is very negative. Now, vituperative--the only negative word--means "abusive." Hence, the answer is (B).

Q 158. Because the House has the votes to override a presidential veto, the President has no choice but to ..........

A. object 

B. abdicate

C. abstain

D. capitulate 

E. compromise

Explanation: Since the House has the votes to pass the bill or motion, the President would be wise to compromise and make the best of the situation. The answer is (E).

Q 159. His novels are .......... ; he uses a long circumlocution when a direct coupling of a simple subject and verb would be best.

A. prolix 

B. pedestrian 

C. succinct 

D. vapid 

E. risque

Explanation: The sentence has no linking words (such as because, although, etc.). Hence, the phrase following the semicolon is in apposition to the missing word--it defines or further clarifies the missing word. Now, writing filled with circumlocutions is aptly described as prolix. The answer is (A).

Q 160 The cricket match seemed ____ to our guests; they were used to watching sports in which the action is over in a couple of hours at the most.

A.unintelligible

B.inconsequential

C.interminable

D.implausible

Explanation :  Option(C) is correct

The part after the semicolon gives the clue. It states that they were used to watching things that get over fast, and therefore the cricket match seemed interminable (never ending). None of the other words is about the time factor except ‘evanescent’ which means short-lived and would not fit the sense.

(inconsequential = unimportant; implausible = cannot be believed)

Directions 161 – 165 : Choose the word which is most similar in meaning to the word printed in bold as used in the passage.

161. Multitude

1) Impoverished 2) Handful 3) Acknowledged

4) Plenty 5) Solitued

162. Ubiquitous

1) Quintessential 2) Popular 3) Omnipresent

4) Simplified 5) Abnormal

163. Multitude
1) Impoverished 2) Handful 3) Acknowledged
4) Plenty 5) Solitued

164. Ubiquitous
1) Quintessential 2) Popular 3) Omnipresent
4) Simplified 5) Abnormal

165. TURMOIL 1) danger 2) shock 3) sadness 4) fear 5) chaos

Answers

 161-4; 162-3  163-4; 164-3; 165 E

Directions (Q. 166-170) Choose the word which is MOST OPPOSITE in meaning to the word

166. Dormant

1) Emaciated 2) Pertinent 3) Cornered

4) Rejected 5) Active

167. Delayed

1) Perturbed 2) Popularised 3) Expedited

4) Stabilised 5) Repressed

168. MUNDANE 1) extraordinary 2) regular 3) severe 4) visionary 5) routine

169. Dormant
1) Emaciated 2) Pertinent 3) Cornered
4) Rejected 5) Active

170. Delayed
1) Perturbed 2) Popularised 3) Expedited
4) Stabilised 5) Repressed

Answers

166-5; 167-3; 168 1 169-5; 170-3;

Directions for 171 – 175 Each sentence given below contains an idiom/phrase. From the given alternatives, choose the one that best expresses the meaning of this idiom/phrase.

171. He has the gift of the gab.

a) He is gifted
b) He is a chatterbox
c) He is a good conservationist

172. Parental property has become a bone of contention between the siblings.

a) unifying factor
b) something that causes a quarrel
c) a firm view
d) none of these

173. Once in a blue moon, we meet each other.

a) frequently
b) hardly ever
c) very seldom indeed
d) in the light of a blue moon

1744. He has been jobless for several months, and it is his wife who keeps the pot boiling.

a) avoids starvation
b) keeps the fire burning
c) is angry
d) keeps firing

175. In the end he had to eat the humble pie.

a) apologize humbly
b) defend himself vigorously
c) adopt an aggressive attitude
d) none of these

Answers

171. c) He is a good conservationist
172. b) something that causes a quarrel
173. c) very seldom indeed
174. a) avoids starvation
175. a) apologize humbly

Directions(Q.176-180)Which of the following phrases (a), (b), (c) and (d) given below, each sentence

should replace the phrase printed in bold type to make the sentence grammatically correct? If the

sentence is correct as it is, mark (e) as the correct answer.

Q.176 She is a healthy girl, she always uses to go for morning walk.

(a) Using to go

(b) is going

(c) has gone

(d) goes

(e) No correction required

Q17.7 I was very tired when i met you because I was moving in my garden for two hours.

(a) was being moved

(b) had been moving

(c) had moved

(d) had been moved

(e) No correction required

Q.178 Yesterday I could not resist my temptation and out of curiosity, I peep into the room.

(a) peep at the room

(b) peeped at the room

(c) have peeped into the room

(d) peeped into the room

(e) No correction required

Q.179We left the place only after we were promised that we would be brought to that place again.

(a) Promised that

(b) were promised to

(c) had promised that

(d) was promised that

(e) No correction required

)

Q.180 I met the boy who was my friend’s brother and whom name was Akash.

(a)and whose name is

(b)and whose name was

(c)and who name was

(d)and whom name is

(e)No correction required

Ans

176.(d) 177.(b)17 8.(d) 179.(e) 180.(b

Direction (Q. 181-185): Choose the word which can be substituted for the given sentence and mark your answer.

181. Specialist of kidney

(A) Nephrologist

(B) Paediatrician

(C) Orthopaedics

(D) Oncologist

182. Thick‐skinned animal

(A) Pachyderm

(B) Prehensile

(C) Monotreme

(D) Hard‐skinned

183. An insect with many legs is called

(A) Centipede

(B) Mammal

(C) Herbivorous

(D) Vertebrate

184. Person who knows or can speak many languages

(A) anklebiter

(B) juvenile
(C) polyglot

(D) sprout

185. A speech made by a speaker for the first time in a particular gathering

(A) composer

(B) unospeak
(C) primary speak

(D) maiden speech

Ans. 181 – a  182 – a  183 – a   184 c   185 d

Direction (Q. 186 -190): Choose the correctly spelt word.

186 (A) Cavalrie

(B) Cavalry

(C) Cavelry

(D) Cavalre

187 (A) Archiology

(B) Archaeology

(C) Archeaology

(D) Archealogy

188(A) Jurisdiction

(B) Juresdiction

(C) Jurisdection

(D) Juriesdiction

189(A) Lieutenant

(B) Leiutenant

(C) Lieutinant

(D) Lieutenent

190 (A) Moustach

(B) Moustcahe

(C) Moustache

(D) Muostache

Answers 186 B 187  b  188 a  189 a 190 c

Directions (191 200): In the following passage, some of the words have been left out, each of which is indicated by a number. Find the suitable word from the options given against each number and fill up the blanks with appropriate words to make the paragraph meaningfully complete.

The Madras Literary Society, now busy trying to …(1)… itself, is offering a series of monthly talks on historical and literary …(2)…. The most recent one was on three persons who, starting out from Madras, …(3)…  significantly to our knowledge of India — namely, Francis Buchanan-Hamilton, William Lambton and Colin Mackenzie. I call them …(4)…  ‘surveyors’ because their work …(5)…  to the Botanical and Zoological Surveys of India, the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India and the Survey of India. …(6)…  from the talk, a story or two about each of the ‘surveyors’ found its way to me.

Dr. Francis Buchanan-Hamilton, generally known as Buchanan, began his assignment in South India after the final Mysore War with the mandate to gather botanical, agricultural and zoological information as …(7)…  as knowledge about the soil and natural resources …(8)…  in the area of his first survey. One of the things he ‘discovered’, I was told, was laterite in what is now Kerala. Buchanan called it “indurate clay” or “iron clay” and said this soft red soil which hardened …(9)…  exposure to air and heat was ideal for building purposes, something long known in the area but first recorded for a wider …(10)…, and given a name by him.

(Source-The Hindu)

Q1.

(a) revive

(b) survive

(c) resize

(d) magnify

(e) generalise

Q2.

(a) pamphlets

(b) handouts

(c) magnitude

(d) objects

(e) subjects

Q3.

(a) confined

(b) contributed

(c) selected

(d) managed

(e) provided

Q4.

(a) pioneering

(b) draconian

(c) adhering

(d) looking

(e) ragingly

Q5.

(a) created

(b) showed

(c) led

(d) made

(e) fought

Q6.

(a) Abstracting

(b) Observing

(c) Taking

(d) Leading

(e) Heeding

Q7.

(a) wail

(b) in

(c) well

(d) on

(e) along

Q8.

(a) at

(b) of

(c) seek

(d) find

(e) found

Q9.

(a) on

(b)in

(c) at

(d)for

(e)onto

Q10.

(a) masses

(b) mass

(c) audience

(d) people

(e) group

Answers

S1. Ans.(a)

Sol. Revive means give new strength or energy to or resuming to work, progress. Here the author is saying that the madras literary society is resuming its work pace and reviving itself by a series of monthly talks of history and literature.

S2. Ans.(e)

Sol. Subjects means a branch of knowledge studied or taught in a school, college, or university. Here history and literature subjects are talked about.

S3. Ans.(b)

Sol. ‘contributed’ is the correct answer here.

S4. Ans.(a)

Sol. Pioneering means involving new ideas or methods.

S5. Ans.(c)

Sol. ‘led’ is the correct answer.  Here the author is conveying the message that the work of the people mentioned in previous line, led to some great surveys.

S6. Ans.(d)

Sol.  Leading is the appropriate answer for this blank. Here leading refers to culminate or result in.

S7. Ans.(c)

Sol. ‘as well as’ is the correct phrase.

S8. Ans.(e)

Sol. ‘found’ is the correct answer.

S9. Ans.(a)

Sol. ‘soft red soil which hardened on exposure to air’ is the correct phrase.

S10. Ans.(c)

Sol. ‘wider audience’ is the correct phrase.