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Day 156: SSC CGL English

5 questions (13 parts). Try each one first, then open its answer.

  1. Question 1 (case study, 5 parts)

    Grammar. Asked once: 21 Sep 2025 S3

    Read the passage and answer the questions: The annals of mountaineering history are adorned with figures whose daring transcended mere athleticism, embodying philosophical quests for transcendence against Earth's most formidable landscapes. Each mountaineer — whether treading the snows of Everest, the granite of Patagonia, or the arid heights of the Atlas Mountains — etched a distinct narrative of audacity and introspection. “Tenzing Norgay” and “Sir Edmund Hillary’s” epochal 1953 Everest ascent immortalized human perseverance, but figures such as “Reinhold Messner” redefined the boundaries further. Rejecting supplemental oxygen, Messner’s minimalist ethos emphasized purity over conquest, portraying mountains not as trophies but as sentient entities commanding reverence. Similarly, “Junko Tabei”, the first woman to summit Everest, symbolized the intersection of resilience and quiet defiance in an era resistant to female adventurers. The ethos of mountaineering diversified through the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Climbers like “Kilian Jornet”, blending ultra-marathon endurance with technical ascents, and “Nirmal Purja”, whose record-breaking summits shattered temporal assumptions, reveal a contemporary paradigm: mountains as arenas of rapid, almost transcendental athleticism. Meanwhile, indigenous climbers, long relegated to footnotes in expedition histories, increasingly assert their rightful place as stewards of sacred peaks. Thus, the saga of mountaineering resists reduction to mere feats of strength. It weaves a tapestry of cultures, philosophies, and personal odysseys — each ascent a dialectic between human fragility and the immutable majesty of the mountains.
    76
    In the sentence: "The annals of mountaineering history are adorned with figures whose daring transcended mere athleticism..."? What is the grammatical role of the clause "whose daring transcended mere athleticism"

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    77
    What is the meaning of the word "epochal" in the context: "Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary’s epochal 1953 Everest ascent..."

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    78
    What does the word "dialectic" most nearly imply in the phrase: "...each ascent a dialectic between human fragility and the immutable majesty of the mountains"?

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    79
    Which of the following best summarizes the primary argument of the passage?

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    80
    Which word could best replace "immutable" in the phrase "...the immutable majesty of the mountains..." without significantly changing the meaning?

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  2. Question 2

    Idioms and Phrases. Asked once: 22 Sep 2025 S3

    78
    Choose the correct meaning of idiom: Hang fire

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  3. Question 3 (case study, 5 parts)

    Reading Comprehension. Asked once: 15 Sep 2025 S1

    Read the following passage and answer the questions based on the passage : To bifurcate life into immutable dichotomies of joy and sorrow is to misread its most intrinsic rhythm. Human existence unfolds not as a linear progression of happiness or despair, but as a dynamic interplay where each emotion deepens the resonance of the other. The ecstasy of triumph is never as poignant as when preceded by failure; likewise, the pang of loss finds contour only because we have once cherished the presence of what is now absent. Joy and sorrow, then, are not adversaries but co-authors of the same narrative. From antiquity to modernity, philosophical traditions have acknowledged this existential polarity. The Stoics embraced the inevitability of suffering as a precursor to tranquility, while Eastern philosophies like Buddhism anchor themselves in the impermanence of all experiences. In both frameworks, the pursuit of enduring happiness necessitates an acceptance of transience. Without sorrow, joy would be indistinct—a flat and shallow sensation lacking contrast or value. This interdependence is vividly manifest in the mundane. The delight of spring is intensified by the memory of a harsh winter; the serenity of solitude is meaningful only to one who has tasted the cacophony of crowds. Even our personal growth often emerges from crucibles of pain—grief chisels depth into our emotional landscape, refining our capacity for empathy, resilience, and gratitude. To demand unbroken happiness is to seek a monochromatic life—an existence devoid of emotional texture. The beauty of being lies not in circumventing sorrow, but in embracing it as a necessary foil to joy. These twin sentiments coalesce to form the chiaroscuro of consciousness, rendering our lives more vivid, more intricate, more human.
    90
    Which of the following best completes the analogy: Joy is to presence as sorrow is to — ?

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    91
    Based on the passage, what can be reasonably inferred about the author's perspective on human emotions?

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    92
    What is the author’s primary purpose in writing this passage?

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    93
    What tone does the author primarily adopt throughout the passage?

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    94
    In the context of the passage, what does the word chiaroscuro most likely mean?

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  4. Question 4

    Sentence Rearrangement. Asked once: 16 Sep 2025 S3

    99
    Rearrange the following sentences to form a coherent paragraph: 1. Anthropogenic climate change, driven by the emission of greenhouse gases, is causing a wide range of disruptions to global ecosystems. 2. Glacial retreat and the melting of polar ice caps have accelerated, contributing to a rise in global sea levels. 3. This has led to more frequent and intense extreme weather events, including droughts, floods, and heatwaves. 4. The collective impact of these changes poses a serious threat to human societies and biodiversity.

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  5. Question 5

    Spotting Errors. Asked once: 19 Sep 2025 S3

    90
    Choose the most suitable option to replace the highlighted part of the sentence: He *returned back* to his hometown after many years.

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