CDS English · Reading Comprehension
Meaning of a Word or Phrase in the Passage
A word question asks what the word means in this passage, not in the dictionary. The sentence around it gives the clue: put each option back into the sentence and keep the one that fits.
Why this matters
Questions on the meaning of a word or phrase are a regular part of CDS passage sets. Many of the words are hard, but the passage nearly always helps: a clue in the same sentence, an explanation a line later, or a contrast. A word you only half know can still be answered with the method, and the table at the end lists the passage words CDS has tested.
Concept 1 of 5: Read the sentence, then put each option back in
A word in a passage takes its colour from its sentence. Replace the word with each option in turn: the wrong ones sound odd or change what the sentence says. The right one keeps the sentence saying the same thing.
Definition
The terms:
- Context clue: a word or phrase near the tested word that shows its meaning: a cause, an effect, a contrast, or a description.
- Substitution: reading the sentence again with an option in place of the tested word.
The method:
- Find the word in the passage. Read its whole sentence and the one before it.
- Look for a clue: what caused it, what it led to, what it is set against.
- Guess a plain meaning in your own words before you read the options.
- Put each option into the sentence. Strike any option that changes the meaning or makes the sentence odd.
- Expect the opposite among the options. One option is often the exact reverse of the meaning.
Worked example
Line: 'Having grown up poor, she remained frugal all her life: she mended old clothes and never wasted food.' 'frugal' means (a) generous (b) careful with money (c) unhappy (d) lazy
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2017 · CDS (I) 2017 — English · Q89Easy
Example 1 · Reading Comprehension · Word Meaning in Context
Directions: In this section, you have six short passages. After each passage, you will find some questions based on the passage. First, read a passage and answer the questions based on it. You are required to select your answers based on the contents of the passage and opinion of the author only.
Passage – 1
When Jonathan (the seagull) came, it was well after dark, and he floated in moonlight on the surface of the ocean. His wings were ragged bars of lead, but the weight of failure was even heavier on his back. He wished, feebly, that the weight would be just enough to drag him gently down to the bottom, and end it all. But soon he came back to normal. He pushed wearily away from the dark water and flew towards the land, grateful for what he had learned about work-saving low-altitude flying.
The word 'wearily' means
Picking the opposite
Plastic is 'clogging waterways' and 'clogging drains and preventing rainwater from soaking into the soil'. The options flow, opening and clearing are all the reverse of the meaning. Put each one back: 'flowing drains' cannot prevent rainwater from soaking in. Obstruction fits.
The near miss
Ship captains 'have been intrigued by sightings of emerald icebergs'. 'Surprised' is close, but the captains are drawn to the mystery and want to know more. That is fascinated. Choose the option that carries the whole meaning, not a part of it.
Deciding from the picture, not the sentence
In a speech about man's endurance, the last sound on earth will be 'that of his puny inexhaustible voice'. 'Brave' and 'daring' suit a heroic picture. But the sentence sets a small voice against its endless strength, so puny means tiny.
Concept 2 of 5: The passage picks the sense; look-alike words are traps
Many English words have more than one sense, and many hard words look like easier ones. The words around the tested word decide which sense is meant. A look-alike option, such as suffering for suffrage, is set to catch the eye, not the mind.
Definition
The terms:
- Sense: one of a word's meanings. A 'field' is farmland in 'a field of wheat' and a subject in 'the field of physics'.
- Look-alike: a different word with a similar spelling or sound: immanent and imminent, eminent and imminent, principal and principle.
The method:
- Read what the word is attached to: the noun after it, the verb before it.
- Ask which sense those words allow, and strike options that give another sense of the same word.
- Spell the tested word letter by letter. Check that the option's meaning belongs to this word, not to its look-alike.
- Read a compound word as a whole: 'grassroots' is not about grass or roots.
- If an option gives the commonest sense of the word but does not fit the sentence, it is the trap.
Worked example
Line: 'The crew had to bail out the water before the hull filled.' 'bail out' here means (a) pay money to free someone from jail (b) jump from an aircraft (c) scoop water out of a boat (d) rescue a company from losses
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2026 · CDS (II) 2026 — English · Q118Moderate
Example 2 · Reading Comprehension · Word Meaning in Context
Directions: PASSAGE II. Direction: Read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below:
Passage
Christopher Columbus of Spain set foot in the New World in 1492. Six years later, Vasco da Gama of Portugal reached India. During the next two centuries the Spaniards and the Portuguese actively transferred, not only to Europe but to many parts of Asia as well, a number of plant species which they encountered in South and central America, in expectation of their potential either as food or as medicine. These plants had been developed to a high degree by the Maya and Inca civilizations of these regions. Of these, the potato (Solanum tuberosum) is believed to have been domesticated in terraced slopes on the high plateau of Bolivia-Peru in South America, sometime between 5000 and 2000 BC. Europeans first saw potatoes in South America in 1537, and around 1570 a Spanish ship brought the first potatoes to Europe. Though termed papa in South America, they were incorrectly called batata (the name for the sweet potato) when John Gerard first described them in English in 1597, and this name stuck. An 1860 report states that by 1780, potatoes, peas and beans were in high repute as foods in Calcutta, and that the Dutch are said to have been the first to introduce the culture of potatoes, which was received from their settlement of the Cape of Good Hope. From there the British received annually the seeds of every kind of vegetable useful at the table, as well as several plants of which there appears to be much need, especially various kinds of pot herbs.
In this passage the word "culture" refers to
Immanent read as imminent
'There is an immanent conflict between the automobile and the city.' Immanent means existing within, so the conflict is inherent. 'Inevitable' is the trap: it suits imminent (about to happen), a different word.
Suffrage read as suffering
The passage speaks of 'the women's suffrage and Progressive movements'. Suffrage is the right to vote. 'Women's suffering' only borrows the look of the word.
Canonical read as cannon
'Highbrow canonical literature' is the body of works accepted as important and influential. 'War literature' plays on cannon, a gun.
A compound taken literally
Reading groups 'mobilised ... movements at the grassroots'. Grassroots means ordinary people at the local level. 'The root cause of poverty' reads the word's parts, not the word.
Concept 3 of 5: Idioms and figurative phrases: read the picture, keep the sentence's 'not'
An idiom means more than its words: 'square with' has nothing to do with squares. Picture the scene the words paint, then ask what it means for the people in the passage. And notice any 'not' that the sentence puts in front of the phrase.
Definition
The terms:
- Idiom: a fixed phrase whose meaning is not the sum of its words: 'evade the law' (escape obeying it), 'square with' (agree with).
- Figurative phrase: a picture used to make a point: 'good hunting' for an easy target.
The method:
- Read the full sentence and the one after it. The writer often explains the picture.
- Picture the literal scene, then ask what it means here: who gains, who loses, what feeling.
- Say the meaning in plain words, then match an option.
- If the sentence negates the phrase ('does not square with'), check whether the options give the meaning of the phrase or of the whole sentence. Keep the 'not' in mind.
- Strike options that take the words literally, and options that add a detail the phrase does not carry.
Worked example
Line: 'When the colonel asked who had broken the window, the young cadet decided to face the music and stepped forward.' 'face the music' means (a) listen to a band (b) accept the blame and its result (c) run away (d) sing loudly
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2017 · CDS (I) 2017 — English · Q101Moderate
Example 3 · Reading Comprehension · Word Meaning in Context
Directions: In this section, you have six short passages. After each passage, you will find some questions based on the passage. First, read a passage and answer the questions based on it. You are required to select your answers based on the contents of the passage and opinion of the author only.
Passage – 4
I was abruptly awakened by a noisy scuffle. The sun, a mere fringe over the horizon, immediately chased away the grey half-darkness. I was too sleepy to notice what was happening. Yuri was rolling over on the ground. I ran up to him but was struck dumb. With his right hand he was holding a cobra by the neck. Two sharp fangs showed from its jaws. The battle was over in a few minutes. A hollow hissing and convulsive jerks were then only reminders of a just-ended tussle. The catcher half-opened the lid of the box and calmly put the quarry in.
When the writer saw Yuri holding a cobra by the neck, he was 'struck dumb'. This means that he was
Losing the sentence's 'not'
'The deployment of security forces in a foreign country certainly does not square with that idea.' To square with means to agree with. The question asks what the phrase implies in the passage, and there the sentence says the opposite: not in agreement. Read the whole sentence before you answer.
Reading the picture literally
'If you show that you are afraid of them, you give promise of good hunting.' Hunting is the picture; the point is that a frightened person looks like easy prey. So the phrase means you are vulnerable, not 'challenging'.
An option that adds a detail
'This will give China's vessels a strategic foothold in the Pacific.' A foothold is a planned point of access. 'Valid entry', 'legitimate passage' and 'sanctioned routes' add a legal approval the phrase never carries.
Choosing the reverse of an idiom
'Wishing to evade the law, she placed her tiny dog in her dress pocket.' To evade is to escape; she wished to avoid following the law. 'Reluctance to break the law' says the opposite.
Concept 4 of 5: Terms and references: what the phrase points to in this passage
Some phrases are technical terms or point to something outside the sentence: an event, a group, an order. The passage usually explains them nearby. When it does not, ask what the phrase points to in this passage, and break a long term into its parts.
Definition
The terms:
- Technical term: a phrase from a subject like economics or ecology: carbon sink, pass through, unanchoring.
- Reference: a phrase that points to something named elsewhere: 'the new technology' pointing to an event, 'respectively' pointing back to an order.
The method:
- Find the term and read two sentences before and after. Passages on economics and science often explain a term after a dash or 'that is'.
- Break the term into its parts: un + anchor + ing = losing the anchor. Then join it to what it describes.
- For 'respectively', match the first item to the first meaning and the second to the second. Check the order, not just the pair.
- For a phrase that names a period or an event, the passage gives the date and the field; a little general knowledge may be needed to name it.
- For a negated phrase ('would not seek to become a hegemon'), find the meaning of the term, then apply the 'not'.
- Strike an option that gives a result of the term instead of its meaning.
Worked example
Line: 'Many small shops have seen a fall in footfall (the number of people who walk in) since the mall opened.' 'footfall' here means (a) the sound of feet (b) the number of visitors entering a shop (c) a fall on the stairs (d) the cost of the shop floor
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2021 · CDS (II) 2021 — English · Q19Moderate
Example 4 · Reading Comprehension · Word Meaning in Context
Directions: answer the items based on the passage
Passage – II
More than eight months after the national lockdown was announced in late March, urban India is learning to live with the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, indicating a positive outlook for the future, many survey respondents in a recent survey say they plan to return to pre-lockdown levels of shopping, personal grooming, going to cinemas and socializing as pandemic fears continues to recede.
The survey findings highlight that the suppression of consumer demand because of fears of job losses and salary cuts could be coming to an end. Increasingly, urban Indians are showing increased confidence about the future of the economy. This could be an indicator of the possible ‘pent-up demand’ that several economists have been talking about – a demand that could be unleashed once a vaccine is developed and distributed, or when there are signs of the pandemic’s spread reducing to negligible levels or vanishing totally.
Around 65 per cent of respondents said they had settled into new routines, or that they saw signs of the situation improving, or they had come to terms with the pandemic and were moving on with their lives. And since the survey was conducted before the news of the successful trials of the Pfizer vaccine for the coronavirus was announced, it is likely that the consumers are now even more positive in their outlook about the future.
What does the author mean by 'pent-up demand'?
Right pair, wrong order
'The Orient and the Occident' means the East and the West, in that order. 'The West and the East respectively' has the right pair but the wrong order. With 'respectively', check the order.
A result offered as the meaning
'... the regeneration of forests to act as a carbon sink.' A carbon sink takes in more carbon than it gives out. 'Depletion of forest cover adds to carbon emission' is a result of that fact, not the meaning of the phrase.
Forgetting who passes what to whom
Manufacturers have been passing rising input costs on to buyers; in services this is incomplete, and 'as demand firms up, the pass through is likely to gather traction'. So it means services raising prices as demand picks up. 'Manufacturing is bearing the burden of input costs' reverses who does what.
A term that needs a little history
'New and advanced technology' in the English textile industry of the mid-eighteenth century points to the Industrial Revolution. The passage gives the date and the field but not the name, so this item needs a little general knowledge as well as the passage.
Concept 5 of 5: Passage words CDS has tested
Some passage words cannot be guessed: the sentence only confirms a meaning you already know. These are worth learning ahead. The table lists the passage words and phrases CDS has asked about, each with its meaning in its passage.
Definition
How to use this table:
- Learn each word with its meaning in the passage. Several have other senses elsewhere.
- Read the 'Tested as' column: a meaning question, a passage word to find, an opposite, or a word form.
- The rows are grouped: feelings and manner; look-alikes and senses; society, law and power; economy and environment; change and events; thinking; word forms.
- When a word you know appears in a passage, still read its sentence. The passage decides the sense.
| Word or phrase | Meaning in the passage | Tested as | Sitting |
|---|---|---|---|
| wearily | in a tired, exhausted way | Meaning; trap: tireless | 2017 (I) |
| intrigued | fascinated, wanting to know more | Meaning; near miss: surprised | 2017 (II) |
| overwhelming | very strong | Meaning | 2017 (I) |
| struck dumb | so shocked that he could not speak | Meaning of the phrase | 2017 (I) |
| puny | tiny, weak | Meaning; traps: brave, daring | 2024 (I) |
| uncomprehendingly | without understanding | Meaning | 2021 (I) |
| erudite | very learned, scholarly | Antonym: ill-educated | 2021 (II) 'Learned' sat among the options: it is a synonym, not the antonym. |
| dilettantes | people who dabble in an art without real interest | Meaning | 2024 (II) |
| prejudice | bias, an opinion formed in advance | Passage word for 'bias' | 2021 (I) |
| immanent | existing within, inherent | Meaning; trap: inevitable | 2026 (I) Not imminent (about to happen). |
| culture (of potatoes) | growing plants, cultivation | Sense; traps: the arts, shared values | 2026 (II) |
| suffrage | the right to vote | Meaning; trap: suffering | 2026 (II) |
| canonical | accepted as important and influential | Meaning; trap: war literature | 2026 (II) Canon (accepted works) is not cannon (a gun). |
| constituent | a part, a component | Meaning; traps: constellation, consternation | 2022 (I) |
| grassroots | ordinary people at the local level | Meaning; trap: root cause | 2026 (II) |
| quotidian | day-to-day, ordinary | Meaning | 2022 (II) |
| marginalised | pushed to the edge of society, ignored | Meaning of the sentence | 2017 (II) |
| evade the law | avoid obeying the law | Meaning of the phrase | 2018 (I) |
| litigations | lawsuits, court cases | Passage word for 'lawsuit' | 2019 (II) |
| resistance | opposition, defiance | Meaning; trap: conforming | 2023 (II) |
| resistant | refusing to give way | Antonym: pliant | 2026 (II) 'Defiant' sat among the options: it is a synonym. |
| hegemon | a power that dominates others | Meaning of 'would not become a hegemon' | 2022 (II) |
| strategic foothold | a planned point of access and influence | Meaning of the phrase | 2022 (II) |
| the Orient and the Occident | the East and the West | Meaning, in order | 2018 (I) |
| diverse combinatory prowess | skill at joining different elements into one working system | Meaning of the phrase | 2023 (II) |
| protocol | a formal set of rules for doing something | Meaning | 2022 (II) |
| pent-up demand | spending held back now, to be released later | Meaning of the term | 2021 (II) |
| pass through | passing higher costs on to buyers | Meaning of the term | 2022 (II) |
| unanchoring (of inflation) | inflation breaking loose and running out of control | Meaning of the term | 2022 (II) |
| carbon sink | something that takes in more carbon than it gives out | Meaning of the term | 2022 (II) |
| clogging | blocking | Meaning; traps: flow, clearing | 2023 (I) |
| deforestation | clearing of forests | Name of the effect | 2017 (I) |
| prevalence | how common something is | Passage word to fill a blank | 2018 (II) |
| diluted | weakened | Antonym: consolidated | 2018 (I) |
| new and advanced technology | the Industrial Revolution | What the phrase refers to | 2019 (I) |
| emerged | came up, surfaced | Passage word for 'surfaced' | 2019 (II) |
| transitioned | changed over | Passage word for 'changeover' | 2020 (I) |
| previously | earlier | Passage word for 'earlier' | 2018 (II) |
| trend | a general direction, a tendency | Passage word for 'tendency' | 2019 (II) |
| customized | adapted to a need | Meaning; trap: mass produced | 2019 (II) |
| demolition | destruction | Meaning | 2018 (II) |
| league up | band together | Meaning of the phrase | 2022 (I) |
| give promise of good hunting | show yourself an easy target | Meaning of the phrase | 2018 (II) |
| predator, marauding | predator: an animal that hunts others; marauding: roaming to attack | Pair of passage words for enemies | 2018 (I) |
| square with | agree with | Meaning, with the sentence's 'not' | 2022 (II) |
| perspectives | viewpoints | Passage word for 'viewpoints' | 2020 (I) |
| distinctive | special, setting something apart | Passage word for 'unique' | 2020 (II) |
| analogy | a comparison that shows likeness | Opposite of 'contrast' | 2020 (II) |
| deterministic relationship | events caused by forces outside the will | Term for a definition | 2024 (II) |
| components, dimensions | parts | Opposite of 'whole' | 2024 (I) |
| terraced | cut into steps; adjective from the noun terrace | Word form | 2026 (II) |
| settled | verb form of settle that also works as an adjective | Word form | 2026 (II) |
| subversive | undermining authority; noun form: subversion | Noun form | 2026 (II) Subvention (a grant of money) only looks like it. |
Grouped by theme. The traps named in the third column are the options set against each word.
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2022 · CDS (II) 2022 — English · Q14Moderate
Example 5 · Reading Comprehension · Word Meaning in Context
Directions: In this section you have three short passages. After each passage, you will find some items based on the passage. Read the passage carefully and answer the items based on it.
Passage – III
The RBI expects inflation at 6·7 percent in 2022 – 23. Recent government data also suggests that inflation has become more broad-based. Excluding the volatile components such as food and fuel, core retail inflation was around 7 percent in April with almost all subgroups in the index witnessing elevated inflation. And considering the inflation in the pipeline — the wholesale price index continues to be in double digits — price pressures are unlikely to dissipate in the immediate term. According to analysts, while manufacturing firms have been passing on the rise in input costs, it remains incomplete in the case of the services sector. However, as demand firms up, the pass through is likely to gather traction. This combination of factors suggests that inflation may not fall dramatically as and when commodity prices fall — prices may prove to be a tad sticky on the downside. The RBI's revised quarterly forecasts for inflation also seem to suggest so — inflation has now been projected at 7·5 percent in the first quarter, and 7·4 percent in the second quarter, trending downwards thereafter to 6·2 percent in the third quarter, and 5·8 percent in the fourth quarter.
Implicit in these quarterly inflation forecasts is also the acknowledgment that inflation will likely exceed the upper threshold of the central bank's inflation targeting framework for three consecutive quarters. Considering the risks that the 'unanchoring' of inflation and inflation expectations pose to macroeconomic stability, and the country's growth prospects, the central bank must look beyond its quotidian responsibilities and continue to focus on maintaining price stability, attaching primacy to inflation management.
Explain the meaning of the word 'quotidian' as used in the passage.
Learning one sense only
You may know 'pass through' as going through a place. In a passage on prices it means passing higher costs on to buyers. Learn the passage sense along with the common one.
The synonym in an antonym question
Erudite and learned mean the same; resistant and defiant mean the same. In an antonym question, these synonyms sit among the options to catch a quick reader.
A look-alike in the options
Suffering, cannon, imminent and subvention are all look-alikes set against the tested words. Spell the tested word letter by letter before you choose.
Summary — formulas & gotchas at a glance
A revision cheat-sheet for the formulas and gotchas above. Click any concept name to jump back to its full explanation.
Reference tables (1)
Passage words CDS has tested53 rows
| Word or phrase | Meaning in the passage | Tested as | Sitting |
|---|---|---|---|
| wearily | in a tired, exhausted way | Meaning; trap: tireless | 2017 (I) |
| intrigued | fascinated, wanting to know more | Meaning; near miss: surprised | 2017 (II) |
| overwhelming | very strong | Meaning | 2017 (I) |
| struck dumb | so shocked that he could not speak | Meaning of the phrase | 2017 (I) |
| puny | tiny, weak | Meaning; traps: brave, daring | 2024 (I) |
| uncomprehendingly | without understanding | Meaning | 2021 (I) |
| erudite | very learned, scholarly | Antonym: ill-educated | 2021 (II) 'Learned' sat among the options: it is a synonym, not the antonym. |
| dilettantes | people who dabble in an art without real interest | Meaning | 2024 (II) |
| prejudice | bias, an opinion formed in advance | Passage word for 'bias' | 2021 (I) |
| immanent | existing within, inherent | Meaning; trap: inevitable | 2026 (I) Not imminent (about to happen). |
| culture (of potatoes) | growing plants, cultivation | Sense; traps: the arts, shared values | 2026 (II) |
| suffrage | the right to vote | Meaning; trap: suffering | 2026 (II) |
| canonical | accepted as important and influential | Meaning; trap: war literature | 2026 (II) Canon (accepted works) is not cannon (a gun). |
| constituent | a part, a component | Meaning; traps: constellation, consternation | 2022 (I) |
| grassroots | ordinary people at the local level | Meaning; trap: root cause | 2026 (II) |
| quotidian | day-to-day, ordinary | Meaning | 2022 (II) |
| marginalised | pushed to the edge of society, ignored | Meaning of the sentence | 2017 (II) |
| evade the law | avoid obeying the law | Meaning of the phrase | 2018 (I) |
| litigations | lawsuits, court cases | Passage word for 'lawsuit' | 2019 (II) |
| resistance | opposition, defiance | Meaning; trap: conforming | 2023 (II) |
| resistant | refusing to give way | Antonym: pliant | 2026 (II) 'Defiant' sat among the options: it is a synonym. |
| hegemon | a power that dominates others | Meaning of 'would not become a hegemon' | 2022 (II) |
| strategic foothold | a planned point of access and influence | Meaning of the phrase | 2022 (II) |
| the Orient and the Occident | the East and the West | Meaning, in order | 2018 (I) |
| diverse combinatory prowess | skill at joining different elements into one working system | Meaning of the phrase | 2023 (II) |
| protocol | a formal set of rules for doing something | Meaning | 2022 (II) |
| pent-up demand | spending held back now, to be released later | Meaning of the term | 2021 (II) |
| pass through | passing higher costs on to buyers | Meaning of the term | 2022 (II) |
| unanchoring (of inflation) | inflation breaking loose and running out of control | Meaning of the term | 2022 (II) |
| carbon sink | something that takes in more carbon than it gives out | Meaning of the term | 2022 (II) |
| clogging | blocking | Meaning; traps: flow, clearing | 2023 (I) |
| deforestation | clearing of forests | Name of the effect | 2017 (I) |
| prevalence | how common something is | Passage word to fill a blank | 2018 (II) |
| diluted | weakened | Antonym: consolidated | 2018 (I) |
| new and advanced technology | the Industrial Revolution | What the phrase refers to | 2019 (I) |
| emerged | came up, surfaced | Passage word for 'surfaced' | 2019 (II) |
| transitioned | changed over | Passage word for 'changeover' | 2020 (I) |
| previously | earlier | Passage word for 'earlier' | 2018 (II) |
| trend | a general direction, a tendency | Passage word for 'tendency' | 2019 (II) |
| customized | adapted to a need | Meaning; trap: mass produced | 2019 (II) |
| demolition | destruction | Meaning | 2018 (II) |
| league up | band together | Meaning of the phrase | 2022 (I) |
| give promise of good hunting | show yourself an easy target | Meaning of the phrase | 2018 (II) |
| predator, marauding | predator: an animal that hunts others; marauding: roaming to attack | Pair of passage words for enemies | 2018 (I) |
| square with | agree with | Meaning, with the sentence's 'not' | 2022 (II) |
| perspectives | viewpoints | Passage word for 'viewpoints' | 2020 (I) |
| distinctive | special, setting something apart | Passage word for 'unique' | 2020 (II) |
| analogy | a comparison that shows likeness | Opposite of 'contrast' | 2020 (II) |
| deterministic relationship | events caused by forces outside the will | Term for a definition | 2024 (II) |
| components, dimensions | parts | Opposite of 'whole' | 2024 (I) |
| terraced | cut into steps; adjective from the noun terrace | Word form | 2026 (II) |
| settled | verb form of settle that also works as an adjective | Word form | 2026 (II) |
| subversive | undermining authority; noun form: subversion | Noun form | 2026 (II) Subvention (a grant of money) only looks like it. |
Grouped by theme. The traps named in the third column are the options set against each word.
Watch out for (18)
- Picking the opposite→ Read the sentence, then put each option back in
- The near miss→ Read the sentence, then put each option back in
- Deciding from the picture, not the sentence→ Read the sentence, then put each option back in
- Immanent read as imminent→ The passage picks the sense; look-alike words are traps
- Suffrage read as suffering→ The passage picks the sense; look-alike words are traps
- Canonical read as cannon→ The passage picks the sense; look-alike words are traps
- A compound taken literally→ The passage picks the sense; look-alike words are traps
- Losing the sentence's 'not'→ Idioms and figurative phrases: read the picture, keep the sentence's 'not'
- Reading the picture literally→ Idioms and figurative phrases: read the picture, keep the sentence's 'not'
- An option that adds a detail→ Idioms and figurative phrases: read the picture, keep the sentence's 'not'
- Choosing the reverse of an idiom→ Idioms and figurative phrases: read the picture, keep the sentence's 'not'
- Right pair, wrong order→ Terms and references: what the phrase points to in this passage
- A result offered as the meaning→ Terms and references: what the phrase points to in this passage
- Forgetting who passes what to whom→ Terms and references: what the phrase points to in this passage
- A term that needs a little history→ Terms and references: what the phrase points to in this passage
- Learning one sense only→ Passage words CDS has tested
- The synonym in an antonym question→ Passage words CDS has tested
- A look-alike in the options→ Passage words CDS has tested
Test yourself on Reading Comprehension
25 past CDS questions from this chapter, timed at 25 minutes and marked the way the exam marks it. You see your score and every answer the moment you finish. Free to start.