BPSC AE Civil Paper 1 (General English) Mock Test - 2 - Civil Engineering (CE) MCQ

The correct answer is 'Ordinary'.

Key Points

• The word 'Mundane' refers to something that is ordinary, not exciting, or interesting because of being very familiar. It is something commonplace, habitual or routine. (सामान्य or साधारण).
  • Example of Mundane: Cleaning dishes after every meal is a mundane task for many people.
• The word 'Ordinary' means normal or usual; not special, different, or extreme. It fits as a synonym for 'Mundane'. (सामान्य or साधारण).
  • Example of Ordinary: It was just an ordinary Wednesday, with nothing special planned.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'option 4'.

Additional Information

• 'Timid' means showing a lack of courage or confidence; easily frightened. (डरपोक or भीरु).
• 'Greedy' characterizes those having or showing an intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth or power. (लालची or भूखा).
• 'Honest' signifies truthfulness, sincerity, or frankness; free from deceit and untruthfulness. (ईमानदार or सच्चा).

• Apparent means clearly visible or understood; obvious. (स्पष्ट)
  • Example: The reason for his happiness was apparent when he received the award.
• Obscure refers to something not discovered or known about; uncertain or unclear. (अस्पष्ट)
  • Example: The origins of the ancient manuscript remain obscure, with little evidence to pinpoint its exact time period.
• Hence, the correct antonym is Obscure.

• Probable means likely to happen or be the case. (संभावित)
  • Example: The dark clouds made rain probable later in the day.
• Manifest means clear or obvious to the eye or mind. (प्रकट)
  • Example: His nervousness was manifest in his shaky hands.
• Obvious means easily perceived or understood; clear, self-evident, or apparent. (स्पष्ट)
  • Example: The solution to the problem was obvious once he stopped overthinking it.

The correct answer is "in".

Key Points

• The correct phrase to be used is "absorbed in," which means to be fully engaged or engrossed in something.
• "In" is the preposition that correctly completes this phrase because it indicates the activity or thing that has one's full attention.
• The use of "in" here suggests being surrounded or encompassed by the act of studying, reflecting deep engagement.
• This expression frequently appears in contexts involving intellectual or physical activities where the subject is fully concentrated on or devoted to the activity mentioned.
• Therefore, the correct answer is "Option 4".

Additional Information

• "To" is a preposition that indicates direction or destination. It is not used with the verb "absorbed" in this context.
• "By" is a preposition often used to indicate the agent performing an action in passive structures, which does not fit the context of someone being engaged in studies.
• "With" can indicate accompaniment or possession but does not convey the sense of engrossment or being engrossed that "in" does when used with "absorbed."

The correct answer is "from".

Key Points

• The sentence is based on the context of someone being restrained or prevented from making a quick decision.
• "Restrained" indicates controlled or held back from making a decision, and this action is accurately linked with the term 'from'.
• Generally, the verb "restrain" is followed by the preposition "from" when referring to preventing an event or action.
• The options "of”, "to”, "for”, and leaving the statement blank, fail to express the intended meaning of being restrained 'from' acting.
• Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 4'.

Additional Information

• "Of": The preposition "of" indicates the relationship between a part and a whole or belonging to something.
• "To": "To" is used to express motion in the direction of or identify the person affected.
  • "Restrained to" is grammatically incorrect in this context.
• "For": "For" is used to express purpose or reason, but in the sentence, it doesn’t express the prevention of an action, which is necessary.

The correct answer is 'put off'.

Key Points

• Meanings of all the phrasal verbs given in the options:
  1. Put by: save money for future use (भविष्य के उपयोग के लिए पैसे बचाना).
     • ​​Example: I'm putting by part of the wages every week to buy a TV and Washing machine.
  2. Put up: construct or erect something (कुछ बनाना या खड़ा करना).
     • Example: They're planning to put a hotel up where the museum used to be.
  3. Put off: to decide or arrange to delay an event or activity until a later time or date (किसी घटना या गतिविधि को बाद के समय या तारीख तक विलंबित करने का निर्णय या व्यवस्था करना).
     • Example: They decided to put the wedding off until his brother had returned from Belgium.
  4. Put through: make someone experience something difficult or unpleasant (किसी को कुछ कठिन या अप्रिय अनुभव कराना).
     • Example: Children shouldn’t be put through the ordeal of giving evidence in court.
• Here, the appropriate phrasal verb is '​Put off', as the above sentence refers to the decision being delayed because of no agreement among the members.

Therefore, Option 3 is the correct answer.

Complete Sentence: The decision was put off owing to no consensus among the members.

The correct answer is 'Drove.'
Key Points

• Let us examine all the given options:
• Drive: "He" is a third person singular in the present tenses and in this case an ‘s’ or ‘es’ is added to the infinitive form of the verb (e.g. ‘to go, to drink, to see’).
  • Therefore, this option is incorrect.
• Driven: It is the V3 form of the verb "Drive". The structure for using the V3 form in a sentence is: Subject + Has/Have/Had + V3
  • ​Therefore, this option is incorrect.
• Drived: Grammatically incorrect form of the verb.
• So, the correct option is "drove."
• Therefore, the correct answer is Option 3.

​Correct sentence: He drove through the ragged mountain tracks with ease.

• The idiom “An axe to grind” is used when someone has a personal motive or selfish reason for being involved in something.
• It suggests that they have private, often negative, reasons for being involved in a situation or dispute.
• This phrase is often used in the context of someone pursuing a personal agenda or seeking revenge for a perceived wrong.
• Therefore, it aligns with the option ‘To have a dispute with someone’.

• Option 2) ‘Having to start all over again’ does not align with the meaning of the idiom. The idiom does not imply starting from scratch or beginning again after a setback.
• Option 3) ‘Depend on, count on’ is not suitable as the idiom “An axe to grind” does not convey reliance or dependence on someone or something.
• Option 4) ‘A mistake made in something you are trying to achieve’ is not a fit, as the idiom does not refer to errors or mistakes in one’s endeavours. It’s about having a personal motive or dispute.

The correct answer is "Regicide".

Key Points

• The one-word substitute for "the killing of a king" is "Regicide".
• "Regicide" refers to the act of killing a king or the killing of a reigning monarch. (राज-हत्या)
  • Example: The rebels committed regicide by assassinating the king during a grand ceremony.
• Hence, the correct answer is "Regicide".

Therefore, the correct answer is "Option 4".

Additional Information

• Genocide: It refers to the killing of a whole race. (नरसंहार)
• Homicide: It refers to the killing of a human being. (मानव हत्या)
• Suicide: It refers to the killing of oneself. (आत्महत्या)

The erroneous part is 'being hindrance'.

Key Points

• In the sentence, the phrase "being hindrance" is grammatically incorrect because it lacks an article before the noun "hindrance."
• Articles (like "a" or "the") are used to specify or generalize a noun. In this case, the noun "hindrance" refers to something that is causing an obstruction or acting as an obstacle.
• When using a noun like "hindrance," it usually requires an article before it to make the sentence grammatically accurate. The corrected phrase would be "being a hindrance." Here, "a" acts as the indefinite article, indicating that the person in question was acting as one among many possible hindrances.
• So, the revised sentence would be: "Instead of being helpful, he was being a hindrance." This correction ensures grammatical accuracy by properly introducing the noun "hindrance" with the necessary article.

The erroneous part is 'Several banks are shown interest'.
Key Points

• The error in the sentence is in part (A), where the incorrect verb form "shown" is used. The correct verb form in this context is "have shown."
• Here's a more detailed explanation:
• The verb phrase "shown interest" should be in the present perfect tense to convey that the action started in the past and is still relevant in the present. The correct structure is "have shown interest."
• Here's an example to illustrate the use of the present perfect tense:
  • Incorrect: She shown her skills in painting.
  • Correct: She has shown her skills in painting.
• In the given sentence, "are shown interest" uses an incorrect verb form, as "shown" is the past participle of "show."
• By using the present perfect tense ("have shown"), it indicates that the action of showing interest began in the past and continues into the present, which is the intended meaning of the sentence.

The correct sentence should be: "Several banks have shown interest in the proposed development of the public sector."

The correct answer is "three times".

Key Points

• "Three time" is incorrect because "time" is a singular noun and should be used with a singular verb.
• "Three-timing" is incorrect because it is not a standard phrase.
• "Three times" is the correct way to say "three instances of time."
• It is a common phrase that is used to indicate frequency.

Therefore, the correct answer is "Option 2".

Additional Information

• "Three of time" is incorrect because it is not a standard phrase.
• "Three times of" is also incorrect because it is not a standard phrase.

The correct answer is Rise.

Key Points

• Surge: a sudden powerful forward or upward movement.
  • ​Example: There was a sudden surge in the demand for sanitizers with the outbreak of Covid-19.
• Rise: an upward movement.
• Thus, the appropriate synonym of the surge is rise.
• The correct answer is option 2.

Additional Information

• Fall: move from a higher to a lower level.
• Need: Necessity.
• Lack: the state of being without or not having enough of something.

The correct answer is option 2) i.e. 'Wasteful'.

Key Points

• Let's look at the meanings of the given word and marked option:
  • ​Prudent- acting with or showing care and thought for the future.
  • Wasteful- using something in a careless way and causing some of it to be wasted.
• Let's look at the meanings of the other given options:
  • Shrewd- having or based on a clear understanding and good judgment of a situation, resulting in an advantage.
  • Cautious- a person who is careful to avoid potential dangers; not acting quickly in order to avoid risks.
  • Clever- having or showing the ability to learn and understand things quickly and easily.
• Hence from the given meanings, we find that Prudent and Wasteful are antonyms.
• So the correct answer is option 2.

Additional Information

• Let's look at the synonyms and antonyms for the given word:
  • ​Antonym- unwise, imprudent, incautious, extravagant
  • Synonym- discreet, unobtrusive, sensible, shrewd, reasonable

The correct answer is 'fast.'
Key Points

• In the given sentence, we must use the positive degree of the word "fast" as there is no comparison.
• Also, here we need the adverb "fast" to modify the verb "run."
• The word "fasted" is a verb and "fastly" is an incorrect word.
• Faster is a comparative degree of the adverb/adjective 'fast'.
• Therefore, they can be ruled out.
• The positive degree of the word "fast" is "fast."
• Hence, option 1 is the correct answer.​

​Correct sentence: It was wonderful to watch my children run fast to my car.

• The idiom "Get the ball rolling" means to initiate or start an activity. (किसी गतिविधि को शुरू करना)
• It is often used in a group setting to encourage someone to take the first step in starting a project or discussion.
  • Example: Let's get the ball rolling on this project.
• It can also be used in a personal context to motivate oneself to begin a task.

The correct answer is option 1, Jockey.

Key Points

• A jockey is a professional rider in horse racing who rides the horse during the race. They are responsible for guiding the horse and making strategic decisions during the race.
  • For example, famous jockeys include Frankie Dettori and Ruby Walsh.
• Option 2, Autocrat, is not related to horse racing. An autocrat is a ruler who has absolute power and authority.
• Option 3, Cellar, is also not related to horse racing. A cellar is a room or space below ground level, typically used for storage.
• Option 4, Horse Pilot, is not a commonly used term in horse racing. While a jockey can be seen as a pilot of sorts, this term is not widely used in the industry.
• Overall, the most appropriate one word for a professional rider in horse racing is Jockey.

The correct answer is 'to meeting'.

Key Points

• The given sentence is grammatically incorrect.
• The segment that contains a grammatical error is: "to meeting."
• Here, 'to meet' should be used instead of 'to meeting'.
• The error lies in the incorrect use of the infinitive form of the verb "to meet." In this context, the correct infinitive form should be used ("to meet") instead of "to meeting," which is not grammatically accurate in this sentence structure.
  

Correct Sentence: I visit my school once a year to meet my former teachers.

The correct answer is 'He is faster enough'.

Key Points

• The question involves identifying a grammatical error in the given sentence.
• The sentence is divided into parts, and we need to find the part that is grammatically incorrect.
• The first part of the sentence says 'He is faster enough', which is not grammatically correct.
• In English, we usually say someone is "fast enough" or "quick enough", not "faster enough".
• The adverb 'enough' modifies adjectives but it does not usually modify comparatives.
• So, the error lies in the first part of the sentence.
• 'To defeat' and 'the current record holder' are grammatically correct as they convey clear and specific meanings.
• 'To defeat' indicates the action that can be done because the person is 'fast enough', and 'The current record holder' identifies who the person can defeat.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1.

The correct answer is 'better'.

Key Points

• The issue in the initial sentence lies in the use of the phrase 'more better'.
• 'Better' is a comparative form of the word 'good' and it does not require 'more' to show comparison.
• The phrase 'more better' is considered redundant due to the double comparison.
• Therefore, the correct phrase to use here is 'Sophie is a much better runner than her brother.'

Therefore, the correct answer is ‘Option 1’.

Additional Information

• 'More good' is grammatically incorrect because 'good' is an adjective, and its comparative form is 'better', not 'more good'.
• 'More betterer' is also grammatically incorrect because 'betterer' is not a standard word.
• ‘No improvement’ is incorrect because the sentence, as it was initially written, was grammatically incorrect.

The correct answer is 'doesn't make'.

Key Points

• The subject in the sentence 'It' is singular.
• For a singular noun in the present tense, 'do not' should be replaced with 'does not' or its contraction 'doesn't.'
• 'Don't' is incorrect in this context. The correct phrase should be 'doesn't make', which makes the corrected sentence: "It doesn't make sense to me."

​Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 1'.

Additional Information

• Option 2 ‘do not make' is incorrect because 'do not' is used with plural subjects or the singular pronouns 'I' and 'you.' 'It' requires 'does not.'
• Option 3 ‘isn't making' is grammatically correct, but it changes the tense of the sentence to present continuous, which is not the intended meaning in the original sentence.

The correct answer is publicize
Key Points

• The word promulgate (verb) generally means to make (an idea, belief, etc.) known to many people by open declaration; proclaim
  (विचार, विश्‍वास आदि को लोगों में प्रख्‍यात या प्रचारित करना)
  • ​Ex: The purpose of the documentary is to promulgate the importance of Indian customs and rituals.
• ​The marked option, publicize means, to bring to the attention of the public (प्रचारित करना)
  • Ex: The company neglected to publicize the risks involved in the investment.

​​Hence, publicize means the same as a promulgate.​
Therefore, the correct answer is option 3).
Additional Information

• Suppress: to stop something from being seen or known (किसी बात को प्रकट न होने देना, छिपा लेना)
• Withhold: to refuse to give something to somebody (देने से इनकार कर देना).
• Conceal: to hide something/somebody ((किसी से कुछ) छिपाना)

The correct answer is 'To completely change something.'
Key Points

• The meaning of the underlined idiom/phrase 'Turn topsy-turvy' is to be confused, or lacking organization; change completely, upside down.
• रेखांकित मुहावरे/वाक्यांश 'Turn topsy-turvy' का अर्थ है भ्रमित होना, या संगठन की कमी होना; पूरी तरह से बदलो, उल्टा।
  • Example: Things are so topsy-turvy at work these days.
• Therefore, the correct answer is 'To completely change something.'

Additional Information
Let us see some phrases/idioms:-

Here the correct answer is Not hurt or damaged.
Key Points

• Let's look at the meaning of the given idiom:-
• Safe and sound - not hurt or damaged. (चोट या क्षतिग्रस्त नहीं​)
  • For Example - Three days later, the hikers were found safe and sound.
• Thus, the correct answer is option 3.

Therefore, the correct meaning of the given idiom is Not hurt or damaged.

The correct answer is- ​To overstate a minor difficulty.
Key Points

• Let's look at the meaning of the given idiom:
• Make a mountain of a molehill: To make a slight difficulty seem like a serious problem.(थोड़ी सी कठिनाई के लिए एक गंभीर समस्या की तरह लग रहा है।)
  • Example: ​Stop worrying! You're making a mountain out of a molehill.

The correct meaning of the given idiom is- To overstate a minor difficulty
Additional Information

• Let's find out some synonym of Overstate:
• Exaggerate: To make something seem larger, more important, better, or worse than it really is. (किसी चीज़ को बड़ा, अधिक महत्वपूर्ण, बेहतर, या उससे भी बदतर दिखाना जो वास्तव में है।)
• Magnify: To make a problem bigger or more important. (किसी समस्या को बड़ा या अधिक महत्वपूर्ण बनाना।)

The correct answer is 'was seeing the child'.
Key Points

• The given sentence is grammatically incorrect.
• Here, 'saw' should be used instead of 'was seeing'.
• We know that when subordinating conjunction 'as soon as' is used in a sentence both the clauses in the sentence should be in the same tense.
  • Example: As soon as he received the telegram, he started.
• We use 'as soon as' to show that something happens immediately, i.e. 'at the very moment another action is completed', or 'shortly after another action is completed'.
• Therefore, as per the points mentioned above, we find that the correct answer is Option 1.

Correct Sentence: As soon as the bus driver saw the child crossing the road, he applied the brakes.
Hinglish

• दिया गया वाक्य व्याकरण की दृष्टि से गलत है।
• यहाँ 'was seeing' के स्थान पर 'saw' का प्रयोग होना चाहिए।
• हम जानते हैं कि जब एक वाक्य में 'as soon as' का प्रयोग किया जाता है तो वाक्य में दोनों clauses समान tense में होने चाहिए।
  • ​Example: As soon as he received the telegram, he started.
• हम 'as soon as' यह दिखाने के लिए उपयोग करते हैं कि कुछ तुरंत होता है, यानी 'उसी क्षण एक और क्रिया पूरी हो जाती है', या 'एक और कार्रवाई पूरी होने के तुरंत बाद'।
• इसलिए, ऊपर वर्णित बिंदुओं के अनुसार, हम पाते हैं कि सही उत्तर विकल्प 1 है।

The correct answer is 'has been adversely affected.'
Key Points

• The error lies in Part (has been adversely affected) of the sentence.
• The noun businesses is a plural noun.
• According to subject-verb agreement, it must take a plural verb.
• ​Therefore, the use of 'has been adversely affected' in the sentence should be replaced with 'have been adversely affected' to make it grammatically correct.
• Therefore, the correct answer is 'has been adversely affected.'
• ​Correct sentence: The Committee agreed that small businesses have been adversely affected by COVID19.

Additional Information

• We can use not … ever instead of never, but never is much more common.
  • Example: She has never been a friend of ours.

Hinglish

• त्रुटि वाक्य के Part (has been adversely affected) में निहित है।
• Noun businesses, plural संज्ञा है।
• Subject-verb agreement के अनुसार, इसे plural verb अवश्य लेनी चाहिए।
• इसलिए, वाक्य के 'has been adversely affected' का उपयोग 'have been adversely affected' के साथ प्रतिस्थापित किया जाना चाहिए, इसे व्याकरणिक रूप से सही बनाने के लिए।

The correct answer is 'well'.

Key Points

• The adverb "well" is used to describe how something is done or how something is.
• In this sentence, we are talking about how clearly the teacher explained the concept.
• Therefore, we need to use the adverb "well".
• The corrected sentence is: "The teacher explained the concept so clearly that everyone could understand it well."

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 1'.

Additional Information

• The adverb "better" is used to compare two things or situations.
• The adverb "best" is used to describe the highest degree of something.
• The option "No improvement" is incorrect because the sentence is grammatically incorrect with "good".

The correct answer is 'took over'.

Key Points

• In the given sentence, "took over" is the appropriate phrasal verb that denotes assuming control or responsibility from someone else (किसी और से नियंत्रण या जिम्मेदारी लेना), making it the correct choice in this context.
• "Took over" means assuming control or responsibility from someone else.
• In the context provided, Mohan is assumed to assume the responsibility or control of the Centre for Life Skills from Mustafa.
  

Correct Sentence: Mohan took over the charge of Centre for Life Skills from Mustafa.

Additional Information

• Let's look at the meaning of other options:
  • took out: This phrasal verb usually means to remove something or to extract (किसी चीज़ को हटाना या निकालना), but it doesn't fit the context of assuming control or responsibility.
  • took through: This phrase doesn't commonly exist as a phrasal verb. "Take through" might mean guiding or leading someone through a process, but it doesn’t align with the context provided.
  • took off: This phrasal verb typically means to depart quickly or to become successful suddenly (शीघ्र प्रस्थान करना या अचानक सफल होना). It doesn't suit the context of assuming responsibility or control.

The correct answer is 'any'.

Key Points

• Any means used to refer to one or some of a thing or a number of things, no matter how much or how many.
  • For example: Any person who comes in the store today is eligible for the discount.
• Few means a small number of.
• Little means a small amount of.
• A few means a small number of persons or things.
• By referring to the above explanation, it can be concluded that any should be the appropriate option to be chosen for filling the blank.

Hence, the correct answer is option 2.

The correct answer is Taciturn.

Key Points

• Let's look at the meaning of the marked option:
  • Taciturn- habitually reserved and uncommunicative
• Let's look at the meanings of the other given options:
  • Servile- submissive or fawning in attitude or behavior
  • Unequivocal- clearly defined or formulated
  • Synoptic- presenting a summary or general view of a whole
• Hence, from the given meanings, we find that taciturn is the correct one-word substitute.