PS TET Paper 2: English Language Test - 1 (Social Science) - PS TET MCQ

Directions: Read the given passage and answer the question that follows by selecting the most appropriate option.
The scene presented by a community of bees is the more astonishing, the more we become acquainted with its details. Each hive is a commonwealth, of which the queen is nominally the head, receiving the greatest honour and care from her industrious subjects. With a greater wisdom than can be claimed by men, these creatures allow no disputes about the succession to the throne to induce them to injure each other; but they require the parties themselves individually to settle the quarrel between each other, without prolonged interference with the duties of the hive. Indeed, they may be said with truth to have adopted the advice: Let those who make the quarrels, be the only ones to fight. Only one queen is permitted to hold office in the community at a time; but while her claims are undisputed, she is treated with singular respect and affection. Indeed, her presence, and the prospect of a future generation, appear the chief motives of the insects to exert themselves.

Q. 'The prospect of a future generation' suggests that the writer is ______ in his/her outlook.

Read the following passage carefully.
Discursive writing refers to a style of writing that presents a balanced argument by considering various points of view. This type of writing allows the writer to explore different perspectives and draw conclusions based on evidence and reasoning. Discursive writing provides an opportunity for the writer to critically analyze a topic and consider different perspectives. This style of writing can also be used to present a convincing argument and persuade the reader to accept a particular viewpoint. Additionally, discursive writing helps the writer to develop analytical skills and improves critical thinking abilities.
However, discursive writing can also have some disadvantages. One of the main challenges is finding credible sources of information to support one's arguments. In addition, it can be difficult to keep the writing objective and neutral, especially when dealing with controversial or sensitive topics. Moreover, discursive writing can become repetitive and monotonous if the writer focuses too much on presenting different perspectives without offering a conclusion. To effectively write a discursive essay, it is important to research the topic thoroughly and gather relevant information from credible sources. The writer should also aim to present a balanced argument by considering both sides of the issue. Additionally, the writer should focus on developing clear and well-structured paragraphs and use transitional words to guide the reader through the argument.
In conclusion, discursive writing is a valuable tool for exploring different perspectives and drawing well-reasoned conclusions. However, it is important to approach the task with care and consideration to ensure that the writing is objective and presents a balanced argument. With the right preparation and strategy, discursive writing can be an enjoyable and effective way to express one's opinions and thoughts on a particular topic.

Q. What strategies are recommended for effective discursive writing in the passage?

Direction: Read the passage carefully and answer the question below it.
I was quite done in. The keeper took me to his room, and I tidied myself up a bit. He gave me some more “white” coffee, and it seemed to do me good. When I went out, the sun was up and the sky mottled red above the hills between Marengo and the sea. A morning breeze was blowing and it had a pleasant salty tang. There was the promise of a very fine day. I hadn’t been in the country for ages, and I caught myself thinking what an agreeable walk I could have had, if it hadn’t been for Mother. As it was, I waited in the courtyard, under a plane tree. I sniffed the smells of the cool earth and found I wasn’t sleepy any more. Then I thought of the other fellows in the office. At this hour they’d be getting up, preparing to go to work; for me this was always the worst hour of the day. I went on thinking, like this, for ten minutes or so; then the sound of a bell inside the building attracted my attention. I could see movements behind the windows; then all was calm again. The sun had risen a little higher and was beginning to warm my feet. The keeper came across the yard and said the warden wished to see me. I went to his office and he got me to sign some document. I noticed that he was in black, with pin-stripe trousers. He picked up the telephone receiver and looked at me. “The undertaker’s men arrived some moments ago, and they will be going to the mortuary to screw down the coffin. Shall I tell them to wait, for you to have a last glimpse of your mother?” “No,” I said. He spoke into the receiver, lowering his voice. “That’s all right, Figeac. Tell the men to go there now.”

Q. Choose the word that is synonymous in meaning to the word "mortuary".

Directions: Read the poem given below and answer the question that follows.
T'was the night before Christmas,
And all through the kitchen,
My mother was cooking some delicious chicken.
All of the sudden,
The light bulb broke,
And my mother randomly started to choke.
In a flash, superman came.
My brother thought his costume was lame.
And instead of rescuing the day,
He ate up my dinner,
And he flew away !
Santa burnt the house with dynamites and flares,
I guess I was on the naughty list, next year,
I'll care !

Q. The night before Christmas is also spoken of as

The digital revolution has indisputably reshaped our society, permeating virtually every facet of life. We live in a hyperconnected era, where the boundary between the real and virtual worlds is increasingly blurred. Though its benefits are myriad, it's worth pausing to consider the potential downsides of this digital immersion.
On the one hand, technology has democratized information, fostering global connectivity and accessibility. The internet, smartphones, and various digital platforms have empowered us with the ability to learn, communicate, and collaborate like never before. They have catapulted us into an era of unprecedented convenience and opportunity, where we can virtually traverse the globe with a simple click.
Yet, this digital immersion also comes with pitfalls. The unending influx of information can overwhelm our cognitive capabilities, leading to information overload. The constant bombardment of updates, notifications, and messages can disrupt our focus, leading to a condition known as "digital fatigue." Further, it's alarming to see the increasing prevalence of cyberbullying, privacy breaches, and disinformation campaigns, which have severe consequences on our societal harmony.
The digital revolution is a double-edged sword. It grants us unparalleled access to knowledge, yet it can also breed distraction, misinformation, and anxiety. We need to strike a balance, leveraging the best of what technology offers while mitigating its downsides. As we continue to navigate this digital landscape, it's crucial to remember that technology is merely a tool—it's how we use it that ultimately defines its impact.

Q. Which statement is false according to the passage?

Direction: Read the passage and answer the questions that follow. Some words may be highlighted for you. Pay careful attention.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX has been testing the Starlink satellite broadband service which boasts of a speed boost of around 300mbps and latency reduction to around 20ms. Musk confirmed the speed boost in response to a tweet by a user who received the Starlink broadband kit in the United States and shared a screenshot of the service offering them broadband speeds of 130mbps. "Speed will double to ~300Mb/s & latency will drop to ~20ms later this year," he said. During the beta testing phase, Starlink offered users a broadband speed between 50mbps and 150mbps with the latency expected between 20ms and 40ms, depending on location. In this phase, the Starlink kit included a phased-arrayed satellite dish, a tripod and a Wi-Fi router. SpaceX says that the Starlink satellite broadband service will cover most of the Earth by the end of the year which means that the service could also be expanded in India although there is no confirmed roadmap for the same. SpaceX has already submitted its recommendations to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) last year for introducing satellite broadband in India.
"Most of Earth by end of the year, all by next year, then it’s about densifying coverage. Important to note that cellular will always have the advantage in dense urban areas. Satellites are best for low to medium population density areas," tweeted Musk.

Q. Give another word for the underlined word in the given line - "SpaceX has already submitted its recommendations to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) last year for introducing satellite broadband in India."

Directions: Read the given poem and answer the question that follows by selecting the most appropriate option.
As I Watch You Grow
Do you know how much you mean to me?
As you grow into what you will be.
You came from within, from just beneath my heart.
It's there you'll always be, though your own life will now start.
You're growing so fast it sends me a whirl,
With misty eyes I ask, Where's my little girl?
I know sometimes to you I seem harsh and so unfair,
But one day you will see, I taught you well because I care.
The next few years will so quickly fly,
With laughter and joy, mixed with a few tears to cry.
As you begin your growth to womanhood, this fact you must know,
You'll always be my source of pride, no matter where you go.
You must stand up tall and proud, within you feel no fear,
For all you dreams and goals sit before you very near.
With God's love in your heart and the world by its tail,
You'll always be my winner, and victory will prevail.
For you this poem was written, with help from above,
To tell you in a rhythm of your Mother's heartfelt love!
-KayTheese

Q. An antonym for the word 'harsh' is

Direction: Read the following passage and answer the question. (choose the most appropriate answers)
When another old cave is discovered in the South France, it is not usually news. Rather, it is an ordinary event. Such discoveries are so frequent these days that hardly anybody pays heed to them. However, when the Lascaux cave complex was discovered in 1940, the world was amazed. Painted directly on its walls were hundreds of scenes showing how people lived thousands of years ago. The scenes show people hunting animals , such as bison or wild cats. Other images depict birds and, most noticeably, horses, which appear in more than 300 wall images, by far outnumbering all other animals. Early artists drawing these animals accomplished a monumental difficult task. They did not limit themselves to the easily accessible walls but carried their painting materials to spaces that required climbing steep walls or crawling into narrow passages in the Lascaux complex. Unfortunately, the paintings have been exposed to the destructive action of water and temperature changes, which easily wear the images away. Because the Lascaux caves have many entrances, air movement has also damaged the images inside, Although they are not out in the open air, where natural light would have destroyed them long ago, many of the images have deteriorated and are barely recognizable. To prevent further damage, the site was closed to tourists in 1963, 23 years after it was discovered.

Q. According to the Passage, which animals appear most often on the cave walls ?

Direction: Read the following information carefully and answer the given questions.
Initiatives such as “4 per mille” and Terraton aim to sequester huge amounts of carbon in the soil. The 2018 U.S. Farm Bill includes the first-ever incentives for farmers to adopt practices aimed at improving soil health and sequestering carbon. But these initiatives are missing a key point: not all soil carbon is the same.
The very different lifetimes of particulate organic matter and mineral-associated organic matter have important implications for these efforts. For example, adding low-quality crop residues to agricultural fields would likely create more particulate organic matter than mineral-associated organic matter. This could increase soil carbon in the short term - but if that field later is disturbed by tilling, a lot of it would decompose and the benefit would be quickly reversed. The best practices focus on building up the mineral-associated organic matter for longer-term carbon storage, while also producing high-quality particulate organic matter with lots of nitrogen to help boost crop productivity.
Natural healthy soils show us that providing continuous and diverse plant inputs that reach all the way to deep soil is key for achieving both high mineral-associated organic matter storage and particulate organic matter recycling. There are many promising ways to do this, such as maintaining plant cover on fields year-round; growing diverse crops that include high-nitrogen legumes and perennials with deep roots; and minimizing tillage.
However, not all soils can accumulate both mineral-associated organic matter and particulate organic matter. Before implementing any management practices for carbon sequestration, participants should first assess the carbon storage potential of the local soil, much as a doctor studies a patient before prescribing a cure. Sequestering soil carbon effectively requires an understanding of how particulate organic matter and mineral-associated organic matter work, how human actions affect them, and how to build up both types to meet our planet’s climate and food security needs.

Q. Select the option whose meaning is opposite to the word 'accumulate'.

Directions: Read the passage given below and answer the question that follows.
Once upon a time, there lived a sparrow in a tree. He was very happy to have a beautiful and comfortable nest of his own in the tree. The sparrow used to fly to far off places to pick at grains from so many fields, full of crops. At the Sun set, he would return to his perch. One day, the sparrow ate his fill, but could not return to his nest because of the heavy rains which continued for the whole night. The sparrow had to spend the whole night in a big banyan tree a little distance away from home.
The next morning, when the rain stopped and the sky became clear, the sparrow returned to his tree. He was astonished to find a rabbit occupying his beautiful and comfortable nest. The sparrow lost his temper and spoke to the rabbit, "It's my home you're sitting in. Please quit this place at once".
"Do not talk like a fool", replied the rabbit. "Trees, rivers and lakes do not belong to anyone. Places like these are yours only so long as you are living in. If someone else occupies it in your absence, it belongs to the new occupant. So, go away and do not disturb me anymore".
But, the sparrow was not satisfied with this illogical reply. He said, "Let's ask a person of wisdom and only then our case will be settled".
At a distance from the tree, there lived a wild cat. The cat, somehow, overheard the discussion that took place between the sparrow and the rabbit.
The cat immediately thought of a plan, took a holy dip in the river, and then sat like a priest and began chanting God's name in a loud tone. When the rabbit and the sparrow heard the cat chanting God's name, they approached him with a hope to get impartial justice and requested him to pass a judgement in the matter.
The cat became very happy to have both of them in front of him. He pretended to listen to their arguments. But, as soon as the right opportunity came, the cat pounced upon both of them and killed and ate them together with great relish. 
(from Panchtantra)

Q. This story can be used for teaching

What is the primary difference between Piaget's and Vygotsky's theories of language development? 

A teacher of class V asks her students to put their drawings, poems, stories, worksheets and other material developed by them in that term in a specified folder. These folders of the students can be called as ________.

While writing a precis of a passage, you must reduce the passage to

In a classroom, while reading the text a teacher is emphasizing pronouns, determiners, and conjunctions. It means she is focusing over:

Direction: Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow by selecting the most appropriate options:
(1) We embarked along the sapphire route along National Highway 17 for a sun-soaked holiday. This route along Karnataka’s Karavali coast is India’s best beach and temple country. Flanked by the soaring Western Ghats on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west, the Karavali stretch is a scenic treat all the way.
(2) The first halt in our coastal circuit in Uttara Kannada district was Bhatkal. Bhatkal is where Konkani begins to share space with Tulu. A 4-km drive out of town took us to the beach and the small fishing wharf. At the bazaar, we tried out the two local specialities – date halwa and a salted roti. One also shouldn’t miss the Bhatkal biriyani.
(3) Gokarna is a charming little town with temples, a wide expanse of beach, two principal streets and clusters of traditional tile-roofed brick houses. You’ll also find quaint Udupi food joints, souvenir shops, and cyber cafes here.
(4) Once the ‘temple fatigue’ set in, we indulged in some sedate sea-watching. Om beach, one of Gokarna’s famed five, takes the shape of an ‘Om’, a spiritual symbol. The road twists through alleys, past people’s houses, temple chariots and ‘Way to Beach’ signs. The other pristine beaches, wedged between gigantic cliffs that protrude like delicate fingers into the sea, are Gokarna, Kudle, Half Moon and Paradise.
(5) The last halt in our coastal itinerary was Karwar. Karwar was the erstwhile trading outpost of foreigners. It is said that even the great explorer Vasco da Gama walked on the golden sands of Karwar. Apart from the excellent harbour, four beaches that offer sun, sand, surf and sport and five islands, Karwar has much more to offer.
(6) A short boat ride away you’ll find the excellent Devbagh Beach and five idyllic islands. With its pristine beach, and an eco-friendly resort with ethnic log huts, it is a romantic hideaway offering complete privacy and solitude sans the five-star trappings.
(7) We followed Tagore’s footsteps and took a boat cruise up the Kali from the mouth. We spotted dolphins as they gracefully dived into azure waters. From the island one can have a gorgeous view of the sea, sand and the neighbouring islands. As we returned from our coastal odyssey, we realised Karnataka is not short of fabulous beaches but lacks salesmen of its ravishing beauty.

Q. Which of the following words is an antonym to the word – 
‘quaint’

Considering students' learning styles broadens the approaches taken to help language-related problems. An example of a learning style is

The abrupt change between languages one knows in order to maximize communication efficiency is called?

Direction: ​Read the given passages carefully and answer the question that follows.
Everything that men do or think concerns either the satisfaction of the needs they feel or the need to escape from pain. This must be kept in mind when we seek to understand spiritual or intellectual movements and the way in which they develop, for feeling and longing are the motive forces of all human striving and productivity – however nobly these latter may display themselves to us.
What, then, are the feelings and the needs which have brought mankind to religious thought and to faith in the widest sense? A moment’s consideration shows that the most varied emotions stand at the cradle of religious thought and experience.
In primitive people, it is, first of all, fear that awakens religious ideas – fear of hunger, of wild animals, of illness, and of death. Since the understanding of causal connections is usually limited on this level of existence, the human soul forges a being, more or less like itself, on whose will and activities depend the experiences which it fears. One hopes to win the favor of this being, by deeds and sacrifices, which according to the tradition of the race are supposed to appease the being or to make him well disposed to man. I call this the religion of fear.
This religion is considerably established, though not caused, by the formation of priestly caste which claims to mediate between the people and the being they fear and so attains a position of power. Often a leader or despot will combine the function of the priesthood with its own temporal rule for the sake of greater security, or an alliance may exist between the interests of political power and the priestly caste.
Q. What feeling promoted primitive man to create religion?

An individual with a learning disability is likely to

Teachers help learners ‘construct’ their knowledge in English by

Direction: Read the passage and answer the questions that follow. Some words may be highlighted for you. Pay careful attention.
It is important to first understand what Artificial Intelligence (AI) actually is. According to the definition of AI in the Oxford dictionary, Artificial Intelligence is intelligence exhibited by machines. In computer science, an ideal  "intelligent" machine is a flexible rational agent that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its chance of success at some goal. Thus, when a machine mimics a human-like behaviour e.g. learning, planning, reasoning, problem-solving, the perception of the environment, natural language processing etc., then it falls under the category of Artificial Intelligence. Despite the fact that we are counting on  Artificial  Intelligence as the next tool to revolutionize the way we live,  work and interact with each other -- which will be mostly enabled by machine-learning techniques – it remains unclear as to how these intelligent agents will help to solve more complex problems than the ones existing today (e.g. Poverty, Epidemics, climate changes) while keeping in mind that the state of the art in AI today is to intelligently recognize images and smartly playing games. Nevertheless, if it does improve, then it will be no less than a superhuman intelligence and the question arising is that if we do not have a legal framework to prevent malicious use of this intelligence, then it might put the entire humanity on the verge of devastation too. If we also look at the present situation and who is involved in riding the waves of progress in Artificial Intelligence, then one can easily find big enterprises like Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and  IBM  are the ones who are big players in the field.  The progress in AI is also bringing steady consequences e.g. eradicating jobs by the means of work automation,  one such scenario can be seen in the Industry 4.0  framework, which is nowadays in use in the automobile industry.  Industry  4.0  creates what has been called a ‘smart factory’ wherein a large number of robots take forward the whole manufacturing process with the help of cyber-physical systems,  IoT and cloud computing.

Q. Select the most appropriate word(synonym) for the emboldened word - 'revolutionize'.

Identify the active form of the given sentence.
She likes being admired.

According to Halliday, ______ function of language is used to tell stories, jokes and to create an imaginary environment. 

During classroom discussions, a teacher often pays more attention to boys than girls. This is an example of:

Which of the following words tell(s) us about the earlier action in the sentence?
Hirachand (A) told me what (B) had (C) happened.

The method of teaching in a large classroom should be chosen on the basis of: 

Direction: Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.
The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely, and the grass was richly green. The people of the village began to gather in the square, between the post office and the bank, around ten o’clock; in some towns, there were so many people that the lottery took two days and had to be started on June 20th, but in this village, where there were only about three hundred people, the whole lottery took less than two hours so that it could begin at ten o’clock in the morning and still be through in time to allow the villagers to get home for noon dinner.
The children assembled first, of course. The school was recently over for the summer, and the feeling of liberty sat uneasily on most of them; they tended to gather together quietly for a while before they broke into boisterous play, and their talk was still of the classroom and the teacher, of books and reprimands. Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones; Bobby and Harry Jones and Dickie Delacroix—the villagers pronounced this name “Dellacroy”—eventually made a great pile of stones in one corner of the square and guarded it against the raids of the other boys. The girls stood aside, talking among themselves, looking over their shoulders at the boys, and the tiny children rolled in the dust or clung to the hands of their older brothers or sisters.
Soon the men began to gather, surveying their own children, speaking of planting and rain, tractors and taxes. They stood together, away from the pile of stones in the corner, and their jokes were quiet, and they smiled rather than laughed. The women, wearing faded house dresses and sweaters, came shortly after their menfolk. They greeted one another and exchanged bits of gossip as they went to join their husbands. Soon the women, standing by their husbands, began to call to their children, and the children came reluctantly, having to be called four or five times. Bobby Martin ducked under his mother’s grasping hand and ran, laughing, back to the pile of stones. His father spoke up sharply, and Bobby came quickly and took his place between his father and his oldest brother.

Q. The school was recently over for the summer, and the feeling of liberty sat uneasily on most of them; they tended to gather together quietly for a while before they broke into: