UPSC CDS (I) 2020 — English (Full Question Paper)

ComprehensionSpotting ErrorsOrdering of WordsIdioms and PhrasesOrdering of SentencesFill in the BlanksSynonymsAntonymsParts of SpeechSpelling MistakesTransformation of SentencesReported Speech

Questions 1–10

1.Comprehension

Which one of the following statements is true according to the author?

(a)Agriculture has always been part of all civilizations.
(b)Not all civilizations have undergone the processes of agriculture.
(c)Agriculture gave birth to new civilizations.
(d)Communities discontinued agriculture to become civilizations.

2.Comprehension

A significant number of people were sent to carry out other work from agriculture because

(a)there were insufficient agricultural products.
(b)people were needed to build monuments, weapons, jewellery, etc.
(c)there were sufficient agricultural products.
(d)this enabled the development of civilizations.

3.Comprehension

What kind of agriculture based societies would emerge as civilizations?

(a)Societies which achieved high productivity in agriculture had the opportunity to find time for other work.
(b)Societies which depended on agriculture completely moved to other fruitful work so as to move to many places.
(c)Societies which transitioned from one stage of agriculture to another.
(d)Societies which could not do agriculture for lack of resources moved to other work.

4.Comprehension

People as groups were convinced to do new work through

(a)reward, force and community persuasions.
(b)ideologies, hierarchies and power structures.
(c)excessive agricultural products.
(d)very high rewards.

5.Comprehension

Which word in the passage means ‘changeover’?

(a)Transitioned
(b)Channel
(c)Coerce
(d)Hierarchies

6.Comprehension

According to the author, which one of the following statements is not true?

(a)Reader’s preconceptions influence their reading.
(b)Readers have expectations when they read an article or a book.
(c)Readers look for specific information in any of their readings.
(d)Readers assume that everything they read will have new information.

7.Comprehension

Our expectations and predispositions may, however, blind us because

(a)we may not get the actual ideas of the author.
(b)we will get the actual ideas of the author.
(c)we may disagree with the author.
(d)we will agree with all the ideas of the author.

8.Comprehension

One of the ways to improve our reading habits is to

(a)break the routine by changing the time of reading.
(b)change the types of topics we read.
(c)break the routine of reading the same newspaper.
(d)stop reading for some time and then restart reading.

9.Comprehension

Which quality does the author here advocate, to be a good reader?

(a)Being objective to the ideas of the author
(b)Having preconceptions and predispositions
(c)Having continuous routines
(d)Disagreeing with the author

10.Comprehension

Which word in the passage means ‘viewpoints’?

(a)Preconceptions
(b)Predispositions
(c)Pattern
(d)Perspectives

Questions 11–20

11.Spotting Errors

After mysteriously expanding for decades, Antarctica’s sea ice cover starting melting.

(a)After mysteriously expanding for decades,
(b)Antarctica’s sea ice cover
(c)starting melting.

(a)(a)
(b)(b)
(c)(c)
(d)No error

12.Spotting Errors

The auction, conducted by the bank, will be price based using multiple priced method.

(a)The auction, conducted by the bank,
(b)will be price based
(c)using multiple priced method.

(a)(a)
(b)(b)
(c)(c)
(d)No error

13.Spotting Errors

If the scheme would have been implemented effectively all affected would have benefitted.

(a)If the scheme would have been implemented effectively
(b)all affected
(c)would have benefitted.

(a)(a)
(b)(b)
(c)(c)
(d)No error

14.Spotting Errors

Government Stock offers safety, liquidity and attractive returned for long duration.

(a)Government Stock offers
(b)safety, liquidity and attractive returned
(c)for long duration.

(a)(a)
(b)(b)
(c)(c)
(d)No error

15.Spotting Errors

Scrolling thorough my social media timeline, I hovered over a video of a minor road traffic accident.

(a)Scrolling thorough my social media timeline,
(b)I hovered over a video
(c)of a minor road traffic accident.

(a)(a)
(b)(b)
(c)(c)
(d)No error

16.Spotting Errors

The fascination with gold at least seems to be a case were traditional belief and modern finance would point the same way.

(a)The fascination with gold at least
(b)seems to be a case were traditional belief and
(c)modern finance would point the same way.

(a)(a)
(b)(b)
(c)(c)
(d)No error

17.Spotting Errors

Evolutionary biology leave us distinctly pessimistic about the possibility that altruism can arise naturally among humans.

(a)Evolutionary biology leave us
(b)distinctly pessimistic about the possibility
(c)that altruism can arise naturally among humans.

(a)(a)
(b)(b)
(c)(c)
(d)No error

18.Spotting Errors

When everything starts working for you, you will find things are achieve and delivered.

(a)When everything starts working for you,
(b)you will find
(c)things are achieve and delivered.

(a)(a)
(b)(b)
(c)(c)
(d)No error

19.Spotting Errors

If I were you I would not go for change of job.

(a)If I were you
(b)I would not go for
(c)change of job.

(a)(a)
(b)(b)
(c)(c)
(d)No error

20.Spotting Errors

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, female literacy was extremely lowed in comparison to male literacy.

(a)At the beginning of the nineteenth century,
(b)female literacy was extremely lowed
(c)in comparison to male literacy.

(a)(a)
(b)(b)
(c)(c)
(d)No error

Questions 21–30

21.Ordering of Words

Rearrange the jumbled parts (P, Q, R, S) into the correct sentence order.

Pfor long and
Qthe backbone of India
Rwill continue to be the same
Sagriculture has been

(a)SPQR
(b)SQPR
(c)QRSP
(d)QSRP

22.Ordering of Words

Rearrange the jumbled parts (P, Q, R, S) into the correct sentence order.

Pthe cry of general public
Qagenda in any country
Rpublic policy making
Sis generally driven by

(a)RQSP
(b)RPSQ
(c)PSRQ
(d)QRSP

23.Ordering of Words

Rearrange the jumbled parts (P, Q, R, S) into the correct sentence order.

Pbefore it starts
Qof the government is
Rthe essential power
Sthe power to manage conflict

(a)RSPQ
(b)SQRP
(c)RQSP
(d)QRSP

24.Ordering of Words

Rearrange the jumbled parts (P, Q, R, S) into the correct sentence order.

Pa majority of the vote
Qthe party that received
Rof the government
Smust take control

(a)QPSR
(b)PSRQ
(c)RSPQ
(d)SQPR

25.Ordering of Words

Rearrange the jumbled parts (P, Q, R, S) into the correct sentence order.

Pcan express a view on
Qin which the electorate
Ra particular issue of public policy
Sa referendum is a vote

(a)SQPR
(b)RPQS
(c)QRSP
(d)PQRS

26.Ordering of Words

Rearrange the jumbled parts (P, Q, R, S) into the correct sentence order.

Pin modern societies
Qor merely suppressed
Rhas class conflict
Sbeen resolved

(a)RPSQ
(b)RSPQ
(c)PRSQ
(d)QRSP

27.Ordering of Words

Rearrange the jumbled parts (P, Q, R, S) into the correct sentence order.

Pseveral of our food
Qare being extensively cultivated
Rand vegetable crops
Shybrid varieties of

(a)QRSP
(b)SPQR
(c)QPRS
(d)SPRQ

28.Ordering of Words

Rearrange the jumbled parts (P, Q, R, S) into the correct sentence order.

Pagainst the officer
Qreason for the accusation
Rthere should have been
Swho was in-charge at that time

(a)RPSQ
(b)RQPS
(c)PQRS
(d)SPRQ

29.Ordering of Words

Rearrange the jumbled parts (P, Q, R, S) into the correct sentence order.

Ppoetry is
Qand ideas
Rpowerful feelings
Sthe spontaneous overflow of

(a)SRQP
(b)PQRS
(c)RSQP
(d)PSRQ

30.Ordering of Words

Rearrange the jumbled parts (P, Q, R, S) into the correct sentence order.

Phistorical identity and a common descent
Qa group of people
Ris called an ethnic group
Swho share a common culture,

(a)QSPR
(b)QRPS
(c)PSQR
(d)RQPS

Questions 31–40

31.Idioms and Phrases

A paper tiger

(a)Person or organisation that appears powerful, but actually is not
(b)Person or organisation that acts like a tiger
(c)People who campaign for the protection of tigers
(d)A daredevil

32.Idioms and Phrases

Lily-livered

(a)Brave and courageous
(b)Not brave
(c)Comical
(d)Outrageous

33.Idioms and Phrases

Eat like a bird

(a)Eat fast
(b)Eat very little
(c)Eat a lot
(d)Pretending to be eating

34.Idioms and Phrases

The dog days

(a)Days celebrating dogs
(b)The bitter days
(c)The hottest days
(d)The coldest days

35.Idioms and Phrases

A banana republic

(a)A small or poor country with a weak government
(b)A small or poor country which produces banana
(c)A country which has been occupied by a big country
(d)A country without any government

36.Idioms and Phrases

The pros and cons

(a)The good and bad parts of a situation
(b)Like and dislike of a situation
(c)A bad experience in an event
(d)A good moment of an event

37.Idioms and Phrases

Prime the pump

(a)To do something in order to make something succeed
(b)To do good things to succeed in life
(c)To do something in order to get bad things done
(d)Asking people to do things to make something succeed

38.Idioms and Phrases

The green-eyed monster

(a)Feeling of being joyous
(b)Feeling of being jealous
(c)Feeling bad about happenings
(d)Feeling lucky about something

39.Idioms and Phrases

Rise to the occasion

(a)To celebrate a success in a difficult situation
(b)To regret a situation which ended in failure
(c)To succeed in dealing with a difficult situation
(d)To motivate people to succeed in a difficult situation

40.Idioms and Phrases

Call it a day

(a)End of the day
(b)Completion of work
(c)Stop doing something
(d)A beautiful day

Questions 41–50

41.Ordering of Sentences

The correct sequence should be

S1.Chinua Achebe was born in 1930 and educated at the Government College in Umuahia, Nigeria.
S6.Chinua Achebe has written over twenty books, including novels, stories, essays and collections of poetry, and won the Nobel Prize for literature.
P.During the Civil War in Nigeria, he worked for the Biafran government service.
Q.After the War, he was appointed Senior Research Fellow at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
R.He joined the Nigerian Broadcasting Company in Lagos in 1954, later becoming its Director of External Broadcasting.
S.He received a BA from London University in 1953 and in 1956 he studied broadcasting in London at the BBC.

(a)SRPQ
(b)RPQS
(c)PQRS
(d)QRSP

42.Ordering of Sentences

The correct sequence should be

S1.“Every person carries in his head a mental model of the world — a subjective representation of external reality,” writes Alvin Toffler in Future Shock.
S6.When we begin to think we can do so only because our mind is already filled with all sorts of ideas with which to think.
P.It organizes our knowledge and gives us a place from which to argue.
Q.This mental model is, he says, like a giant filing cabinet.
R.It contains a slot for every item of information coming to us.
S.As E.F. Schumacher says, “When we think, we do not just think; we think ideas.”

(a)PSRQ
(b)SPRQ
(c)QRPS
(d)RQPS

43.Ordering of Sentences

The correct sequence should be

S1.Biology is the study of life in its entirety.
S6.Classical descriptive and clueless biology found a theoretical framework in the evolutionary theory of Darwin.
P.In later years, the focus was physiology and internal morphology or anatomy.
Q.Darwinian ideas of evolution changed the perception completely.
R.The growth of biology as a natural science during the last 1000 years is interesting from many points of view.
S.One feature of this growth is changing emphasis from mere description of life forms to identification and classification of all recorded living forms.

(a)RSPQ
(b)SPRQ
(c)QRPS
(d)PQRS

44.Ordering of Sentences

The correct sequence should be

S1.Biology is the youngest of the formalized disciplines of natural science.
S6.Life expectancy of human beings has dramatically changed over the years.
P.However, the twentieth century and certainly the twenty-first century has demonstrated the utility of biological knowledge in furthering human welfare, be it in health sector or agriculture.
Q.The discovery of antibiotics, and synthetic plant-derived drugs, anaesthetics have changed medical practice on one hand and human health on the other hand.
R.Applications of physics and chemistry in our daily life also have a higher visibility than those of biology.
S.Progress in physics and chemistry proceeded much faster than in biology.

(a)QPRS
(b)PRQS
(c)RPQS
(d)SRPQ

45.Ordering of Sentences

The correct sequence should be

S1.People in society need many goods and services in their everyday life including food, clothing, shelter, transport, etc.
S6.The teacher in the local school has the skills required to impart education to the students.
P.A weaver may have some yarn, some cotton and other instruments required for weaving cloth.
Q.A family farm may own a plot of land, some grains, farming implements, maybe a pair of bullocks and also the labour services of the family members.
R.Every individual has some amount of the goods and services that one would like to use.
S.In fact, the list of goods and services that any individual needs is so large that no individual in society, to begin with, has all the things one needs.

(a)PQRS
(b)RSPQ
(c)QPSR
(d)SRQP

46.Ordering of Sentences

The correct sequence should be

S1.Farming is the main production activity in the village.
S6.The new ways of farming need less land, but much more capital.
P.These have allowed the farmers to produce more crops from the same amount of land.
Q.Over the years there have been many important changes in the way farming is practised.
R.But in raising production, a great deal of pressure has been put on land and other natural resources.
S.This is an important achievement, since land is fixed and scarce.

(a)QPSR
(b)RSPQ
(c)SRPQ
(d)PRSQ

47.Ordering of Sentences

The correct sequence should be

S1.Britain was the first country to experience modern industrialization.
S6.This gave people a wider choice for ways to spend their earnings and expanded the market for the sale of goods.
P.This meant that the kingdom had common laws, a single currency and a market that was not fragmented by local authorities and uneven taxation.
Q.It had been politically stable since the seventeenth century, with England, Wales and Scotland unified under a monarchy.
R.By then a large section of the people received their income in the form of wages and salaries than in goods.
S.By the end of the seventeenth century, money was widely used as the medium of exchange.

(a)QPSR
(b)PSQR
(c)RSQP
(d)SRQP

48.Ordering of Sentences

The correct sequence should be

S1.For several million years, humans lived by hunting wild animals and gathering wild plants.
S6.As a result, conditions were favourable for the growth of grasses such as wild barley and wheat.
P.This led to the development of farming and pastoralism as a way of life.
Q.This change took place because the last ice age came to an end about 13,000 years ago and with that warmer, wetter conditions prevailed.
R.Then, between 10,000 and 4,500 years ago, people in different parts of the world learnt to domesticate certain plants and animals.
S.The shift from foraging to farming was a major turning point in the human history.

(a)QSPR
(b)SPQR
(c)PSQR
(d)RPSQ

49.Ordering of Sentences

The correct sequence should be

S1.All governments claim eternal consistency and success.
S6.Diplomacy offers choices, and those choices must be negotiated with other sovereign actors.
P.Choices involved uncertainty, risk and immediacy; those who must take the choices operate in the contemporary political milieu.
Q.And yet the essence of governance is choice.
R.Nowhere is this more true than in foreign policy decision-making.
S.Some even claim omniscience.

(a)SQPR
(b)QSRP
(c)SRPQ
(d)RSPQ

50.Ordering of Sentences

The correct sequence should be

S1.Buddhism continued to spread into many lands of Asia during the period of 5th and 6th century.
S6.He translated several scriptural commentaries into Pali and wrote a work called the Visuddhimagga, which soon attained the status of a classic work on Theravada doctrine and meditation.
P.While this can be understood as a part of larger processes of cultural interaction, especially trade, a key role was played by monks.
Q.We know a little bit about some of them, but there must have been countless men whose commitment to the Buddhist path gave them the courage and determination to persevere in the face of the long, hard journey to India and back.
R.Buddhism had made its way to Sri Lanka many centuries earlier, during the time of Ashoka, and a thriving Buddhist community soon took root.
S.In the 5th century, the monk Buddhaghosha travelled to Sri Lanka.

(a)RQPS
(b)QRPS
(c)PQRS
(d)PSRQ

Questions 51–60

51.Fill in the Blanks

On his way to the capital, the minister ______ the eminent social worker at his residence.

(a)called on
(b)called
(c)calling for
(d)call off

52.Fill in the Blanks

The fire brigade fought for four hours to ________ the fire in the building.

(a)put in
(b)put out
(c)put on
(d)put off

53.Fill in the Blanks

Ravi has proved that he can ________ on his promise by winning the match.

(a)carry through
(b)carry out
(c)carry
(d)carry off

54.Fill in the Blanks

It is best to ________ politics when in the classroom.

(a)keep out
(b)keep on
(c)keep off
(d)keeping

55.Fill in the Blanks

It shows that she has ________ many years of service.

(a)put in
(b)put out
(c)put
(d)put on

56.Fill in the Blanks

The chairperson said that the group was ________ of time.

(a)running out
(b)running
(c)running with
(d)run out

57.Fill in the Blanks

If I ______ an angel, I would solve the problems of people.

(a)am
(b)were
(c)was
(d)have

58.Fill in the Blanks

Where there is a ________, there is a way.

(a)way
(b)road
(c)wing
(d)will

59.Fill in the Blanks

The police could not establish how the accident ________.

(a)came off
(b)came about
(c)came on
(d)came out

60.Fill in the Blanks

I ________ my old friend after twenty years.

(a)ran into
(b)ran in
(c)run in
(d)run on

Questions 61–70

61.Synonyms

All the developments that took place in the 20th century have had implications for the next century.

(a)consequences
(b)interferences
(c)feedback
(d)planning

62.Synonyms

He is such a leader that his actions are contagious.

(a)complicated
(b)transmittable
(c)effective
(d)unthinkable

63.Synonyms

The budget incorporated a number of tax reforms which included higher taxes for the very rich.

(a)excluded
(b)integrated
(c)laid down
(d)removed

64.Synonyms

His thesis makes all generic statements which have already been proved.

(a)specific
(b)crude
(c)broad
(d)non-standard

65.Synonyms

The captain produced yet another stellar show to make her team enter the semi-finals.

(a)extraordinary
(b)eclipse
(c)poor
(d)not a great

66.Synonyms

A new show is trying to change the clichéd depictions of women in animation.

(a)original
(b)hackneyed
(c)crony
(d)artificial

67.Synonyms

Not everyone finds a vocation which suits one’s aptitude.

(a)attitude
(b)approach
(c)liking
(d)occupation

68.Synonyms

Uninterrupted rain had fatigued the commuters from the outskirts to the city and work suffered.

(a)excited
(b)refreshed
(c)slowed
(d)exhausted

69.Synonyms

The leader said, “I am aghast with the developments so far. I will take time to understand this.”

(a)satisfied
(b)sad
(c)amused
(d)horrified

70.Synonyms

The cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained, but police officials suspect the driver of the vehicle allegedly fell asleep.

(a)determined
(b)curtained
(c)thought of
(d)being known

Questions 71–80

71.Antonyms

Early medieval period was not a combination of urban and rural civilization. It was not a period of urban decay as claimed by some.

(a)survival
(b)waste away
(c)decomposition
(d)spoil

72.Antonyms

He speaks eloquently and can pull crowds.

(a)confusingly
(b)expressively
(c)powerfully
(d)fluently

73.Antonyms

Everyone has to fight the inertia in the system.

(a)sluggishness
(b)indolence
(c)activity
(d)torpor

74.Antonyms

There is a need to promote philanthropy in education.

(a)charity
(b)benevolence
(c)nastiness
(d)likeliness

75.Antonyms

What we lack in the current times is compassion.

(a)empathy
(b)carefulness
(c)indifference
(d)hardship

76.Antonyms

Tempestuous behaviour would not yield much in any place.

(a)relaxed
(b)passionate
(c)intense
(d)windy

77.Antonyms

Wooing everyone over an issue for support will not serve much purpose.

(a)discouraging
(b)encouraging
(c)pursuing
(d)persuading

78.Antonyms

The highest award was bestowed upon her for her yeoman service.

(a)conferred
(b)withdrawn
(c)imparted
(d)imbibed

79.Antonyms

One feels elated when someone praises one’s work.

(a)feels good
(b)excited
(c)depressed
(d)sober

80.Antonyms

All business activities need not result in profit-making. There is a need to be charitable.

(a)lenient
(b)malevolent
(c)unforeseen
(d)gracious

Questions 81–90

81.Parts of Speech

He has been working in the Department of Foreign Affairs since 2002.

(a)Adverb
(b)Adjective
(c)Intensifier
(d)Noun

82.Parts of Speech

The man in dark blue is the one who made us win the match.

(a)Relative clause
(b)Interrogative pronoun
(c)Relative pronoun
(d)Affirmative

83.Parts of Speech

The most beautiful actor of the industry was awarded today.

(a)Adjective
(b)Numeral
(c)Adverb
(d)Noun

84.Parts of Speech

“What is the latest news?” asked the Captain.

(a)Relative pronoun
(b)Adjective
(c)Adverb
(d)Adjectival clause

85.Parts of Speech

Noticing the change in the behaviour of the officer, the cadets returned to their position.

(a)Participle
(b)Present continuous
(c)Noun phrase
(d)Noun

86.Parts of Speech

When he reached the department, the officials had left for the meeting.

(a)Past perfect verb
(b)Past tense
(c)Dependent clause
(d)Independent clause

87.Parts of Speech

He has offered her another chance.

(a)Intransitive verb
(b)Past tense
(c)Perfect tense
(d)Transitive verb

88.Parts of Speech

The building is very ancient.

(a)Transitive verb
(b)Intransitive verb
(c)Phrasal verb
(d)Auxiliary verb

89.Parts of Speech

Hurrah! What a scintillating beauty the landscape is!

(a)Conjunction
(b)Adjective
(c)Adverb
(d)Interjection

90.Parts of Speech

Ravi was declared as the winner in the tie because he had hit the most number of fours and sixes.

(a)Conjunction
(b)Interjection
(c)Adverb
(d)Cause

Questions 91–100

91.Spelling Mistakes