New Pattern English

Directions (1-6): Read the paragraphs given in each question and choose a suitable summary from the given options:

Q1. The liberal democracies of the west benefited from the end of the Soviet bloc, but it is hard to argue that low oil prices in the Arab and Muslim world led to much peace and stability. One safe observation today is that the slump in global oil prices has notably dimmed hopes that emerging powers might continue their growth and modernization, simultaneously becoming solid stakeholders in a stable international order.

(a) The stagnating growth of emerging markets and conflict in the Middle East which is a disadvantage far outweighs the advantages accruing to the west from the oil price slump.

(b) Recessionary trends refuse to let up as growth in emerging markets remains sluggish limiting their ability to demand oil. Slow demand in turn has created problems for the Soviet bloc and the Arab world.

(c) The slump in oil prices has proved advantageous to the liberal West but has compounded the problems for the rest of the world resulting in conflict in the Arab world and deceleration in growth of emerging markets.

(d) The dismantling of the Soviet Bloc has helped liberal democracies in the west. This has been made possible through low global oil prices.

(e) None of the above is correct

Q2. Today we know much more about how and why HIV the virus that leads to AIDS has become a global pandemic. Unsurprisingly, sex workers unwillingly played a part. But no less important were the roles of trade, the collapse of colonialism, and 20th Century sociopolitical reform.

(a) Diseases do no assume epidemic proportions without the aid of sociopolitical and economic factors.

(b) Trade and commerce, among other factors, played an important role in the spread of the HIV virus which causes AIDS.

(c) The AIDS epidemic was also fanned by the decline of colonialism and trade and commerce along with social and political changes effected in the 20th century.

(d) The chief reason for the spread of the AIDS causing HIV virus was sex workers and post colonial reform measures of the 20th century.

(e) None of the above is correct

Q3. Surprisingly, it works. Repeating myself afterwards minus the cups I sound even more convincing about the specifics of my fish-and-chip dinner than I did the first time round. The cups device is just one of the many exercises taught in City Academy’s ‘How to Get Heard in Meetings’ course, which, while open to anyone, is being marketed as an especially female-friendly way to apply performance techniques to everyday scenarios. Women have long struggled to make themselves heard in the workplace. In 2014, Harvard Business Review reported that “we have consistently heard women say that they feel less effective in meetings than they do in other business situations. Some say that their voices are ignored or drowned out. Others tell us that they can’t find a way into the conversation … In fact, several men reported seeing a female colleague get rattled or remain silent even when she was the expert at the table.”

(a) Executives with poor communication skills often struggle to get themselves heard at meetings. Female executives have been noted to get rattled and drowned out at such meetings.

(b) Male executives in modern business organizations do not allow their female counterparts the space to voice their thoughts in discussions. This causes women executives to feel less effective in meetings.

(c) Women often struggle to make their points in official meetings perhaps because they are outnumbered by their male colleagues or ignored. Communication exercises have become a popular method to set right this state of affairs.

(d) Female executives usually opt for performance techniques to improve their communication skills at meetings.

(e) None of the above is correct

Q4. In a commentary, the Vatican daily Osservatore Romano said treatment of this kind towards religion “is not new” and stressed that religious figures have repeatedly condemned violence in the name of God. “Behind the deceptive flag of uncompromising secularism, the weekly is forgetting once more what religious leaders of every faith unceasingly repeat to reject violence in the name of religion using God to justify hatred is a genuine blasphemy, as pope Francis has said several times,” it said. The commentary added: “In Charlie Hebdo’s choice, there is the sad paradox of a world which is more and more sensitive about being politically correct, almost to the point of ridicule, yet does not wish to acknowledge or to respect believes’ faith in God, regardless of the religion.”

(a) Religion has recently been deemed the promoter of bloodshed because of the element of fanaticism without considering the ample examples of situations wherein religion has been the messiah of peace. Believers respect this power of God and religion, and this notion should be acknowledged.

(b) Religious leaders cite religion as the chief means of ensuring peace by evoking the name of God to stop violence. Yet the secular movement deceives people.

(c) We live in times where the greatest virtue among people is to be politically correct. Yet the media refuses to respect peoples’ faith in God.

(d) The Charlie Hebdo incident has revealed the potential of religion to turn into a divisive force which permits violence to curb dissent. However, religious leaders continue to reject violence in the name of God and label it blasphemy.

(e) None of the above is correct

Q5. University of Oregon’s Lundquist College of Business and his co-authors compared the effective tax rates paid by a sample of American firms between 2002 and 2011 with a measure of those companies’ CSR programmes compiled by MSCI, an index provider. It found that the companies which do the most CSR also make the most strenuous efforts to avoid paying tax – and that those which a high CSR score also spend more lobbying on tax. The most obvious explanation for this inverse relationship is hypocrisy. Surely CSR depends on the idea that firms have an obligation to society, not just to shareholders? And surely the most basic obligation to society is to pay the taxes that support the poor and vulnerable? Another explanation is that firms are not monoliths but collections of rival fiefs with different priorities. The department that oversees the CSR programmes, and thus has an interest in boosting their budgets, may never talk to those in the finance department who are paid to minimize the tax bill.

(a) A recent study by researchers at the University of Oregon has revealed that companies that do the most CSR also indulge in tax avoidance strategies, thereby exposing the hypocrisy of these corporate giants.

(b) A recent survey supports the public opinion that companies that do the most CSR also indulge heavily in aggressive tax planning to please shareholders. This state of affairs could be a result of double standards or lack of coordination in departmental goals.

(c) A recent study by researchers at the University of Oregon reveals an inverse relationship between expenditure on CSR and lobbying on tax. These findings are highly suggestive of conflicting interdepartmental goals in business firms and hypocrisy of the corporate class.

(d) The findings of recent research suggest that companies with high expenditure on CSR also engage in greater tax lobbying. This could result from double standards or conflicting interdepartmental goals.

(e) None of the above is correct

Q6. The concept of the modern, open democracy that embraces freedom, diversity and human rights, is under threat. We live in a time of conflict unlike any other. A war is underway that is not just being fought out on conventional battlefields among state powers, but on the internet and the streets of our towns and cities, as the citizens of Paris found to a shocking cost in November.

(a) The concept of modern society and freedom of speech are under threat due to the rise of modern forms of warfare.

(b) The ideals of democracy are at war with an emerging threat. Unlike previous wars, this war is not confined to secluded battlefields and has spread over the internet and our homes.

(c) Cybercrimes have now taken precedence over conventional methods of warfare. This has restricted freedom and liberty.

(d) Terrorism, armed with modern technology and modern forms of warfare, has emerged as the greatest threat to the ideals of liberty.

(e) None of the above is correct

Directions (7-15): In each question below, the word at the top of the question is used in four different ways. Choose the option in which the usage of the word is INCORRECT or INAPPROPRIATE.

Q7. DISSIPATE

(a) The wind finally dissipated the smoke.

(b) The industrious people from Gujarat are dissipated over the whole of India.

(c) The young sometimes seem to dissipate their energy in useless pursuits.

(d) The dark clouds which threatened rain finally dissipated.

(e) All sentences are correct.

Q8. EVINCE

(a) She evinced her approval by smiling.

(b) The man who was caught stealing did not evince any remorse.

(c) The proposal evinced a storm of protest from the members.

(d) She did not evince the least surprise at seeing me there.

(e) All sentences are correct.

Q9. DECOY

(a) He acted as a decoy to draw the dogs’ attention away from the children.

(b) The policewoman acted as a decoy when the police were trying to catch the murderer.

(c) The bird-trap was empty as he had caught a decoy, and he had to kill it.

(d) They used flares to decoy enemy missiles.

(e) All sentences are correct.

Q10. FEIGN

(a) She feigned illness to avoid going to the party.

(b) The politician feigned the attention of his listeners to non-controversial issues.

(c) On the phone, he feigned his sister’s voice and said that he was not at home.

(d) She introduced me as her cousin, and everyone feigned to believe it.

(e) All sentences are correct.

Q11. INDICT

(a) They were indicted for conspiracy and spent a year in jail.

(b) In Bosnia, US troops have usually declined to take part in the arrest of indicted war criminals.

(c) Last week, he was indicted by a grand jury.

(d) The critics have the right to praise or indict a literary work.

(e) All sentences are correct.

Q12. RAMBLE

(a) Where would American cinema be without the car ramble or the road movie?

(b) Avoid long rambling sentences, jargon or unexplained acronyms.

(c) We have tours to suit all levels of ability from a gentle ramble to a Himalayan expedition.

(d) The internet forum gives you an opportunity to ramble on a bit.

(e) All sentences are correct.

Q13. TRANSIT

(a) Electric cars are a nice idea, but they won’t work for mass transit or cargo.

(b) Passengers holding a direct airside transit visa will not be able to pass through immigration control.

(c) The transit of the property into the parties’ joint names was irrelevant.

(d) Mumbai and Delhi are building the infrastructure for rapid transit systems.

(e) All sentences are correct.

Q14. PLACATE

(a) The regulations imposed in the West to placate environmental opposition to GM foods effectively prevent the Third World from developing GM foods.

(b) The facts are incorrect and they have placated members of all political parties across the country.

(c) However, his statement did little to placate the unions who say that even negotiations cannot help in this matter.

(d) The government has a greater imperative to placate the farming lobby than protecting wildlife because of its political leverage.

(e) All sentences are correct.

Q15. ABDICATE

(a) People have decided to ask the King to abdicate in favour of his son.

(b) We cannot abdicate the responsibility to deal with these acts in the correct manner.

(c) Our people have opted for democracy as a way of life from which we will not abdicate.

(d) People wonder whether computer programmes will abdicate the role of the human brain.

(e) All sentences are correct.

Solutions

S1. Ans.(c)

Sol. The passage does not mention anything about the disadvantages outweighing the advantages. This is an additional conclusion. (b) deviates from the passage. (c) is the main idea of the passage. (d) does not capture the essence of the passage.

S2. Ans.(c)

Sol. (a) is too general. (b) is too narrow and does not include the other factors. (c) does not include the sex workers but covers all important reasons apart from sex workers. This is the main idea of the passage. (d) does not contain enough information.

S3. Ans.(c)

Sol. (a) is incorrect because it talks of executives with poor communication skills which is not the issue here. (b) is incorrect because it only considers the problem of females being ‘drowned out’ and not of their opinions being ignored. It also does not mention the communication techniques being taught to remedy that. (d) is wrong because it partially captures the essence of the text.

S4. Ans.(a)

Sol. (b) is incorrect because it takes not extreme a stance against secularism. (c) is incorrect because it deviates from the main idea and focuses primarily on political correctness. (d) is incorrect because Charlie Hebdo has not been mentioned in that context in the passage.

S5. Ans.(d)

Sol. (a) only mentions the hypocrisy of companies but not the other reason i.e. interdepartmental conflict. (b) talks about public opinion, however the passage does not mention public opinion anywhere. (c) states that there is an inverse relationship between spending on CSR and tax lobbying whereas the passage points to a direct relationship i.e. higher the CSR spending higher the tax lobbying. (d) captures the relationship between CSR expenditure and Tax avoidance correctly and also the two reasons for the same provided in the passage.

S6. Ans.(b)

Sol. According to the passage, freedom, diversity and human rights form the essence or concept of modern democracy. Certain forces, by threatening these ideals also threaten democracy. The passage also speaks of troubled times and that we are currently in a state of war against such forces, however this was is being fought in a new battleground, namely the internet and the streets of cities such as Paris.

(a) is incorrect because it cites forms of modern warfare as the chief problem. (b) best captures the essence of the passage. (c) is too specific and off the main idea. (d) talks about terrorism which can be inferred from the passage but has not been specifically mentioned. It also only mentions a threat to liberty whereas the ideals of democracy are much broader in scope.

S7. Ans.(b)

Sol. DISSIPATE-(with reference to a feeling or emotion) disappear or cause to disappear. The word DISSIPATE is incorrectly used in sentence B.

S8. Ans.(c)

Sol. EVINCE-reveal the presence of (a quality or feeling); indicate. The word ‘’evince’ is incorrectly used in option C.

S9. Ans.(c)

Sol. DECOY- lure or entice (a person or animal) away from their intended course, typically into a trap. According to the meaning of the word ‘decoy’, the usage in sentence C is incorrect.

S10. Ans.(b)

Sol. FEIGN-pretend to be affected by (a feeling, state, or injury). The word feign is incorrectly used in the sentence B.

S11. Ans.(d)

Sol. INDICT-formally accused of or charge with a crime. The word ‘indict’ is incorrectly used in option D.

S12. Ans.(a)

Sol. RAMBLE-talk or write at length in a confused or inconsequential way.

a walk taken for pleasure in the countryside. The word ‘ramble’ is incorrect in option A.

S13. Ans.(c)

Sol. TRANSIT-the action of passing through or across a place.

the carrying of people or things from one place to another. The word ‘transit’ is incorrect in sentence C.

S14. Ans.(b)

Sol. PLACATE-make (someone) less angry or hostile. The word ‘placate’ is incorrect in sentence B.

S15. Ans.(d)

Sol. ABDICATE-(of a monarch) renounce one's throne.

fail to fulfil or undertake (a responsibility or duty). ‘abdicate’ is incorrectly used in option D.

Sentence Correction

Directions (1-15): The following questions of sentence correction, a part of the sentence is given in bold.  Out of the given options, find out the grammatically correct statement that can replace the bold part in the given questions.

Q1. Retail sales rose 0.8 of 1 percent in August, intensifying expectations that personal spending in the July-September quarter more than doubled that of the 1.4 percent growth rate in personal spending for the previous quarter.

(a) that personal spending in the July-September quarter more than doubled that of

(b) that personal spending in the July-September quarter would more than double

(c) of personal spending in the July-September quarter, that it more than doubled

(d) of personal spending in the July-September quarter more than doubling that of

(e) of personal spending in the July-September quarter, that it would more than double that of

Q2. The commission has directed advertisers to restrict the use of the word “natural” to foods that do not contain color or flavor additives, chemical preservatives, or nothing that has been synthesized.

(a) or nothing that has been

(b) or that has been

(c) and nothing that is

(d) or anything that has been

(e) and anything

Q3. Plants are more efficient at acquiring carbon that are fungi, in the form of carbon dioxide, and converting it into energy-rich sugars.

(a) Plants are more efficient at acquiring carbon than are fungi,

(b) Plants are more efficient at acquiring carbon than fungi,

(c) Plants are more efficient than fungi at acquiring carbon,

(d) Plants, more efficient than fungi at acquiring carbon,

(e) Plants acquire carbon more efficiently than fungi,

Q4. The lroquois were primarily planters, but supplementing their cultivation of maize, squash, and beans with fishing and hunting.

(a) but supplementing

(b) and had supplemented

(c) and even though they supplemented

(d) although they supplemented

(e) but with supplementing

Q5. As contrasted with the honeybee, the yellow jacket can sting repeatedly without dying and carries a potent venom that can cause intense pain.

(a) As contrasted with the honeybee,

(b) In contrast to the honeybee’s,

(c) Unlike the sting of the honeybee,

(d) Unlike that of the honeybee,

(e) Unlike the honeybee,

Q6. Neuroscientists, having amassed a wealth of knowledge over the past twenty years about the brain and its development from birth to adulthood, are now drawing solid conclusions about how the human brain grows and how babies acquire language.

(a) Neuroscientists, having amassed a wealth of knowledge over the past twenty years about the brain and its development from birth to adulthood, are

(b) Neuroscientists, having amassed a wealth of knowledge about the brain and its development from birth to adulthood over the past twenty years, and are

(c) Neuroscientists amassing a wealth of knowledge about the brain and its development from birth to adulthood over the past twenty years, and are

(d) Neuroscientists have amassed a wealth of knowledge over the past twenty years about the brain and its development from birth to adulthood,

(e) Neuroscientists have amassed, over the past twenty years, a wealth of knowledge about the brain and its development from birth to adulthood,

Q7. None of the attempts to specify the causes of crime explains why most of the people exposed to the alleged causes do not commit crimes and, conversely, why so many of those not so exposed have.

(a) have

(b) has

(c) shall

(d) do

(e) could

Q8. In a previous designs, the weight of the discus used in track competition is concentrated in a metal center, but now it is lined with lead around the perimeter, thereby improving stability in flight and resulting in longer throws.

(a) In a previous design, the weight of the discus used in track competition is concentrated in a metal center, but now it is

(b) According to a previous design, the weight of the discus used in track competition was concentrated in a metal center, but not it is

(c) Once designed with its weight concentrated in a metal center, the discus used in track competition in now

(d) The discus used in track competition, once designed with its weight concentrated in a metal center, but now

(e) The discus used in track competition was once designed having its weight concentrated in a metal center and now

Q9. In virtually all types of tissue in every animal species, dioxin induces the production of enzymes that are the organism’s trying to metabolize, or render harmless, the chemical that is irritating it.

(a) trying to metabolize, or render harmless, the chemical that is irritating it

(b) trying that it metabolize, or render harmless, the chemical irritant

(c) attempt to try to metabolize, or render harmless, such a chemical irritant

(d) attempt to try and metabolize, or render harmless, the chemical irritating it

(e) attempt to metabolize, or render harmless, the chemical irritant

Q10. Based on accounts of various ancient writers, scholars have painted a sketchy picture of the activities of an all-female cult that, perhaps as early as the sixth century B.C., worshipped a goddess known in Latin as Bona Dea, “the good goddess.”

(a) Based on accounts of various ancient writers,

(b) Basing it on various ancient writers’ accounts,

(c) With accounts of various ancient writers used for a basis,

(d) By the accounts of various ancient writers they used,

(e) Using accounts of various ancient writers,

Q11. Emily Dickinson’s letters to Susan Huntington Dickinson were written over a period beginning a few years before Susan’s marriage to Emily’s brother and ending shortly before Emily’s death in 1886, outnumbering her letters to anyone else.

(a) Dickinson were written over a period beginning a few years before Susan’s marriage to Emily’s brother and ending shortly before Emily’s death in 1886, outnumbering

(b) Dickinson were written over a period that begins a few years before Susan’s marriage to Emily’s brother and ended shortly before Emily’s death in 1886, outnumber

(c) Dickinson, written over a period beginning a few years before Susan’s marriage to Emily’s brother and that ends shortly before Emily’s death in 1886 and outnumbering

(d) Dickson, which were written over a period beginning a few years before Susan’s marriage to Emily’s brother, ending shortly before Emily’s death in 1886, and outnumbering

(e) Dickinson, which were written over a period beginning a few years before Susan’s marriage to Emily’s brother and ending shortly before Emily’s death in 1886, outnumber

Q12. Paleontologists believe that fragments of a primate jawbone unearthed in Burma and estimated at 40 to 44 million years old provide evidence of a crucial step along the evolutionary path that led to human beings.

(a) at 40 to 44 million years old provide evidence of

(b) as being 40 to 44 million years old provides evidence of

(c) that it is 40 to 44 million years old provides evidence of what was

(d) to be 40 to 44 million years old provide evidence of

(e) as 40 to 44 million years old provides evidence of what was

Q13. Building on civilizations that preceded them in coastal Peru, the Mochica developed their own elaborate society, based on cultivating such crops like corn and beans, the harvesting of fish and shellfish, and exploiting other wild and domestic resources.

(a) based on cultivating such crops like corn and beans, the harvesting of fish and shellfish, and exploiting

(b) based on the cultivation of such crops as corn and beans, the harvesting of fish and seafood, and exploitation of

(c) and basing it on the cultivation of crops like corn and beans, harvesting fish and seafood, and the exploiting of

(d) and they based it on their cultivation of crops such as corn and beans, the harvest of fish and seafood, and exploiting

(e) and they based it on their cultivating such crops like corn and beans, their harvest of fish and shellfish, and they exploited

Q14. The end of the eighteenth century saw the emergence of prize-stock breeding, with individual bulls and cows receiving awards, fetching unprecedented prices, and excited enormous interest whenever they were put on show.

(a) excited

(b) it excited

(c) exciting

(d) would excite

(e) it had excited

Q15. For members of the seventeenth-century Ashanti nation in Africa, animal-hide shields with wooden frames were essential items of military equipment, a method to protect warriors against enemy arrows and spears.

(a) a method to protect

(b) as a method protecting

(c) protecting

(d) as a protection of

(e) to protect

Solutions 

S1. Ans.(b)

Sol. Verb form; Logical predication

The sentence explains the expectations that resulted from a past retail sales trend. Since expectations look to the future but are not yet realized, the relative clause explaining these expectations should be conditional, employing the auxiliary verb would.

(b) Correct. By using the verb ‘would’, this concise sentence indicates that the expectation has not yet been realized.

S2. Ans.(d)

Sol. Idiom; Logical predication

The use of ‘do not and nothing’ in the same sentence creates a double negative and reverse the intended meaning. Anything should be used instead of nothing. Logically, a “natural” food cannot contain any prohibited ingredient, so the list of prohibited ingredients must be connected by or.

(d) Correct. This sentence correctly avoids a double negative and uses parallel elements.

S3. Ans.(c)

Sol. Logical predication; Grammatical construction

This sentence compares how efficiently plants and fungi acquire carbon and convert it into sugars. The sentence construction needs to make clear that plants and fungi are the two topics being compared, and it must also clarify that in the form of carbon dioxide refers to carbon rather than to either plants or fungi.

(c) Correct. The sentence clearly compares plants to fungi, and in the form of carbon dioxide correctly modifies carbon.

S4. Ans.(d)

Sol. Grammatical construction; Verb form

The participle supplementing would normally be expected to modify the first clause, describing or extending its meaning, but the logic of this sentence demands a contrast, not an extension. Consequently, the second part of the sentence must be revised to emphasize the contrast properly. The logic of the sentence also argues against a construction that would set the two clauses and the importance of their content equal when they clearly should not be. The best solution is to have the main clause describe the primary activity, and a subordinate clause, although they supplemented, describe the supplementary activity.

(d) Correct. Using although creates a subordinate clause in this sentence and logically links that clause with the main clause; the simple past supplemented parallels the simple past were.

S5. Ans.(e)

Sol. Idiom; Logical predication

The intent of the sentence is to contrast the honeybee and the yellow jacket. Correct idioms for such a contrast include in contrast with x, y, in contrast to x, y; and unlike x, y. In all these idioms, x and y must be grammatically and logically parallel. As contrasted with is not a correct idiom.

(e) Correct. This sentence used a correct idiom, and the honeybee is properly parallel to the yellow jacket.

S6. Ans.(a)

Sol. Grammatical construction; Logical predication

This sentence introduces the subject (Neuroscientists), pauses to explain what neuroscientists have accomplished in the past twenty years, and then concludes by explaining what neuroscientists are presently doing as a result of their past accomplishments. The second part of the sentence – the explanation – interrupts the flow of the sentence from the subject (neuroscientists) to the predicate (are now drawing solid conclusions…); it should therefore be bracketed by commas. The sentence construction should provide a main verb for the subject neuroscientists.

(a) Correct. The explanatory phrase between the subject and predicate is set off by commas, and the main clause contains both a subject (Neuroscientists) and a corresponding verb (are now drawing).

S7. Ans.(d)

Sol. Grammatical construction; Parallelism

The sentence compares one group of people, most of the people exposed to the alleged causes, with another group of people, so many of those not so exposed. To maintain the comparison, the verb in the second part should match the verb in the first part. Since the first verb is do not commit, the second verb should be the parallel ‘do’. There is no need to repeat commit crimes since it is understood in this construction.

(d) Correct. This sentence correctly uses the verb ‘do’ to complete the comparison and maintain the parallelism with ‘do not commit’.

S8. Ans.(c)

Sol. Verb Form; Grammatical construction; Logical predication

The sentence requires two tenses – past tense to describe the previous design and present tense to describe the current design of the discus. In the sentence presented here, the grammatical subject is weight, not discus, so the pronoun it grammatically refers to weight, which makes no sense.

(c) Correct. The introductory phrase describes the past design of the discus with a past participle (designed) that modifies the subject of the main clause (the discus); the main verb ‘is lined’.0 is in present tense.

S9. Ans.(e)

Sol. Diction; Rhetorical construction

The–ing form of a verb can be used as a noun (e.g., running is her favorite sport), but it is often awkward, particularly when used with a possessive, as in this case. Substituting the noun attempt for the gerund trying eliminates the problem. While chemical that is irritating it and chemical irritating it are both grammatically correct the could be appropriate in some usages, they are excessively wordy for this context.

(e) Correct. In this sentence, the noun attempt replaces the gerund trying in this construction with organism’s.

S10. Ans.(e)

Sol. Logical predication; Rhetorical construction

The underlined phrase is a modifier; it functions as an adjective to describe the noun that immediately follows it. In this case, the phrase incorrectly modifies scholars, which does not make any sense. What are the scholars doing? When the modifier begins with using, it correctly links the scholars with the modifier that describes their activity.

(e) Correct. In this sentence, using accounts of various ancient writers correctly modifies scholars in a clear and concise expression of their activity.

S11. Ans.(e)

Sol. Parallelism; Grammatical construction

The main point of the sentence is that Dickinson’s letters to her sister-in-law outnumber her letters to anyone else. To emphasize this point, outnumber should be the main verb, and the description introduced by the passive verb were written needs to be changed from a main clause to an adjectival phrase.

(e) Correct. The information about the period when Dickinson’s letters were written is contained in an adjectival phrase set off by commas, and the main verb outnumber refers clearly to letters.

S12. Ans.(d)

Sol. Idiom; Agreement

The verb estimated should be followed by the infinitive to be, not the preposition at – unless the writer intends to indicate a location at which someone made the estimate. The jawbone fragments were estimated to be a certain age. The plural subject fragments requires the plural verb provide.

(d) Correct. In this sentence, the verb estimated is correctly followed by the infinitive to be.

S13. Ans.(b)

Sol. Diction; Parallelism

The sentence describes the elaborate society of the Mochica with a series of three features, the first of which contains an example. The three features must be presented in parallel structures – e.g., cultivating, harvesting, and exploiting. The use of such to introduce the examples of crops requires that the comparison be completed with as instead of like.

(b) Correct. The three items in the series are in parallel form, and such crops is correctly followed by as.

S14. Ans.(c)

Sol. Parallelism

The bulls and cows are described in a series of participial phrases. Items in a series should be parallel: receiving awards is parallel to fetching unprecedented prices, but excited must be changed to exciting to make the third phrase, exciting enormous interest, parallel to the first two.

(c) Correct. In this sentence, exciting is parallel to receiving and fetching.

S15. Ans.(c)

Sol. Logical predication; Rhetorical construction

The underlined part of the sentence begins a phrase describing items of military equipment. It is awkward and inaccurate to describe items themselves as a method. Replacing the underlined phrase with the participle protecting creates a modifying phrase that clearly explains the purpose of the items of military equipment.

(c) Correct. In this sentence, protecting properly introduces a modifying phrase revealing the purpose of the items.