WBCS 2008 English Priliminary
WBCS 2008 English Priliminary
Highlighted option is the answer of the question
Direction for Question Nos. 1 to 3
Choose the word from the list which is nearest in meaning to the underlined parts of the sentences:
1. He pierced the balloon with a pin.
(A) Stabbed
(B) Pricked
(C) Penetrated
(D) Burst
2. The mother hummed softly as she rocked the baby to sleep.
(A) Chanted
(B) Crooned
(C) Intoned
(D) Whispered
3. His letter fuelled my doubts.
(A) Ended
(B) Increased
(C) Caused
(D) Reaffirmed
Direction for Question Nos. 4 to 7
Choose the correct alternative from the options to fill in the blanks:
4. 'To come to the fore' means to become__________.
(A) prominent
(B) aggressive
(C) weak
(D) aware
5. On one's toes' signifies _______
(A) Concentration
(B) courtesy
(C) Punctuality
(D) alertness
6. 'To make headway' is to ____________.
(A) Make progress
(B) make little progress
(C) to progress towards collision (D)to proceed to travel
7. ‘Waiting with bated breath’ is to ________.
(A) Feel very excited
(B) Feel breathlessness
(C) Waiting for the dentist with the complait of bad breath
(D) Waiting to take revenge
8. ‘Replace the underlined words with most appropriate phrasal verbs:
After a promising start his career soon came to an end in a disappointing way.
(A) Roughed out
(B) Fizzled out
(C)Flaked Out
(D) Rounded off
9. Choose the correct meaning of the underlined portion:
She has been sitting on the books taken from the library for a month.
(A) Doing nothing with the books
(B) Reading the books carefully
(C) Reading the books only
(D) keeping the books as a mark of protest
Direction for Question Nos. 10 to 12
Select the pair among the following which is set in opposition
10.
(A) Gay: Animated
(B) Full: Replete
(C) Surmise: Fact
(D) Generation: Age
11.
(A) Wanton : Restrained
(B) Sardonic : Bitter
(C) Bright : Refulgent
(D) Fetch : Bring
12.
(A) Macabre : Earic
(B) Abortive : Successful
(C) Secret : Covert
(D) Mock : Rally
Direction for Question Nos. 13 and 14
Fill in the blanks with the correct word to make the idioi complete or meaningful:
13. The young politician's speech was full of blood and ------
(A) Sweat
(B) Blade
(C) Dagger
(D) Thunder
14. He held out an olive branch to his -------
(A) Enemy
(B) Friend
(C) Pet
(D) Forefathers
Direction for Question Nos. 15 and 16
Choose the right word from the alternatives to complete each sentence and give it an idiomatic turn:
15. To be very bust is tobe as busy as a
(A) Squirrel
(B) Bee
(C) Duck
(D) Mouse
16. Someone having a weak memory is said to have a mind/memory like a
(A) Sieve
(B) Soap
(C) Screw
(D) Stream
Direction for Question Nos. 17 to 20
Choose the right alternative from the options given :
17. A market where old and used goods are sold is caiied a
(A) Grey market
(B) Share market
(C) Black market
(D) Flea market
18. An interpreter is involved with the task of
(A) Inscription
(B) Transcription
(C) Translation
(D) Transformation
19. One who moves from one place to go to live or work in anoti is called a migrant But a vagrant is a person
(A) without a valid passport
(B) who goes to live in exile
(C) without a settled home or regular work
(D) who asks for political asylum
20. A homophone for the word 'whole' will be
(A) Hole
(B) Roll
(C) Wholesome
(D) Whale
21. Fill in the blanks choosing the right word/alternative:
A barber shaves _____ a gardener .
(A) Binds
(B) Reaps
(C) Gleans
(D) Prunes
Direction for Question Nos. 22 to 25
Choose the right alternative:
22. A soporific speech would tend to
(A) Put one to sleep
(B) Stimulate action
(C)Appeal primarily to emotions
(D) be incomprehensible
23. The idiosyncrasies of a professor must not include
(A) Eccentricities
(B) Flaws
(C) Oddities
(D) Typicalities
24. In a Hobson's choice situation one
(A) Must accept what is offered as there is no alternative
(B) Can freely choose from many alternatives
(C) Must choose only in consultation with other members of the group he/she belongs to
(D) Can do any of the above
25. A fly-by-night company.
(A) Operates only at night
(B) Sends cargo by plane only
(C) Is interested only in making quick profits
(D) Operates from no fixed place
Answer key - 2008:
1.b, 2.b, 3.b, 4.b, 5.c,
6.c, 7.a, 8.d, 9.c, 10.c,
11.c, 12.b, 13.b, 14.a, 15.b,
16.a, 17.a, 18.c, 19.c, 20.b,
21.d, 22.a, 23.b, 24.a, 25.a
Click here for WBCS Priliminary English 2009

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