GRE Test 1
1. Give Antonym for the following word: Parsimonious (a) Frugal (b) Penurious (e) Materialist (c) Thrifty (d) Altruist
Solution
(b) Parsimonious means carefulness in use of money. (a) Frugal means economical, sparing. (b) Penurious means poor, stingy. (c) Thrifty means frugality, economical management. (d) Altruistic means regard for others as principle of action (e) Materialist means that only matter is important, rejection of spiritual values. (b) is the correct answer as parsimoniuous is state of being careful in spending money and penurious is stingy or poor.
2.
Give Antonym for the following word: Gregarious (a) Antisocial (b) Anticipatory (e) Similar
(c) Glorious
(d) Horrendous
Solution. (a) Gregarious means fond of company, living in flocks. (a) Antisocial means not sociable, opposed to social orders. (b) Anticipatory means deal with or use before due time. (c) Glorious means splendid, excellent. (d) Horrendous means dreadful, horrible (e) Similar means likeness, sameness. So the correct antonym for gregarious is (a) antisocial. 3. Complete the following sentence with given options: A ___________ of recent cases of scientific fraud in which gross errors of fact and logic have slipped past the review panels that scrutinize submissions to journals suggests that the review system is seriously ___________ (a) Plethora.............intended (b) lack.............strained (c) dearth.............compromised (d) spate.............taxed (e) preponderannce.............substantiated
Solution. (d) (a) Plethora means oversupply and intended implies which is done on purpose. Then (a) is not the suitable option. (b) Lack and strained does not give the meaning to the sentence it is not appropriate for the blanks. (c) Same follows with this option. (d) Spate means in excessive amount, river flood. Taxed - burden or strained. (e) Preponderance means being superior in influence or number and substantiated support and prove truth of. Thus (e) is not giving the correct meaning to the sentence thus it is wrong option. So, (d) is the correct answer. 4. Complete the following sentence with given options: Rather than allowing these dramatic exchanges between the characters to develop fully, Ms. Norman unfortunately tends to ___________ the discussion involving the two women. (a) exacerbate (b) protract (c) augment (d) truncate (e) elaborate
Solution. (d) (a) exacerbate - make worse, irritate (b) protract - prolong, lengthen, make last longer. (c) augment - increase (d) truncate - cut short (e) elaborate - developed. (d) is the correct answer because it provides the complete meaning to the sentence. As others are unsuitable and not proper. Thus truncating the discussions means to stop the exchanges is the correct answer. 5. Give Analogy: Shrub : Prune : : (a) Beard : Shave (d) Wool : Shear
(b) Hair : Trim (c) Lawn : Mow (e) Cereals : Pesticides
Solution. (b) If Prune is the process of cutting the unnecessary parts of the shrub then, (a) shave is to cut down the growth from the face. (b) Trimming is to cut down the unnecessary overgrown hair. (c) Mow is to cut grass with machine. (d) Shearing is to remove the wool from the skin. (e) Pesticides is to kill or remove the pests from their attack on cereals. The correct answer is (b). 6. Give Analogy: Friendly : Inimical : : (a) Lithosphere : Hydrosphere (c) Abstain : Refrain (e) Abhore : hate
(b) Condemnation : Approval (d) Dispappointment : Embarrassment
Solution. (b) Friendly means amicable or to be friend, Inimical means to be hostile. The relationship is of opposites. (a) Lithosphere is the layer of the atmosphere. Hydrosphere is the same. (b) Condemnation means to reject, to make unfit. Approval means to give acceptance. The two are opposite to each other. (c) Abstain means refrain. Refrain is to hold back oneself. Both are synonyms to each other. (d) Disappointment means frustrate, fail to fulfil desire. Embarrassment means to perplex, involve in difficulty. (e) Abhore is to dislike, hate is same. The correct answer is (b). Thus it is an opposite variant. DIRECTIONS for Questions 7 to 9 : Read the following passage and answer the questions that follows : Primitive mammals called monotremes are the only lliving representatives of the subclass Prototheria. This makes them the most likely living representatives of creatures that were part of the evolutionary transition from reptiles, monotremes lay eggs rather than giving birth. But like other mammals, they have hair, large brains, and mammary glands that produce milk to nourish their offspring. Their primitive organization and close relation to reptiles is manifested in their uncomplicated brain structure, egglaying habits and cloaca. (A cloaca is found in amphibians, reptiles, birds, certain fish, and monotremes, but not in placental mammals or most bony fishes. The animal's intestinal, urinary, and genital tracts open into this common cavity, which also functions as an outlet.) Another feature that indicates they may related to reptiles is their egg- laying behaviour. Monotremes lay shelled eggs, which are predominantly yolk, like those of reptiles and birds. The young are born in a relatively early stage of
development and remain dependent upon the parents. The females have no teats; the milk that they secrete from their mammary glands passes directly through their skin. There are only three types of monotremes in existence: the duck- billed platypus and two species of spiny echidna, or anteater. The platypus has webbed feet, a flat tail, and a 'bill' like a duck's. The short and the long- nosed echidnas have spines and tube-like noses. The female echindna lays one egg at a time into a pouch that she develops in her abdomen. Her young will hatch in it and develop for several months. 7. The passage focuses on which of the following aspects of monotremes ? (a) The food they eat and their behaviour in the wild. (b) The times of day when they are most active. (c) Their relationship to both reptiles and mammals. (d) Their mating behaviour and reproductive organs. (e) None of the above The passage focusses on (c). Their relationship to both reptiles and mammals.
Solution. (c) 8.
The passage states that monotremes are (a) extinct (b) reptiles and birds (c) egg- laying mammals that are related to reptiles and birds (d) highly intelligent (e) None of the above
Solution. (c) That monotremes are egg laying mammals that are related to reptiles and birds. 9. Monotreme babies are born (a) in the early stages of development and must rely on their mothers. (b) fully developed and quickly become independent. (c) live like the babies of other mammals. (d) without mammmary glands. (e) All of the above
Solution. (a) The young ones are born in early stage and remain dependent upon the parents. 10. Give Antonym : Heathen (a) Pagan (e) Believer
(b) Christian
(c) Athiest
(d) Monotheist
Solution. (b) Heathen means a person who has no religion. (a) Pagan means a heathen. (b) Christian means one who believes in the nativity of Christ and has a religion. (c) Athiest means one who does snot believe in God. (d) Monotheist means one who believes in one God. (e) Believer means accept as true, have faith or confidence. The correct antonym is (b) Christian. 11. Give Antonym : Occidental (a) Austral (e) Eligant
(b) Oriental
(c) Zonal
(d) Zenith
Solution. (b) Occidental means the west. (a) Austral is related to southern part. (b) Oriental means East. (c) Zonal means pertaining to specific area.
(d) Zenith means the highest point. (e) Elegant means graceful, refined. So correct antonym is (b) Oriental. 12. Give Analogy : Implicate : Incriminate : : (a) Involvement : Malpractice (c) Embezzlement : Charge (e) Joy : Sad
(b) Exonerate : Acquit (d) Perjury : Fraud
Solution. (b) Implicate means include, involve. Incriminate means indicate as guilty, charge with crime. Relationship is totally different in meaning. (a) Involvement - to share experience or effect. Malpractice - means illegal action, wrong doing. They are different from each other. (b) Exonerate - means declare free from blame. Acquit - means declare not guilty. These have synonymous relationship. (c) Embezzlement means fradulent appropriation of money or property. Charge means exhortation or price. (d) Perjury means utterance of false evidence. Fraud means dishonest, trick. Thus these two are different in meaning. (e) Joy means the feeling of happiness. Sad means sorrowful. These two are different. Thus (b) is the correct answer. 13. Give Analogy : Sonnet : Poem : : (a) Ballad : Stanza (d) Lie : Falsehood
(b) Murder : Crime (e) Prose : Novel
(c) Chapter : Book
Solution. (a) Sonnet is the type of a poem. (a) Ballad is not a type of stanza. (b) Murder is a type of crime. (c) Chapter is not a type of book but a part of book. (d) Lie come under falsehood. (e) Prose is not the novel but a part of it. So, (b) is the correct answer. 14. Give Analogy : Agreement : Dissent : : (a) Touchdown : Penalty (c) Schism : Diverge (e) Build : Construct
(b) Latitude : Resistance (d) Impasse : Concede
Solution. (b) Agreement - sharing of opinion, mutual understanding, contract. Dissent - means disagree openly. These are antonym to each other. (a) Touchdown means alight. Penalty means fine or other punishment. Are synonyms to each other. (b) Latitutde means freedom from resistance of action. Resistance act of resisting. These are antonym to each other. (c) Schism means separation in religious groups. Diverge means go in different directions. Thus to an extent these are synonyms. (d) Impasse means deadlock. Concede means admit to be true. These are synonyms to each other. (e) Build and construct are two synonym words. Thus (b) is the correct answer which shows opposite variant. 15. Complete the following sentence with given options : The orator was so _________ that the audience became _________
(a) soporific ...... drowsy (c) pompous ..... bombastic (e) convincing ..... moribund
(b) inaudible ..... elated (d) dramatic ..... affable
Solution. (a) (a) Soporific - tending to produce sleep. Drowsy means the state of being sleepy. (b) Inaudible means not reachable to the audience. Elated - means excite, raise spirits of. (c) Pompous - means showy; extravagant, Bombastic - means pompous. (d) Dramatic - full of enactment. Affable - is easy to approach and talk to. (e) Convincing is which leads to satisfaction. Moribund is dull. Thus (a) is the appropriate answer because the speech was boring that it induced sleep among the audience. 16. Complete the following sentence with given options : As _________ head of the organization, he attended social functions and civic mettings but had no _________ in the formulation of company policy. (a) titular ..... voice (b) hypothetical .... vote (c) former ... pride (d) nominal ..... competition (e) actual ...... say
Solution. (a) (a) Titular means held by virtue or title. Voice means sound, speech. (b) Hypothetical resting on hypothesis. Vote is simply the formal expression of will. (c) Former means of before, pride means feeling of elation. (d) Nominal means in name or word only. (e) Actual - in real. Thus (a) Titular ... Voice is correctly suited in the space provided. DIRECTIONS for questions 17 to 19 : Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow: Unlike the carefully weighted and planned compositions of Dante, Goethe's writings have always the sense of immediacy and enthusiasm. Line He was a constant experimenter with life, with (5) ideas, and with forms of writing. For the same reason, his works seldom have the qualities of finish or formal beauty which distinguish the masterpiece of Dante and Virgil. He came to love the beauties of classicism but these were (10) never an essential part of his make-up. Instead, the urgency of the moment, the spirit of the thing, guided his pen. As a result nearly all his works have serious flaws of structure, of inconsistencies, of excesses and redundancies and extraneities . (15) In the large sense, Goethe represents the fullest development of the romanticist. It has been argued that he should not be so designated because he so clearly matured and outgrew the kind of romanticism exhibited by Wordsworth, (20) Shelley, and Keats. Shelley and Keats died young; Wordsworth lived narrowly and abandoned his early attitudes. In contrast, Goethe lived abundantly and developed his faith in the spirit, his understanding of nature and human nature, (25) and his reliance on feelings as man's essential motivating force.The result was an allencomposing vision of reality and a philosophy of life broader and deeper than the partical visions and attitudes of other romantnicists. Yet the spirit
(30)
(35)
(40)
of youthfulness, the impatience with close reasoning or "logic- chopping", and the continued faith in nature remained his to the end, together with an occasional waywardness and impulsiveness and a disregard of artistic or logical propriety which savor strongly of romantic individulaism. Since so many twentieth - century thoughts and attitudes are similarly based on the stimulus of the Romantic Movement, Goethe stands as particularly the poet of modern times as Dante stood for medieval times and as Shakespeare for the Renaissance. A characteristic of romanticism NOT mentioned in this passage is its (a) elevation of nature (b) preference for spontaneity (c) modernity of ideas (d) unconcern for artistic decorum (e) simplicity of language
17.
Solution. (e) The author never mentions the simplicity of language. In (a) passage refers to the continuous faith in nature. (b) passage refers to impulsiveness or spontaneity as savouring strongly of romantic individualism. (c) Romanticism formed modern attitudes, one finds in it ideas that seen noteworthy for their modernity. (d) This passage disregards the artistic or logical propriety, 'as characteristic of romanticism'. Thus correct answer is (e). 18. It can be inferred from the passage that classicism has which of the following characteristics ? I. Sensitivity toward emotional promptings II. Emphasis on formal aesthetic criteria III. Meticulous planning of artistic works (a) II only (b) III only (c) I and II (d) IIand III (e) I, II and III
Solution. (d) As sensitivity towards emotional promptings is characteristic of romanticism, it is unlike to classicism. Therefore (c) and (e) are wrong. Emphasis on formal aesthetic criteria is a characteristic of classicism. Passage deals with the beauty that distinguishes the classical works of Dante and Virgil. Therefore (b) is wrong. Thus in part (d) it talks of meticulous planning of artistic works in classicism and of Daute's work, it tells of the structurally flowed compositions of the romantic Goethe. Therefore choice (a) is not the answer. Thus, (d) is the correct answer. 19. The author's attitude toward Goethe's writings is best described as (a) unqualified endorsement (b) lofty indifference (c) reluctant tolerance (d) ineasured admiration (e) undisguised contempt The author admires Goethe's writings and notes the flaws, thus the correct answer is
Solution. (d) (d). 20. Give Antonym : Jettison (a) Salvage (d) Distract
(b) Decelerate (e) Anchor
(c) Muffle
Solution. (a) Jettison means throw out from ship. (a) Salvage means - rescue of property from loss at sea. (b) decelerate means decrease in speed.
(c) muffle means wrap up for warmth (d) distract means draw attention away from. (e) anchor means to move ship to sea bottom. Thus, (a) is the correct answer. 21. Give Antonym : Nefarious (a) Lackadaisical (d) Corrigible
(b) eccentric (e) hypocritical
(c) exemplary
Solution. (c) Nefarious means wicked. (a) Lackadaisical means languid, unenthusiastic. (b) Eccentric means odd or capricious in behaviour. (c) Exemplary means fit to be initiated. (d) Corrigible means than can be corrected. (e) hypocritical means person guilty of hypocricy. Thus, (c) is the correct answer. 22. Give Antonym : Sobriety (a) influence (d) civility
(b) nonchalance (e) mirth
(c) holiness
Solution. (e) Sobriety means soberness. (b) nonchalance means unfeeling attitude. (c) holiness means sacred. (d) Civility means full of manners. (e) mirth means happiness, laughter. Thus, (e) is the correct answer. 23. Give Analogy : Loath : Coercion : : (a) Irate : Antagonism (b)Irritate : Caressing (c) Reluctant : Persuasion (d) Contemplative : Meditative (e) Despise : Abhore
Solution. (c) Loath means to hate, disapprove. Coercion means impel or force into obedience. (a) Irate means angry. Antagonism means evoke hostility. (b) irritate means excite to anger. Caressing means showing warmth. (c) Reluctant means disinclined, unwilling. Persuasion means conviction. (d) Contemplative means to think. Meditative means contemplate, exercise of mind. (e) Despise means to dislike. Abhore - means to show hatred towards. Thus the answer (c) loath is similar to reluctant and coercision is similar to persuasion. Thus, the correct answer is (c). 24. Give Analogy : Acoustic : Sound : : (a) Mathematics : Geometry (c) Pathology : Disease (e) Rainbow : Rain
(b) Radio : Song (d) Communication : Phone
Solution. (c) Acoustic is the study of sounds. (a) Mathematics and Geometry are not related like that. (b) Radio is not the study of song. (c) Pathology is the study of diseases.
(d) Phone is not the study of communication. (e) Rain is not the study of rainbows. Thus, the correct answer is (c). 25. Give Antonym : Irk (a) Annoy (e) Trouble
(b) Offend
(c) Disturb
(d) Please
Solution. (d) Irk means irritate or annoy. (a) Annoy means irritate. (b) Offend means to make upset. (c) Disturb means break rest, worry. (d) Please means to give joy or happiness. (e) Trouble means cause of annoyance, inconvenience. Thus, (d) is the correct answer. 26. Give Antonym : Pulchritude (a) antipathy (d) languor
(b) unsightliness (e) rancour
(c) inexperience
Solution. (b) Pulchritude means beauty. (a) Antipathy means strong on deep seated aversion. (b) Unsightliness means unpleasing to look at, ugly. (c) Inexperience means having no experience. (d) Languor means languid state, tender. (e) Rancour means malignant, hate, bitterness. Thus, (b) is the correct answer. 27. Complete the following sentence with given options : If you carry this ________ attitude to the conference, you will ________ any supporters. You may have at this moment. (a) Truculent, alienate (b) Ubiquitious, delight (c) Supercilious, attract (d) conciliatory, defer (e) Belligerent, delight
Solution. (a) (a) Truculent means aggressive fierce, Alienate - to be alone, seclude. (b) Ubiquitions means present everywhere, Delight means to please. (c) Supercilions means haughtily contemptious, attract means to please. (d) Conciliatory means given to fight. Delight means to please. (e) Belligerent means given to fight. Delight means to please. Thus, (a) is the correct answer. 28. Complete the following sentence with given options: Her novel published to universal acclaim, her literary gifts acknowledged by the chief figures of the Harlem Renaissance, her reputation as yet ________ by envious slights, Hunston clearly was at the ________ of her career. (a) undamaged ...... ebb (b) untarnished ...... zenith (c) untainted ..... extremity (d) blackened ..... mercy (e) unmarred .... brink
Solution. (b) (a) undamaged - means not destroyed, ebb means to flow back, decline. (b) Untarmished - means with loss. Zenith means the highest point. (c) Untainted - without any spot. Extremity means extreme point.
(d) Blackened - make or become black. Mercy - at the behest of. (e) Unmarred means without any defect. Brink - edge of. Thus, (b) is the correct answer. DIRECTIONS for questions 29 and 30 : Read the following passage and answer the questions that follows : The cinema, let us remember, is one of the biggest influences in the modern world. There are many other things which influence people - books, newspapers and so on. But think it is perfectly correct to say that the influence if the films in India is greater than the influence of newspaper and books combined. Iam not at the moment talking about the quality of that influence. I suppose you thought, i was being clever,but I was Not! I shall explain my meaning. When I said that I was not reffering to the quality, I meant that books, for instance, not newspapers so much would obviously have a greater and deeper influence on those individuals who can take advantage of them. The cinema will not have that effect on them, nor the newspapers. In that sense book reading is an influence powerful in its quality, provided one knew how to read and what to read. But quantitatively the number of book readers in India is pitifully and woefully small. It makes me sad to think what a small number of people in India read books, judguing from sales. It is astonshing how backward our publishing business is. Then we come to the newspapers. Again, it is astonshing how small the total circulation of newspapers in each of our languages is. We have fine newspapers in various languages in India, but the total circulation of all the newspapers in India in all the languages is, compared to the population of India, still pitifully small. Do not tell me that this is due to people not being literate. It is true that the literacy figures in India are low, but in the totality people who are lliterate in India are vast in number. They may be only two percent of the population but 52 percent of the population of India is a huge number. What is it, then, that alls our writers of books, or publishers of books or newspapers? why is there this hiatus ? I am not going into this question. I am asking it only to make you think a little. I come back to my statement that, by and large, the influence of the cinema is far greater than that of reading books or reading newspapers or reviews and periodicals. Anything that has widespread influence is of the utmost importance to society and to Government. It cannot be treated as a joke or treated as something that can be classified as bad or as good and left at that. It has to be treated realistically as something of the highest importance for the life of the country. And because it is of the highest importance, a Government must be intimately concerned about it. As I have made clear, I do not want too much Governmental interference in artistic activities. But Government mus inevitably be concerned with something which has a wide influence. Suppose our producers produced a war film which encourages the war mentality. The Government of India would come down upon it with a big thump and stop it. There is no use telling me that we are interfering with the liberty of the individual. I just do not want war propaganda to pervert young people's minds. So, I say there are limits. There is no reason why we should quarrel about it. There must be broad agreement on the main principles of such restraint among Government, society and the industry itself. There may be a difference of opinion as to where the line is to be drawn. The cinema is a big industry. I must pay tribute to those who built it up in the last twenty or thirty years, for they have built something big starting from scratch and without much assistance and produced from time to time, some very notable films. The mere quantity and the fact that this development has been practically unaided are creditable to them. Many people criticize the quality of many of our films from their rather high-brow point of view. I am not very interested in melodrama. It bores me, I fall asleep. So, I do not go to such films at all. But we have to meet a problem here which is not an Indian problem alone. It is melodrama that interests large numbers of people, whether in India, England or America or elsewhere. Public taste, to some extent, moulds what is presented to it. At the same time what is presented should mould public taste. 29. In the first paragraph of the passage how does the author establish the superiority of the books on the cinema or the newspapers? (a) The number of the readers of the books is greater than the number of cine- viewer or the newspaper readers. (b) Books are read only by those who value quality rather than anything else (c) Books leave a deeper and greater impression on the minds of the people that influence left by cinema or the newspapers. (d) Books leave a deeper and greater influence on the minds of those who can take their advantage. On the other hand the cinema and the newspapers do not leave impression of that magnitude on the minds of those who take them.
(e) None of these Solution (d) (a) The no. of readers are small. (b) is incorrect. (c) It is not the proper explanation. (d) It tells that books have a deeper influence but only for those who read them. Thus, (d) is the correct answer.
30.
According to the author, why should the government not come down upon a film which encourages war mentality? (a) Any such attempt on the part of the government will curb the liberty of the individual. (b) Any such attempt on the part of the government can hamper the progress of the film industry. (c) Any such attempt can create misunderstanding among the masses. (d) Too much Governmental interference is not appreciated. (d) None of these
Solution.
(a)
(a) is the correct answer as is clear from the last 3-4 sentences of the second paragraph.