PPSC Past Paper 2024

This question tests knowledge of prominent Urdu short story collections and their authors. Recognizing the creators of significant literary works is essential for understanding the landscape of Urdu fiction.

• Correct Option B: احمد ندیم قاسمی (Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi) is the celebrated author of "چوپال" (Chaupal), a renowned collection of short stories. Qasmi was a prolific writer, poet, and journalist, highly regarded for his realistic portrayal of rural life, social issues, and human emotions in his fiction. "Chaupal" stands as a testament to his mastery of narrative and character development in Urdu literature.
• Option A: پریم چند (Premchand) was a legendary Hindi and Urdu writer, but "Chaupal" is not attributed to him.
• Option C: ابن انشا (Ibn-e-Insha) was a famous poet and travelogue writer, not primarily known for short story collections like "Chaupal."
• Option D: "ان میں سے کوئی نہیں" (None of these) is incorrect, as Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi is indeed the author.

This question explores the structure of Earth and the significance of its layers. While all layers are crucial for Earth's overall dynamics, the Earth's crust is arguably the "most important" layer from a human and biological perspective. It is the outermost solid layer where all known life exists, providing the landforms, oceans, resources, and environment necessary for human civilization and ecosystems. It directly supports all terrestrial and aquatic life.

• The Mantle is the thickest layer, driving plate tectonics, but is uninhabitable.
• The Core (outer and inner) generates Earth's magnetic field but is deep within and uninhabitable.
• "None of these" is incorrect as the crust is fundamentally important for life.

The question asks for the antonym of "APPROBATE." To "approbate" means to approve formally or sanction something. Therefore, its antonym should mean to express strong disapproval or to condemn. Option A, "Condemn," is the correct antonym, as it means to express complete disapproval of, typically in public; censure.

• Option B, "Ingratitude," means a lack of thankfulness, which is unrelated to approval or disapproval.
• Option C, "Master," can mean a skilled person or to gain control over something, neither of which is an antonym for approbate.
• Option D, "Permit," means to allow or authorize, which is a synonym or closely related concept to approbate, not an antonym.

Understanding "approbate" as formal approval helps in identifying "condemn" as its direct opposite, signifying strong disapproval.

This question assesses general knowledge about major religious texts and their associated religions. The Mahabharata is a foundational epic, and understanding its religious context is key to comprehending its cultural significance.

• Correct Option A: The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and is intrinsically linked to Hinduism. It is a sacred text that delves into philosophical and devotional themes, including the Bhagavad Gita, a revered scripture within Hinduism. The epic narrates the Kurukshetra War, embodying core Hindu values, dharma, and ethical principles.
• Option B: Judaism is an Abrahamic religion, distinct from the traditions of the Mahabharata.
• Option C: Christianity is also an Abrahamic religion, with its own unique scriptures and beliefs.
• Option D: Buddhism, while originating in India, has its own separate scriptures and philosophical framework.

This question addresses a fundamental concept in chemistry and biology concerning molecular movement. Diffusion is defined as the net movement of particles from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration. This passive process occurs due to the random kinetic energy of molecules and continues until an equilibrium state is reached. It is vital for many biological processes, such as gas exchange in the lungs and nutrient absorption.

• Evaporation is the process of a liquid turning into a gas from its surface.
• Sublimation is the direct transition from solid to gas.
• Condensation is the process of a gas turning into a liquid.

These distractors describe phase changes, which are distinct from the movement of molecules down a concentration gradient.

The phrase "pencil you in" is an idiomatic expression. When someone says, "I will pencil you in for Tuesday the 18th," they mean they are making a provisional or tentative arrangement or booking for that time. It suggests that the arrangement is not yet finalized but is noted down. Option A, "Appointment," is the most accurate meaning, as it refers to a scheduled meeting or arrangement.

• Option B, "Particular," means specific or precise, which doesn't capture the essence of making a tentative booking.
• Option C, "Respect," refers to admiration or esteem, which is entirely unrelated to scheduling.
• Option D, "Independent," means self-reliant or not controlled by others, which has no connection to the idiom.

The idiom implies a flexible, preliminary booking, commonly used in scheduling appointments or meetings.

This question tests knowledge of a pivotal event in Islamic history that marks the commencement of the Islamic Hijri calendar. Understanding this foundational event is crucial for comprehending Islamic chronology and its historical significance.

• Correct Option B: The Islamic Hijri calendar begins with the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW)'s migration (Hijrat) from Makkah to Madina in 622 CE. This momentous event, known as the Hijra, established the first Muslim community-state in Madina, marking a new era for Islam and signifying a turning point in its history and the development of the Muslim Ummah.
• Option A: The conquest of Makkah occurred much later (8 AH) and is not the calendar's starting point.
• Option C: The birth of the Holy Prophet (SAW) predates the Hijra by many decades.
• Option D: The Treaty of Hudaibiya was signed in 6 AH, after the calendar's inception.

This question relates to plant physiology, specifically the processes of photosynthesis and respiration. During the day, plants perform photosynthesis, consuming carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. However, at night, photosynthesis ceases due to the absence of sunlight, and plants continue to respire. Respiration involves taking in oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide, similar to animals. Therefore, sleeping under a tree at night means being in an area where carbon dioxide concentration might be elevated, which can be detrimental to health in poorly ventilated conditions.

• "More oxygen is released" is incorrect; oxygen release stops at night.
• "Less oxygen" is true, but the primary concern is the active release of CO2.
• "Carbon monoxide released" is false; plants do not produce carbon monoxide.

In the sentence "Her parents are walking on the road in the morning," the group of words "in the morning" functions as a unit. A fundamental concept in grammar is distinguishing between clauses and phrases. A clause contains both a subject and a verb, while a phrase is a group of words that lacks either a subject, a verb, or both, and functions as a single part of speech. Option C, "Phrase," is correct because "in the morning" is a prepositional phrase (starting with the preposition "in") that acts as an adverb, telling us when the action occurs. It does not contain a subject-verb pair.

• Option A, "Independent clause," is incorrect because it lacks a subject and a verb that could stand alone as a complete sentence.
• Option B, "Dependent clause," is also incorrect as it requires a subject and a verb, which "in the morning" does not have.
• Option D, "None of these," is false because "Phrase" is the correct classification.

Recognizing the absence of a subject-verb combination is key to identifying a phrase.

The correct answer is Hazrat Ibrahim AS.

Hazrat Ibrahim (Abraham) is profoundly revered in Islam as the patriarch of monotheism and is explicitly referred to as the "Father of Muslims" in the Holy Quran (Surah Al-Hajj, 22:78). His unwavering faith, submission to Allah, and willingness to sacrifice his son set an unparalleled example for all believers, establishing a spiritual lineage for the Muslim community.

• Hazrat Adam AS was the first human and prophet, but not specifically called the "Father of Muslims" in this context.
• Hazrat Musa AS (Moses) was a great prophet who received the Torah, primarily for the Children of Israel.
• Hazrat Isa AS (Jesus) was also a significant prophet, who received the Injeel (Gospel), also primarily for the Children of Israel.

Therefore, Hazrat Ibrahim's unique status as the spiritual father of the monotheistic tradition makes him the correct choice.

This question tests knowledge of the unique physical properties of water. Unlike most substances, water exhibits anomalous expansion when it freezes. When water turns into ice, its volume increases by approximately 9%. This occurs because the hydrogen bonds in liquid water form a more open, crystalline lattice structure in ice, holding the molecules further apart. This property is crucial for life on Earth, as it causes ice to float, insulating aquatic environments and preventing entire bodies of water from freezing solid.

• 3%, 6%, and 10% are incorrect percentages. The widely accepted and scientifically accurate value for water's expansion upon freezing is around 9%.

The sentence "The house is large ___ is quite old-fashioned" requires a conjunction to connect two contrasting ideas. The house being large is generally a positive attribute, while being old-fashioned can be seen as a negative or contrasting one. Option D, "But," is the correct coordinating conjunction to use here because it introduces a contrast or something contrary to what has just been stated. It effectively highlights the difference between the house's size and its style.

• Option A, "And," is used to add information or connect similar ideas, not contrasting ones.
• Option B, "Or," is used to present an alternative or choice.
• Option C, "Which," is a relative pronoun used to introduce a dependent clause, and its usage here would be grammatically incorrect without a comma and a different sentence structure (e.g., "The house, which is large, is quite old-fashioned.").

The contrast between "large" and "old-fashioned" necessitates the use of "but" for proper grammatical flow and meaning.

The correct answer is Surah Al Maida.

Surah Al-Ma'idah (Chapter 5) is the specific chapter in the Holy Quran that explicitly details the regulations for ritual purity, including both Wudu (ablution with water) and Tayammum (ablution with clean earth or sand when water is unavailable). Verse 6 of Surah Al-Ma'idah provides these essential instructions for Muslims to maintain ritual cleanliness before prayer and other acts of worship.

• Surah Al Baqarah is the longest Surah and covers many topics, but not the primary source for these specific ablution details.
• Surah Al Imran focuses on faith, battles, and the family of Imran, without detailing Wudu and Tayammum.
• Surah An-Nisa primarily deals with women's rights, inheritance, and family law, not the specifics of ritual ablution.

Thus, Surah Al-Ma'idah is the foundational text for these purification rites.

This question probes the concept of elasticity in material science. In physics, elasticity refers to a material's ability to return to its original shape after deformation, and its resistance to permanent change. A material is considered more elastic if it has a higher Young's modulus, meaning it requires more force to deform it and returns more precisely. Steel is highly elastic because it can withstand significant stress and return to its exact original shape, storing and releasing substantial elastic energy.

• Rubber is flexible but deforms easily and has a lower Young's modulus, not returning as perfectly under high stress.
• Sponge is compressible but not truly elastic in the sense of resisting deformation.
• Glass is brittle and fractures with minimal elastic deformation.

Adverbs are words that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, providing more information about how, when, where, or to what extent an action occurs. The question specifically asks for the type of adverb that shows how often something happens. Option A, "Adverb of frequency," is the correct answer. Adverbs of frequency, such as 'always,' 'often,' 'never,' 'sometimes,' and 'rarely,' indicate how frequently an action takes place.

• Option B, "Adverb of place," tells us where an action happens (e.g., here, there, upstairs).
• Option C, "Adverb of degree," indicates the intensity or extent of an action or quality (e.g., very, quite, almost).
• Option D, "Conjunctive adverbs," connect independent clauses and show relationships between them (e.g., however, therefore, moreover).

Understanding the specific function of each adverb type is crucial for correct identification.

The correct answer is 7 Nabvi.

The social boycott of Banu Hashim, the clan of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), was a severe economic and social blockade initiated by the Quraish in Mecca. This oppressive measure began in the 7th year of Nabuwah (Prophethood) and lasted for three arduous years. The Quraish imposed this boycott due to the Banu Hashim's unwavering refusal to abandon the Prophet, causing immense hardship and suffering to the entire clan.

• 5 Nabvi and 6 Nabvi are incorrect years for the commencement of this significant historical event.
• 8 Nabvi would be during the boycott, not its beginning.

The 7th year of Nabuwah marks the start of this pivotal period of persecution and steadfastness for the early Muslim community.

This question focuses on the chemical composition and effects of common beverages. Caffeine is the primary psychoactive stimulant found in tea leaves, as well as in coffee beans and cocoa. It acts as a central nervous system stimulant, temporarily reducing drowsiness and enhancing alertness. While tea contains other beneficial compounds, caffeine is unequivocally responsible for its characteristic stimulating effects and is the most significant stimulant present.

• Brucine is a toxic alkaloid not found in tea.
• Theine is an older, synonymous term for caffeine when found in tea; chemically, it is the same molecule.
• Phenylalanine is an essential amino acid, present in tea but not a stimulant.

Therefore, caffeine is the most accurate and universally recognized answer.

The sentence "The performance of our players was ___ than I had expected" requires a comparative adjective because of the word "than," which signals a comparison. The base adjective is "bad." Its comparative form is "worse," and its superlative form is "worst." Option B, "worse than I had expected," correctly uses the comparative form "worse" followed by "than" to make a grammatically sound comparison between the actual performance and the expectation.

• Option A, "bad as I had expected," uses the positive form "bad" with "as," which is used for equality, not for showing one thing is inferior to another.
• Option C, "worse than expectation," is grammatically incomplete; it should be "worse than expected" or "worse than my expectation."
• Option D, "worst than was expected," incorrectly uses the superlative form "worst" with "than." Superlatives are typically used with "the" and imply the highest or lowest degree among three or more items, not a direct comparison between two.

Correct comparative structure is essential when using "than" to compare two elements.

The correct answer is 5 Hijri.

The Battle of the Trench, also known as the Battle of Ahzab (Confederates), was a pivotal conflict in early Islamic history that occurred in the 5th year of Hijra (migration). A large confederate army, comprising various tribes, besieged Medina. The Muslims, under the Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) strategic guidance, dug a defensive trench around the city, preventing the enemy from advancing. This innovative defense led to a prolonged stalemate and the eventual withdrawal of the enemy forces, marking a significant victory for the Muslims.

• 3 Hijri saw the Battle of Uhud.
• 4 Hijri involved minor skirmishes.
• 7 Hijri was the year of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah and the Battle of Khaybar.

Therefore, 5 Hijri is the accurate year for the Battle of the Trench.

The correct answer is Trojan Horse. A Trojan horse is a type of malware that disguises itself as legitimate software, tricking users into installing it. Once installed, it operates without the user's knowledge or consent, performing malicious actions, which perfectly matches the description.

• Phishing is a social engineering technique used to steal sensitive data, not a type of program that runs on a system.
• A Virus is malware that attaches to legitimate programs and spreads, but the defining characteristic of a Trojan is its deceptive installation.
• Adware primarily displays unwanted advertisements and is often installed with some form of user consent, unlike a Trojan's deceptive nature.

The original sentence, "She will have sung a song," is in the active voice, future perfect tense. To change it to the passive voice, we follow specific rules for this tense. The object of the active sentence ("a song") becomes the subject of the passive sentence. The auxiliary verb structure for future perfect passive is "will have been" followed by the past participle of the main verb ("sung"). The original subject ("she") becomes the object of the preposition "by." Therefore, Option A, "A song will have been sung by her," correctly applies these rules.

• Option B, "A song have been sung by her," is incorrect because it omits "will."
• Option C, "A song will had sung by her," is incorrect because "had" is past perfect, not future perfect passive.
• Option D, "A song has sung by her," is incorrect as it uses present perfect tense.

Mastering the specific auxiliary verb structures for each tense in passive voice is crucial for accurate voice transformation.

The correct answer is 40.

Prophet Younus (Jonah) is famously known for the miraculous event where he was swallowed by a large fish after abandoning his mission. While the Holy Quran does not specify the exact duration, Islamic traditions and interpretations widely state that he remained in the fish's belly for forty days and forty nights. During this extraordinary period, Prophet Younus continuously sought Allah's forgiveness and glorified Him, eventually being cast out onto the shore by divine command.

• The numbers 20, 30, and 50 are not supported by the widely accepted Islamic narratives and scholarly interpretations regarding Prophet Younus's time in the fish.

Thus, the duration of forty days is the commonly accepted period for this miraculous event.

The correct answer is India.

The Imperial Towers are two prominent residential skyscrapers located in Mumbai, India. These twin towers are among the tallest buildings in the country and were designed by the renowned architect Hafeez Contractor. Completed in 2010, they symbolize modern luxury living and architectural ambition in Mumbai, reflecting India's rapid urban development and its growing skyline. They are a significant landmark in the city's upscale residential landscape.

• JK (Jammu and Kashmir) is a region within India, but not where these specific towers are located.
• The US and China both have numerous impressive skyscrapers, but the
  

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was a vast socialist state that spanned much of Eurasia, existing from 1922 until its eventual collapse, which profoundly reshaped global geopolitics.

• Correct Option (D) 1991: The USSR officially ceased to exist on December 26, 1991. This dissolution was formalized by the Alma-Ata Protocol, signed by 11 of the Soviet republics, which established the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The preceding resignation of Mikhail Gorbachev as President on December 25, 1991, effectively marked the end of the Soviet era and the conclusion of the Cold War.
• Distractors:
• (A) 1988, (B) 1989, and (C) 1990 were periods of significant internal reforms and growing instability within the Soviet Union, but the state itself remained intact until 1991.

Moeen Akhtar was a legendary Pakistani artist celebrated for his extraordinary versatility and talent, primarily in the field of Comedy. He was renowned for his exceptional comedic timing, mimicry, and ability to portray diverse characters across television, film, and stage productions, making him a household name.

• While he did engage in 'Singing' (Option A) and 'Acting' (Option B) throughout his career, his most significant and defining contribution, which earned him widespread fame and adoration, was undoubtedly in comedy.
• His comedic genius often underpinned his acting roles, solidifying comedy as his primary domain.
• Thus, 'Comedy' is the most accurate description of his famous field.