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Model Paper 180 PPSC Past Paper Edition
The word Sagacity refers to the quality of having or showing keen mental discernment and good judgment; shrewdness. Therefore, its closest synonym is Wisdom, which is the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment.
Morality refers to principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior, which is different from intellectual judgment.
Uprightness means honesty and respectability, a moral quality rather than an intellectual one.
Stupidity is the quality of being unintelligent or foolish, which is an antonym of sagacity.
Thus, 'wisdom' accurately captures the essence of profound understanding and good judgment inherent in 'sagacity'.
The correct answer is "has known". This uses the Present Perfect tense, which is appropriate for actions that started in the past and continue up to the present moment. The phrase "for five years" clearly indicates a duration that began in the past and extends to now.
"know" and "knows" are Simple Present, used for habitual actions or facts, not for actions with ongoing duration from the past.
"is knowing" is Present Continuous, which is generally not used with stative verbs like "know" to describe a continuous state, especially not with a specified duration.
The correct answer is "an". The choice between 'a' and 'an' depends on the sound of the word immediately following the article, not necessarily the letter. When 'M.A.' is pronounced, the 'M' starts with a vowel sound (em-ay).
"a" is used before words that begin with a consonant sound.
"the" is a definite article, used for specific nouns, not for general qualifications in this context.
"no article" would be grammatically incorrect as 'M.A.' is a countable noun here.
The correct answer is "Honest". The idiom 'Fair and Square' means to do something in a completely honest, straightforward, and legitimate manner, without any cheating or deception. It emphasizes integrity and adherence to rules.
"Business-like" implies efficiency and professionalism, which is not the core meaning of the idiom.
"Active" refers to being engaged or in motion, unrelated to the idiom's sense of integrity.
"Authoritative" means reliable or commanding, which does not capture the essence of fairness and honesty.
The correct answer is "at". The preposition "at" is used to indicate a specific location or point, often when someone is situated near or working at a piece of furniture like a table or desk. "At his study table" means he is positioned there for the purpose of studying.
"on" would imply he is physically on top of the table, which is incorrect for a person.
"in" suggests being inside something, like a room or a box, not typically used for being next to a table.
"by" means next to, which is plausible but "at" is more common and precise for indicating presence at a workstation.
Correct answer is:
C. Much excitement over something trivial
The idiom 'A storm in a teacup' refers to much excitement over something trivial. This phrase describes a situation where people are making a great fuss or showing excessive anger about a matter that is actually very minor and unimportant. The image of a storm in a small teacup vividly illustrates the disproportionate reaction to a small issue.
Unexpected event is incorrect as the idiom focuses on the scale of reaction, not the event's predictability.
A danger signal is false; the idiom implies a lack of real danger.
A great noise is also incorrect, as it only describes a symptom, not the core meaning of overreaction to something insignificant.
The word Ponder means to think about something carefully, especially before making a decision or reaching a conclusion. Therefore, its closest synonym is Think about.
Ignore means to refuse to take notice of or acknowledge something, which is the opposite of pondering.
Forget means to fail to remember something, which is unrelated to the act of thinking deeply.
Laugh is an expression of amusement and has no semantic connection to the act of careful thought.
Understanding the core meaning of 'ponder' as deep consideration makes 'think about' the most accurate synonym.
The word Odious means extremely unpleasant, repulsive, or deserving of hatred. Therefore, its antonym, a word with the opposite meaning, is Delightful, which means causing delight; charming or highly pleasing.
Insignificant means too small or unimportant to be worth consideration, which is not the opposite of unpleasantness.
Cacophony refers to a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds, which is unrelated to the emotional quality of 'odious'.
Repulsive is actually a synonym of 'odious', meaning causing intense distaste or aversion, not an antonym.
Thus, 'delightful' perfectly captures the opposite sentiment of 'odious'.
The correct answer is "All of these". Water sagacity, meaning the wise and prudent use of water, is critically important across all sectors to ensure sustainability and efficient resource management. Each listed sector has significant water demands.
"Industrial use" requires careful water management to minimize waste and pollution.
"Agricultural use" is the largest consumer of fresh water globally, making efficient irrigation and sustainable practices vital. Therefore, responsible water management is essential in every listed area.
The correct answer is "Hard copy". A printout copy refers to a physical output of information, typically printed on paper. It is a tangible document that can be held and read without the need for a digital device.
"Soft copy" is a digital version of a document or file that exists electronically and can be viewed on a screen, but not physically touched.
"Digital file" is a broad term for any data stored electronically, which encompasses soft copies but is not specific enough for a printout.
"Editable document" describes a characteristic of some digital files (soft copies) but not the physical nature of a printout.
A byte is a fundamental unit of digital information in computing and telecommunications. It is universally defined as consisting of 8 bits. This standard allows a single byte to represent 28, or 256, distinct values, which is crucial for encoding characters, small integers, and other data. For example, the ASCII character set uses one byte per character.
Option A (4 bits) describes a 'nibble', which is half a byte.
Option C (16 bits) is equivalent to two bytes, often referred to as a 'word' in some older computer architectures.
Option D (32 bits) is four bytes, commonly known as a 'double word' or a typical word size for many modern processors.
The Least Common Multiple (LCM) of two or more integers is the smallest positive integer that is a multiple of all the numbers. To find the LCM of 27 and 63, we can use prime factorization.
First, factorize each number: 27 = 3 x 3 x 3 = 33 and 63 = 3 x 3 x 7 = 32 x 7.
To find the LCM, take the highest power of all prime factors present in either number: 33 x 7 = 27 x 7 = 189.
Therefore, 189 is the smallest number that is divisible by both 27 and 63.
Options B (54), C (81), and D (126) are multiples of one number but not both, or not the least common multiple. For instance, 54 is 27 x 2 but not a multiple of 63.
In English grammar, a complete sentence is a fundamental unit of expression that conveys a complete thought. It must contain two essential components: a subject and a predicate.
The subject is the noun or pronoun that performs the action or is described.
The predicate is the part of the sentence that contains the verb and provides information about the subject, describing what the subject is doing or what is being said about it.
Therefore, a complete sentence consists of a subject and a predicate.
Option A (Object) is a part of the predicate but not the entire second essential component.
Option C (Clause) is a group of words containing a subject and a predicate, but 'predicate' specifically names the other essential part.
Option D (Verb) is the core of the predicate, but the predicate includes more than just the verb.
Dowry is a payment of money or property by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage. Historically, dowry has been a deeply entrenched custom in many cultures, particularly prevalent in the context of arranged marriages in regions like South Asia.
However, due to its exploitative nature and association with violence against women, dowry is now legally prohibited in many countries, especially where arranged marriages are common. Laws like the Dowry Prohibition Act in India specifically target and outlaw dowry in all forms of marriage, including arranged ones.
Options A ('Natural marriage') is not a recognized legal or sociological term.
Option C ('Court marriage') refers to a civil marriage process, not a type of marriage where dowry would be permitted.
Option D ('Forced marriage') is a human rights violation, and while dowry might be a factor, the question asks where it's 'no longer permitted', referring to a legal prohibition against a traditional practice.
In literature, an epilogue is a section or speech at the end of a book, play, or film that serves as a conclusion to the main story. It often provides insight into the future of the characters, ties up loose ends, or offers a final reflection on the themes presented. It acts as a concluding remark or a short poem.
Option A (Prologue) is an introductory section or speech at the beginning of a literary work, setting the stage for the story.
Option B (Dialogue) refers to a conversation between two or more characters within the story.
Option D (Monologue) is a long speech delivered by a single character, often revealing their thoughts or feelings, but it is not necessarily a conclusion to the entire story.
Correct answer is:
C. Join a popular trend or activity
The idiom 'Jump on the bandwagon' means to join a popular trend, activity, or cause, often because it has become fashionable or successful, rather than out of genuine conviction or belief. It implies following the crowd or aligning oneself with something that is currently popular to gain advantage or acceptance.
Option A ('Be extremely excited about something') describes enthusiasm, but not specifically the act of joining a popular trend.
Option B ('Be influenced easily') describes a characteristic that might lead someone to jump on a bandwagon, but it's not the direct meaning of the idiom itself.
Option D ('Call for trouble') means to invite problems or difficulties, which is unrelated to the meaning of the idiom.
The word "for" in the sentence "After lunch let's go for coffee" functions as a preposition. A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence, often indicating direction, time, place, or purpose. Here, "for" indicates the purpose or destination of going, connecting "go" with "coffee".
Adverb is incorrect because adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, and "for" is not doing that here.
Noun is incorrect as "for" is not a person, place, thing, or idea.
Adjective is incorrect because adjectives describe nouns, and "for" does not describe any noun in the sentence.
B.To fully accept something, especially a trick or lie
C.To resist temptation
D.To speak without thinking
Correct answer is:
B. To fully accept something, especially a trick or lie
The idiom "Swallow the bait" means to fully accept something, especially a trick or lie. This phrase originates from fishing, where a fish takes the bait and gets caught, implying that someone has been deceived or fallen for a trick. It suggests a lack of critical thinking or being easily fooled.
To ignore a warning is incorrect as swallowing the bait implies falling for something, not disregarding a caution.
To resist temptation is the opposite; it means succumbing to temptation.
To speak without thinking is unrelated to the core meaning of being tricked or deceived.
Correct answer is:
A. To take with some reservation
The idiom "To take with a grain of salt" means to take with some reservation. This implies that one should not believe something entirely or accept it without question, but rather view it with skepticism or a degree of doubt. The "grain of salt" suggests a small amount of caution or disbelief.
To take with total disbelief is too strong; it implies complete rejection, whereas "a grain of salt" suggests partial doubt.
To take wholeheartedly is the opposite, meaning to accept something completely and without reservation.
To take seriously is also the opposite, as it implies believing something fully and without skepticism.
The word "Prodigal" means spending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant. Therefore, its synonym is Extravagant.
Humble means having or showing a modest or low estimate of one's own importance, which is the opposite of prodigal's connotation of excessive spending.
Arrogant means having an exaggerated sense of one's own importance or abilities, which is unrelated to spending habits.
Trivial means of little value or importance, which does not relate to the concept of wasteful spending.