Fill in the Blanks Questions For SSC
DIRECTIONS: Each of the following sentences is followed by four words or group of words. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate word or group of words.
- One dark night a Darvesh ___________ passing by a dry well.
(a) wasn’t (b) happened to be
(c) discovered in (d) found to
Answer: (b) happened to be
- Nordisk have recently ___________ a product called Glucometer.
(a) started (b) commissioned
(c) launched (d) begun
Answer: (c); Option (c) is correct, because a product is launched. Launch refers to introducing something to the public for the first time. Start means to just begin or set in motion, it is synonymous with ‘begun’; whereas, commissioned means ‘to give an official approval’.
- I had already published a novel and it was an unexpected success. I thought my ___________ .
(a) days were up
(b) chances were good
(c) lady luck was happy
(d) fortune was made
Answer: (d); The speaker is saying that his novel was a success, but that is not what he/she expected.
Option (d) is correct, because making a fortune means achieving a lot of success, prosperity or making lots of money. So, it refers to achieving success, which is what the context is.
Option (a) is wrong, because ‘days were up’ is an idiom which refers to ‘ending’ or ‘coming to an end’, this ending could be of anything, like success, happiness etc. But the author, in fact, got success, so this option is logically incorrect.
Option (b) is wrong because chances are not talked about after the result and similarly, option (c) can be ruled out too.
- The neighbour grabbed the boy, and rolled him on the road to ___________ the flames.
(a) cover (b) kill
(c) burn out (d) fizz out
Answer: (b); The statement probably talks about a situation in which a boy catches fire and the neighbour saves him. The neighbour did that by grabbing and then rolling him on the road to extinguish the fire. We have to pick the right word that describes this action. Option (b) is correct, because to ‘kill the flames’ would mean extinguishing the fire and this is exactly what is needed here.
Option (a) is wrong. Option (c) is wrong, because the flames do not burn out, the fuel does. Option (d) is wrong, because fizz refers to become bubbly or frothy, so it is clearly not the right word here.
- Sam asked me to keep this secret ___________ .
(a) secret (b) in myself
(c) amongst us (d) between us
Answer: (d); Option (d) is correct, as the secret was kept between the speaker and Sam.
Option (a) is wrong, because then the statement becomes redundant. Option (b) is incorrect. Option (c) is wrong, because amongst is used in the case when more than two people or entities are involved.
- Sometimes the greatest inventions ___________ an idea of startling simplicity.
(a) stumbles upon (b) hinge upon
(c) starves without (d) lacks
Answer: (b); The speaker is talking about how sometimes the greatest inventions are formed on or depend on simple ideas or basic thoughts. Option (b) is the correct option because it means ‘to depend on’, which fits in perfectly with the statement as then it would mean that some of the greatest inventions depend on simplistic ideas.
- Real friends, genuinely wanting the best for the organisation, ___________ different garbs.
(a) come in (b) clad in
(c) dressed in (d) clothed in
Answer: (a); The given statement refers that real friends i.e. the ones who really feel for the organization, are witnessed in different forms or appearances. Although, ‘garb’ refers to clothes, and thereby options (b), (c), and (d) do look probable, but ‘come in’ refers to ‘approaching someone or appear in front of someone’ which is what the author means.
- There was a major accident. The plane crashed. The pilot _________ did not see the tower.
(a) likely (b) probably
(c) scarcely (d) hurriedly
Answer: (b) The word ‘probably’ means likely (very/most).
- The car we were travelling in _________ a mile from home.
(a) broke off (b) broke down
(c) broke into (d) broke up
Answer: (b) The word ‘broke down’ means collapse.
- What are you _________ in the kitchen cupboard?
(a) looking in (b) looking on
(c) looking to (d) looking for
Answer: (d) The word ‘looking for’ means in search of.
- I did not see the point of _________ waiting for them, so I went home.
(a) hanging around (b) hanging on
(c) hang together (d) hanging up
Answer: (a) The word ‘hanging around’ means linger or wait around.
- He lost confidence and _________ of the deal at the last minute.
(a) backed out (b) backed on
(c) backed down (d) backed onto
Answer: (a) The word ‘backed out’ means go back on or withdraw from.
- The prisoner showed no _________ for his crimes.
(a) hatred (b) obstinacy
(c) remorse (d) anger
Answer: (c) Remorse is an emotion/action/feeling after the crime is done. Hatred is for the other people who saw/hear/ gone through crime but certainly not for the prisoner. Crime is done in anger and a cause. Obstinacy is stubbornness. Only emotion that suits the context is Remorse.
- It is inconceivable that in many schools children are subjected to physical _________ in the name of discipline.
(a) violation (b) exercise
(c) violence (d) security
Answer: (c) If it would have been ‘security’ then it would have been ‘provided’ in the statement not ‘subjected’. Exercise does not fit. Violation (to breech) is also out of place. Use of ‘physical’ in statement indicates ‘violence’. It fits best in the blank.
- We have not yet fully realised the _________ consequences of the war.
(a) happy (b) pleasing
(c) grim (d) exciting
Answer: (c) War is a negative word and it is synonym with mass destruction, death hence certainly has grim consequences. Happy, Pleasing, exciting all have positive sense; so can not be linked with war.
- The Romans were _________ science.
(a) bad in (b) bad to
(c) bad for (d) bad at
Answer: (d) Suppose you do not know exact meaning of all the options. Let us try solving it with critical reasoning approach. ‘Bad for science’ does not look sense full. ‘Bad to’ does not suit. ‘Bad in science’ looks convincing but it is slang not the right answers. People usually use – I am bad in mathematics but not in science. This is not right as per Standard English. With subjects ‘at’ is used as connector.
- To ___time, please go___ foot and not by bus.
(a) spend, with (b) kill, towards
(c) utilise, on (d) gain, on
Answer: (d) A clever way to tackle this question would be to see the second as a prepositional usage. You go on foot. So, our choices narrow down to (c) and (d). Now, would you be utilising time if you go on foot? Perhaps not. So, (c) is eliminated. If you do something in order to gain time you do it in order to give yourself enough time. For what? To think of an excuse or a way out of a difficult situation.
- After a recent mild paralytic attack his movements are_____ restricted; otherwise he is still very active.
(a) entirely (b) slightly
(c) nowhere (d) frequently
Answer: (b) Note that the paralytic attack was mild, which gives us the clue that its effect would be slight. This is further substantiated by the second part of the sentence:” …otherwise he is still very active” means there is some (slight) trouble but not much.
- Despite his _____ he had to suffer.
(a) punishment (b) fault
(c) negligence (d) innocence
Answer: (d) As a matter of rule, who should suffer? The guilty?. But the word despite points to the contrary. Hence, innocence.
- Ravi was always_______ of the good fortune of others.
(a) miserable (b) irritable
(c) greedy (d) envious
Answer: (d) When someone else has good fortune (luck), the general feeling is: “Why is he the favoured one? Why not I?” This is a feeling of envy.