CDS English Exam Paper – 16 September 2012

Combined Defense Services (CDS) English solved exam paper conducted by UPSC on 16 September 2012 available here. UPSC organizes CDS Exam twice in a year. This is a second CDS exam paper of year 2012. CDS exam will consist of three papers – English, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics.

Exam Paper :— (CDS) English
Exam Organizer :— Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
Exam Date :— 16 September 2012

(See other paper of this exam – General Knowledge Paper)

CDS (English) solved exam paper (2^nd) 2012

Sentence Improvement

Directions – (Q. 1-14) look at the bold part of each sentence. Below each sentence, three possible situations for the bold part are given. If one of them (A), (B) or (C) is better than the bold part, indicate your response on the answer sheet against the corresponding letter (A), (B) or (C). if none of these substitutions improves the sentence, indicate (D) as your response on the answer sheet. Thus a ‘no improvement’ response will be signified by the letter (D).

1. More than one person was killed in the accident.
A. were killed
B. are killed
C. have been killed
D. no improvement

2. Not a word they spoke to the unfortunate wife about it.
A. did they speak
B. they will speak
C. they had spoken
D. no improvement

3. The poor villagers have waited in bitter cold for more than four hours now.
A. have been waiting
B. had waited
C. has been waiting
D. no improvement

4. If he had time he will call you.
A. would have
B. would have had
C. has
D. no improvement

5. All, but, her, had made an attempt.
A. all, but she
B. all but her
C. all, but her
D. no improvement

6. I am used to hard work.
A. work hard
B. work hardly
C. hard working
D. no improvement

7. Twenty kilometers are not a great distance in these days of fast moving vehicles.
A. is not a great distance
B. is no distance
C. aren’t a great distance
D. no improvement

8. They are working as usually.
A. usual
B. as usual
C. usually
D. no improvement

9. He is unlikely to come to the party. But if he comes I would talk to him.
A. if he would come
B. if he is to come
C. if he will come
D. no improvement

10. The passengers have formed queue at the booking-counter much before a train arrives.
A. formed
B. have been forming
C. form
D. no improvement

11. You must complete this work up to Sunday.
A. within sunday
B. by sunday
C. until sunday
D. no improvement

12. If it will rain, the match will be abandoned.
A. if it rains
B. if it would rain
C. if it rained
D. no improvement

13. How long do you think Mr. Kamal knew john ?
A. will know
B. knows
C. has known
D. no improvement

14. I have still to meet a person who is perfectly satisfied with his job.
A. am still to meet
B. am yet to meet
C. might still meet
D. no improvement

Ordering of words in a sentence

Directions – (Q. 15-25) each of the following items in this section consists of a sentence. The parts of which have been jumbled. These parts have been labelled P, Q, R and S. given below each sentence are four sequences namely (A), (B), (C) and (D). you are required to re-arrange the jumbled parts of the sentence and select the correct sequence.

15. Most of hitchcock’s film
P. were critically acclaimed on both sides of the atlantic
Q. earning him both fame and fortune
R. and made good money at the box office
S. in no small measure
The correct sequence should be –
A. P R Q S
B. P R S Q
C. Q P R S
D. Q S P R

16. P. one monsoon evening, the farmer returned from the field
Q. when the sky was overcast with threatening clouds
R. and found a group of children playing on the road
S. a little earlier than usual
The correct sequence should be –
A. Q S P R
B. Q P S R
C. Q R S P
D. P Q R S

17. it must not be imagined
P. that a walking tour
Q. is merely a better or worse way
R. as some would say
S. of seeing the country
The correct sequence should be –
A. R P Q S
B. P R Q S
C. P Q S R
D. P Q R S

18. It was reported that
P. the table
Q. belonging to a lady
R. with three carvel legs
S. was sold the next day by auction
The correct sequence should be –
A. P R Q S
B. Q P R S
C. P Q S R
D. P Q R S

19. P. everything was
Q. after
R. plain sailing
S. we engaged a guide
The correct sequence should be –
A. S P Q R
B. P Q R S
C. S R Q P
D. P R Q S

20. The boy
P. in the nehru centenary debate
Q. is the eldest son of my friend
R. who has won the gold medal
S. held in the town hall today
The correct sequence should be –
A. P Q R S
B. Q R S P
C. R P S Q
D. S P Q R

21. P. of paint
Q. two coats
R. give
S. the doors
The correct sequence should be –
A. R S Q P
B. P S Q R
C. S P Q R
D. R S P Q

22. P. many of the old sailors
Q. say it is unlucky
R. to sail on a friday
S. who are generally superstitious
The correct sequence should be –
A. P R S Q
B. P S Q R
C. S R Q P
D. P Q R S

23. it
P. in the news bulletin
Q. did not feature
R. that this matter
S. was surprising
The correct sequence should be –
A. P S Q R
B. R Q P S
C. Q S P R
D. S R Q P

24. P. don’t stop him
Q. for an hour
R. if you
S. he will run
The correct sequence should be –
A. Q P S R
B. P Q S R
C. S Q R P
D. S P R Q

25. P. in the evenings
Q. she went out
R. once a week
S. shopping
The correct sequence should be –
A. P Q R S
B. R Q S P
C. Q P R S
D. S P R Q

Comprehension

Directions – (Q.26-42) in this section, there are five short passages. Each passage is followed by questions based on the passage. Read each passage and answer the questions that follow.

Passage I

‘Sit down’, the principal said, but Mr. Tagde continued to stand, gaining courage from his own straight-backed stance, because he was beginning to feel a little afraid now.
The principal looked unhappy. He disliked being forced to perform this sort of an unpleasant task.
‘I wish you would consider withdrawing this report’. he said.
‘I am sorry, sir, i cannot do that’ Mr. Tagde said. He was pleased with his unwavering voice and uncompromising words.
‘It will be a very damaging report if put on record’.
‘It is a factual report on very damaging conduct’.
‘You are asking for the boy’s expulsion from school. Don’t you think the punishment is too harsh for a few boyish pranks’ ?

26. Mr. tagde did not sit down because –
A. he was angry with the principal
B. he was in a defiant mood
C. he did not like the student
D. he was in a hurry

27. He would not withdraw the report because –
A. he was arrogant and bitter
B. it was an accurate report
C. he wanted to create problems for the principal
D. he wanted to show his authority

28. The principal was unhappy because he –
A. did not like to deal with an arrogant person
B. was angry with Mr. tagde
C. could not enforce discipline in school
D. did not want to expel the boy

Passage II

It was a bitterly cold night, and even at the far end of the bus the east wind that raved along the street cut like a knife. The bus stopped, the two women and a man got in together and filled the vacant places. The younger woman was dressed in sealskin and carried one of those pekinese dogs that women in sealskin like to carry in their laps. The conductor came in and took the fares. Then his eye rested with cold malice on the beady-eyed toy dog. I saw trouble brewing. This was the opportunity for which he had been waiting, and he intended to make the most of it.

29. The wind that blew on the night was –
A. mild
B. pleasant
C. bitter
D. sharp

30. The younger woman was carrying the dog as –
A. a necessity
B. a fashion
C. an expression
D. an escort

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