SSC CGL – ssc cgl 25th sep-2025

The pursuit of space exploration (1) ____ not merely an extension of scientific curiosity but a profound statement about humanity's aspirations and existential resilience. As Earth's resources dwindle and environmental degradation escalates the imperative to seek alternative habitats (2) ____ increasingly unavoidable. Beyond the immediate technological marvels, space missions foster unprecedented advancements in materials science, medicine, and artificial intelligence, all of which invariably (3) ____ civilian life on Earth. However, venturing into the cosmos is fraught with ethical dilemmas. Questions surrounding planetary protection—ensuring that alien ecosystems are neither contaminated nor exploited, remain largely (4) nascent within international law. Moreover, the colossal costs of space programs provoke debates about distributive justice, particularly in a world where basic human needs remain unmet for millions. Thus, a responsible trajectory of space exploration must harmonize ambition with stewardship, (5) tempering technological triumphalism with humility. Ultimately, the future of humanity may indeed lie among the stars, but whether that future is marked by expansionist hubris or enlightened coexistence will depend on the philosophical frameworks we choose to uphold in these uncharted domains.

Choose correct verb tense and form.(1)

Explanation: The subject of the sentence is “The pursuit of space exploration.” The main noun in this subject is “pursuit,” which is singular. Therefore, the singular verb form “represents” is grammatically correct in the present tense.

The pursuit of space exploration (1) ____ not merely an extension of scientific curiosity but a profound statement about humanity's aspirations and existential resilience. As Earth's resources dwindle and environmental degradation escalates the imperative to seek alternative habitats (2) ____ increasingly unavoidable. Beyond the immediate technological marvels, space missions foster unprecedented advancements in materials science, medicine, and artificial intelligence, all of which invariably (3) ____ civilian life on Earth. However, venturing into the cosmos is fraught with ethical dilemmas. Questions surrounding planetary protection—ensuring that alien ecosystems are neither contaminated nor exploited, remain largely (4) nascent within international law. Moreover, the colossal costs of space programs provoke debates about distributive justice, particularly in a world where basic human needs remain unmet for millions. Thus, a responsible trajectory of space exploration must harmonize ambition with stewardship, (5) tempering technological triumphalism with humility. Ultimately, the future of humanity may indeed lie among the stars, but whether that future is marked by expansionist hubris or enlightened coexistence will depend on the philosophical frameworks we choose to uphold in these uncharted domains.

Choose correct verb usage.(2)

Explanation: The subject for the blank is “the imperative to seek alternative habitats.” The main noun is “imperative,” which is singular. Hence, the correct singular present-tense verb is “becomes.”

The pursuit of space exploration (1) ____ not merely an extension of scientific curiosity but a profound statement about humanity's aspirations and existential resilience. As Earth's resources dwindle and environmental degradation escalates the imperative to seek alternative habitats (2) ____ increasingly unavoidable. Beyond the immediate technological marvels, space missions foster unprecedented advancements in materials science, medicine, and artificial intelligence, all of which invariably (3) ____ civilian life on Earth. However, venturing into the cosmos is fraught with ethical dilemmas. Questions surrounding planetary protection—ensuring that alien ecosystems are neither contaminated nor exploited, remain largely (4) nascent within international law. Moreover, the colossal costs of space programs provoke debates about distributive justice, particularly in a world where basic human needs remain unmet for millions. Thus, a responsible trajectory of space exploration must harmonize ambition with stewardship, (5) tempering technological triumphalism with humility. Ultimately, the future of humanity may indeed lie among the stars, but whether that future is marked by expansionist hubris or enlightened coexistence will depend on the philosophical frameworks we choose to uphold in these uncharted domains.

Choose correct conditional mood.(3)

Explanation: The relative pronoun “which” refers to the plural noun “advancements.” Since the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural. Therefore, “benefit” is the correct form.

The pursuit of space exploration (1) ____ not merely an extension of scientific curiosity but a profound statement about humanity's aspirations and existential resilience. As Earth's resources dwindle and environmental degradation escalates the imperative to seek alternative habitats (2) ____ increasingly unavoidable. Beyond the immediate technological marvels, space missions foster unprecedented advancements in materials science, medicine, and artificial intelligence, all of which invariably (3) ____ civilian life on Earth. However, venturing into the cosmos is fraught with ethical dilemmas. Questions surrounding planetary protection—ensuring that alien ecosystems are neither contaminated nor exploited, remain largely (4) nascent within international law. Moreover, the colossal costs of space programs provoke debates about distributive justice, particularly in a world where basic human needs remain unmet for millions. Thus, a responsible trajectory of space exploration must harmonize ambition with stewardship, (5) tempering technological triumphalism with humility. Ultimately, the future of humanity may indeed lie among the stars, but whether that future is marked by expansionist hubris or enlightened coexistence will depend on the philosophical frameworks we choose to uphold in these uncharted domains.

In this context, ‘nascent’ most nearly means: (4)

Explanation: The word “nascent” means something that is just beginning to develop or is in its early stage. In the passage, planetary protection within international law is described as still developing, so “Primitive or newly developing” is the correct meaning.

The pursuit of space exploration (1) ____ not merely an extension of scientific curiosity but a profound statement about humanity's aspirations and existential resilience. As Earth's resources dwindle and environmental degradation escalates the imperative to seek alternative habitats (2) ____ increasingly unavoidable. Beyond the immediate technological marvels, space missions foster unprecedented advancements in materials science, medicine, and artificial intelligence, all of which invariably (3) ____ civilian life on Earth. However, venturing into the cosmos is fraught with ethical dilemmas. Questions surrounding planetary protection—ensuring that alien ecosystems are neither contaminated nor exploited, remain largely (4) nascent within international law. Moreover, the colossal costs of space programs provoke debates about distributive justice, particularly in a world where basic human needs remain unmet for millions. Thus, a responsible trajectory of space exploration must harmonize ambition with stewardship, (5) tempering technological triumphalism with humility. Ultimately, the future of humanity may indeed lie among the stars, but whether that future is marked by expansionist hubris or enlightened coexistence will depend on the philosophical frameworks we choose to uphold in these uncharted domains.

The word ‘tempering’ most nearly means: (5)

Explanation: In the passage, “tempering technological triumphalism with humility” means reducing or moderating excessive pride in technological achievement by balancing it with humility. Therefore, “Reducing or moderating” is the correct answer.

Fill in the blank with the correctly spelt word.

The ______ theory revolutionized the field of anthropology.

Explanation: The correctly spelt word is “evolutionary.” The other options contain spelling errors and do not represent the standard spelling of the adjective related to evolution.

Select the most appropriate synonym of the given word:

PHLEGMATIC

Explanation: “Phlegmatic” means calm, composed, and not easily excited or disturbed. Therefore, “Calm” is the most appropriate synonym.

Select the most appropriate antonym of the given word.

Torpor

Explanation: “Torpor” means a state of inactivity, dullness, or sluggishness. Its opposite is “Liveliness,” which means energy, activity, and alertness.

Choose the correct meaning of idiom:

Red herring

Explanation: The idiom “red herring” means something that distracts attention from the real issue or misleads someone by giving a false clue. Hence, the correct meaning is “A false clue meant to mislead.”

Choose the correct spelling for a word meaning

‘opposite in nature’.

Explanation: “Contrary” is the correctly spelt word and it means opposite in nature, direction, or meaning. The remaining options are incorrect spellings.

Choose the correct one-word substitute for:

‘An exact copy’.

Explanation: “Facsimile” means an exact copy or reproduction of something, especially a document or printed material. Therefore, it is the correct one-word substitute.

Choose the correct one-word substitute for:

A person who lives in solitude and seclusion.’

Explanation: A “recluse” is a person who lives alone and avoids contact with other people. Therefore, it correctly substitutes the phrase “a person who lives in solitude and seclusion.”

Fill in the blank with the appropriate collocation:

She has a strong ______ of responsibility.

Explanation: The correct collocation is “a strong sense of responsibility.” It means a serious awareness of one’s duties or obligations.

Select the correct option:

The manuscript was replete with obscure references, many of ______ baffled reviewers.

Explanation: “References” are things, so the correct relative pronoun is “which.” The phrase “many of which” correctly connects the clause with “obscure references.”

Find the part of the sentence that contains an error:

The symposium on autonomous systems (1)/ underscored an urgent need of robust ethical frameworks (2)/ to anticipate unforeseen consequences (3)/ of machine decision-making. (4)/

Explanation: The error is in part (2). The correct phrase is “an urgent need for robust ethical frameworks,” not “an urgent need of robust ethical frameworks.”

Find the part of the sentence that contains an error:

Only after the final audit report was submitted (1)/ did the committee realise (2)/ that the estimates, although well-documented, (3)/ has omitted indirect liabilities. (4)

Explanation: The error is in part (4). The subject “estimates” is plural, so “has omitted” is incorrect. The sentence requires a plural-compatible form such as “had omitted.”

Change the following from active to passive:

Someone had left the emergency exit unlocked overnight.

Explanation: The original sentence is in the past perfect tense. In passive voice, the object “the emergency exit” becomes the subject, and the structure becomes “had been left.”

Select the sentence containing the homonym of the highlighted word:

The cleric described the tonsure as a sacred act.

Explanation: The correct option uses the word “tonsure” in a different context from the religious or clerical act given in the sentence. Therefore, it contains the homonym of the highlighted word.

Convert the sentence provided below from its passive voice structure to an active voice structure:

It had been made clear by the committee that the rule would not be altered.

Explanation: In active voice, the doer “the committee” becomes the subject of the sentence. The meaning is preserved correctly in “The committee made it clear that the rule would not be altered.”

Choose the most suitable option to replace the highlighted part of the sentence:

She did not spoke to anyone.

Explanation: After the auxiliary verb “did,” the base form of the main verb is used. Therefore, “did not speak” is grammatically correct, while “did not spoke” is incorrect.

Choose the most suitable option to replace the highlighted part of the sentence:

The child cried as if he was in pain.

Explanation: In hypothetical or imagined situations after “as if,” the subjunctive form “were” is preferred. Therefore, “as if he were in pain” is the most suitable option.

A sentence is provided in indirect speech. From the four given options, choose the one that most accurately conveys the sentence in its corresponding direct speech.

The director noted that the figures had been inflated.

Explanation: In direct speech, the reported clause is expressed in the speaker’s original form. “These figures have been inflated” correctly conveys the meaning of “the figures had been inflated” in indirect speech.

A sentence is provided in direct speech. From the four given options, choose the one that most accurately conveys the sentence in its corresponding indirect speech.

The teacher said, “Who can solve this question?”

Explanation: In indirect speech, “said” changes to “asked” for a question, “can” changes to “could,” and “this question” changes to “that question.” The correct indirect structure is “who could solve that question.”

Rearrange the following sentences to form a meaningful passage:

1. Marine ecosystems are sensitive to temperature shifts. 2. Coral bleaching is one visible consequence. 3. Rising ocean temperatures disrupt symbiotic algae. 4. This affects reef biodiversity and fisheries.

Explanation: The passage should begin with the general idea that marine ecosystems are sensitive to temperature shifts. Then it explains how rising ocean temperatures disrupt symbiotic algae, followed by coral bleaching as a visible consequence, and finally its effect on biodiversity and fisheries.

Rearrange the following sentences to form a meaningful passage:

1. Regular check-ups are essential to detect issues early. 2. Maintaining good dental hygiene is crucial. 3. It prevents cavities, gum disease, and other oral problems. 4. Brushing and flossing daily form the core of this practice.

Explanation: The passage begins with the main idea that maintaining good dental hygiene is crucial. The next sentence explains its benefit, then states that brushing and flossing form the core of this practice, and finally adds that regular check-ups help detect issues early.