21. ALMS
(1) blessings
(2) charity
(3) prayers
(4) worship
Answer
Ans.(2)
Sol (2) When a cyclone affects an area, the people are deprived
of their belongings. You then give them money, clothes,
food etc. Such gifts to the poor and needy are called alms.
Since they are given out of charity (kindness and tolerance),
these gifts are also known as charity.
22. ATTENUATE
(1) repent
(2) make thin
(3) force
(4) divide
Answer
Ans.(2)
Sol (2) You are familiar with the word tenuous. Attenuate also
comes from the same Latin root tenuis (= thin). If you
attenuate something, you make it slender or thin; you
reduce it in force or value.
23. VINDICTIVE
(1) revengeful
(2) triumphant
(3) strategic
(4) demonstrative
Answer
Ans.(1)
Sol (1) Mohan and Yadu were friends. One day, however,
Mohan went to a cricket match alone. There was only one
ticket available and he did not want to miss the match for
the sake of his friend. When Yadu came to know of this, he
felt aggrieved. Out of vindictiveness, Yadu bought only
one ticket for the next match and left Mohan alone. In other
words, Yadu took a revenge on Mohan.
24. DISCOMFIT
(1) litigatev
(2) ease
(3) conflict
(4) frustrate
Answer
Ans.(4)
Sol (4) If you are discomfited by something, it causes you to
feel slightly embarrassed or confused. In other words, it,
frustrates you.
25. WRATH
(1) violence
(2) anger
(3) hatred
(4) displeasing
Answer
Ans.(4)
Sol (4) If you are discomfited by something, it causes you to
feel slightly embarrassed or confused. In other words, it,
frustrates you.
26. ABSTINENCE
(1) synchronic
(2) torrential
(3) restraint
(4) gluttony
Answer
Ans.(3)
Sol (3) If you abstain from something, you deliberately do
not do it. Abstinence, however, is a particular kind of
abstaining —that from alcoholic drink, sex etc, often for
health or religious reasons. If you abstain from drinking,
you do not get drunk. Abstinence does not refer to “drink”
only,
27. ERUDITE
(1) execute
(2) expanse
(3) academic
(4) settle
Answer
Ans.(3)
Sol (3) An erudite person is scholarly. He or she is full of learning.
Now, where does a learned person get his or her learning
from? From the world of education or books. In other words,
the person has an academic orientation.
28. TACITURNITY
(1) dumbness
(2) changeableness
(3) hesitation
(4) reserve
Answer
Ans.(4)
Sol(4) A taciturn person is not dumb. A dumb person can’t
speak. A taciturn person can speak but does not want to. In
other words, he maintains a reserve.
29. ANIMATE
(1) kill
(2) dead
(3) energise
(4) calm
Answer
Ans.(3)
Sol (3) As an adjective, animate simply means “having life”.
For example: Plants and animals are animate objects. (5) is
thus rejected because boisterous means “lively, cheerful”.
Now, as a verb: If you animate something, you make it lively
or more cheerful. Thus you put energy into it. In other words,
you energise it. Note: Boisterous is a synonym of the
adjective animated.
30. NIGGARDLY
(1) penurious
(2) generous
(3) liberal
(4) nimbus
Answer
Ans.(1)
Sol (1) If someone is niggardly, he shows lack of generosity.
Thus generous (2) would be its antonym. But we are looking
for a synonym. None of the words is a fit synonym. In such
cases we go for the word closest in meaning. Both penurious
(very poor) and niggardly imply a lack of money, though in
different senses.
