TNPSC

General English 2A - 2016

1. In which poem, do you find the following line? (C) Shylock to Portia (D) Portia to Shylock
“Virgin rock takes form”.
(A) Migrant Bird (B) The Earth 8. In Oscar Wilde‟s “The Model Millionaire” Hyghie
(C) Shilpi (D) To a Millionaire could marry Laura provided
(A) He lent a thousand pounds to Laura‟s father
2. What does Tagore suggest to lead us to perfection (B) He gifted Laura ten thousand pounds
in the poem “Where the mind is without fear”? (C) He came into possession of ten thousand
(A) Tireless striving (B) Equality and harmony pounds
(C) Religious spirit (D) Political dogmas (D) He borrowed ten thousand pounds

3. “How beautiful you are, Earth, and how sublime 9. “Man is born free but is everywhere in chains”.
How perfect your obedience to the light and how Who made this famous statement?
– noble is your submission to the sun” (A) Voltaire (B) Jacques Rousseau
(A) Personification (B) Metaphor (C) Descartes (D) Napoleon
(C) Metonymy (D) Simile 10. Identify the work which is not written by Oscar
Wilde?
4. Which among the responses best explains the (A) The Selfish Giant
following line : “Day light will be on the switch (B) The Happy Prince
and winter under rock”. (C) The Importance of Being Earnest
(A) Daylight will restrict the damaging impact (D) Snake
of winter
(B) Winter‟s chillness will be under the lock of 11. Identify the work known for its nationalist
the daylight‟s heat theme.
(C) Daylight will be turned on when winter is (A) The Model Millionaire
kept under lock (B) Keep Your Spirits High
(D) There will be a continuous switching over (C) Our Local Team
from day to night, and there will not be any (D) Where the mind is without fear
changing seasons
12. Match the poetic lines under column A with the
5. In the idiom „a storm in a teacup‟, which of the figures of speech under column B and select the
following is used as a replacement for the word correct answer from the codes given below :
„storm‟ in American English? Column A Column B
(A) Cyclone (B) Tempest (a) You are the mouth and lips
(C) Typhoon (D) Hurricane of eternity 1. Alliteration
(b)About the fun of flying 2. Onomatoepia
6. Identify the word pair which is different in (c) In the boom of the 3. Metaphor
pronunciation in British English and American (d)The ship has weather‟d 4. Personification
English usage : every rack...
British English American English (a) (b) (c) (d)
(A) Cheque - check (A) 2 1 3 4
(B) Metre - meter (B) 2 3 1 4
(C) Schedule - schedule (C) 4 1 2 3
(D) Licence - license (D) 1 4 3 2
13. “I care not where the skies begin”.
7. “Here‟tis, most reverend Doctor, here it is”.
Find out the option closest in meaning to the
Who is the speaker and who is the listener?
above line.
(A) Bassanio to Duke (B) Shylock to Duke

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General English 2A - 2016
(A) The migrant birds have many limitations (B) Goods train – freight train
(B) The birds have got a jurisdiction in the sky (C) Dustbin – trash can
(C) The birds have got boundaries within which (D) Chips – French fries
they can fly
(D) The birds can have limitless jurisdiction and 21. Choose the work which is not written by Pearl S
abundant freedom Buck.
(A) The Good Earth
14. In the poem, “The Solitary Reaper”, Wordsworth (B) My Several Worlds
addresses this song to one „Solitary Highland (C) The Child who never Grow
Lass‟. What does, the poet mean by the world, (D) Pygmalion
„Highland‟?
(A) England (B) Ireland 22. In Julius Caesar, Antony says,
(C) Scotland (D) Iceland “The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;”
15. If you can meet with triumph and disaster; This means
And treat those two impostors just the same:- (A) The evil that men do is forgotten after their
Find out the word nearest opposite in meaning to death.
„Impostor‟ from the options. (B) The evil that men do is remembered after
(A) Pretender (B) Quack their death.
(C) Expert (D) Sham (C) The good that men do is balanced with the
evil they do.
16. In the lesson “Yaanai Malai”, the lesson-writer (D) The good that men do is remembered after
Manohar Devadoss says, “Sometimes landscapes their death.
can speak to us”. This expression is purely
(A) A baseless illusion 23. “Honesty and Truth are interrelated.
(B) An exaggerated hyberbola Honesty is basically an expression of truth”.
(C) A subjective impression This is said by ____________.
(D) An objective interpretation (A) Kiran Bedi
(B) Mahatma Gandhi
17. Mahema, the wife of the lesson-writer, Manohar (C) Dale Carnegie
Devadoss, was suffering from the disease (D) Hope Spencer
(A) Paralysis (B) Back-pain
(C) Varicose veins (D) Spondylitis 24. Which one of the following compound-nouns is
wrong?
18. American English equivalent for „puncture‟ is (A) Coat – of - mails (B) Governors - general
___________. (C) Runners - up (D) Grown - ups
(A) flat-out (B) blast-out
(C) blow-out (D) crash out 25. “Now drops that floated on the pool
Like pearls, and now a silver blade”.
19. „Window shade‟ in American English is What figure of speech can you find in the
____________ in British English. underlined part of the above lines?
(A) wind screen (B) window (A) Personification (B) Metonymy
(C) blind (D) wind (C) Metaphor (D) Transferred epithet
20. Identify the incorrect pair of British English and
American English expressions 26. “Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit”
(A) Bonnet – cover

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General English 2A - 2016
What figure of speech can be identified in the 31. “Count your blessings, not your troubles‟ – Here
aforesaid line from the poem, “Where the Mind is the writer‟s emphasis is on _________
Without Fear”? (A) Pessimism (B) Nihilism
(A) Oxymoron (B) Synecdoche (C) Optimism (D) Truism
(C) Assonance (D) Alliteration
32. What is the speciality of the „Vimanams‟ of the
27. Identify the statement that best explains the use Brihadeesvarar temple?
of metaphor in “laugh till the game is played; and (A) Built of teak wood
be you merry, my friend”. (B) Built with a special kind of mortar
(A) Laughter is compared to a merry-making (C) Built with stones with bonding and notching
game (D) Built up without the use of mortar
(B) Game is compared to a merry friendship
(C) Life is compared to laughter and merry 33. In Julius Caesar, Antony speaks the following
making line :
(D) Life is compared to a game “This was the most unkindest cut of all”.
The „cut‟ in the above line refers to the stab of
28. In “On the day of Sicilian July, with Etna (A) Casca (B) Cassius
smoking” The reference to Sicilian July is an (C) Brutus (D) Pompey
example of
(A) Anaphora (B) Metaphor 34. Choose the correct answer from the options given
(C) Ellipsis (D) Allusion below :
“In every land is common life
29. What did the “Last man in” in the story “Our That all can recognize and understand”
Local Team” do and what was the umpire‟s These lines are taken from the poem
reaction? (A) With a friend
(A) The Last man hit a sixer and the umpired (B) No men are foreign
raised his indicating finger (C) My native land
(B) The Last man hit a boundary and the (D) To India
umpired levelled his hands on both sides
(C) The Last man hit a boundary with his pad 35. Many of Pearl S. Buck‟s books have
and was given L.B.W. __________ background.
(D) The Last man hit a boundary with his pad (A) American (B) Chinese
but the umpire maintained telling „Not Out‟ (C) Scottish (D) Burmese

30. „The life of a student is, comparatively speaking, 36. The right plural form for the word underlined i
a sheltered life‟ the following sentence is ______________
What does Gokhale mean by this? John speaks without basis.
Choose the one statement which is inappropriate. (A) basises (B) basics
(A) They are protected by their parents (C) basal (D) bases
(B) They have lesser responsibilities
(C) They need not discharge their duties as 37. Choose the complex sentence out of the four
students sentences given below :
(D) They have the privilege of being helped by (A) Failing prompt payment, the goods must be
others returned by you
(B) He was a mere boy but he offered to fight
the giant

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General English 2A - 2016
(C) He must have done his duty, for he is a (C) A.R. Rehman (D) llaiyaraaja
conscientious man
(D) He succeeded although his success was not 44. I‟m not going to be a scientist
expected Or some one who reads the news on TV.
No, a million birds will fly through me.
38. Identify the sentence pattern. I‟m going to be a tree‟
Brutus is an honourable man. What does the poet want to become when he/she
(A) SVC (B) SVO grows up?
(C) SVIO (D) SVDO Choose the best option from the following :
(A) Scientist (B) Naturalist
39. Identify the sentence which is in the superlative (C) Animal species (D) Part of nature
degree.
(A) All his colleagues are senior to him 45. In which of the following state is Ottan Koothu
(B) The nearest railway station is two performed?
kilometres from here (A) Tamil Nadu (B) Andhra Pradesh
(C) My knife is sharper than yours (C) Kerala (D) Karnataka
(D) Of the two evils, choose the less
46. In which of the following does lvan Dmitritch
40. Cull out the word formed by combining adjective appear?
and verb from the following options : (A) The Selfish Giant
(A) school boy (B) dry clean (B) The Last Leaf
(C) outrun (D) radioactive (C) The Lottery Ticket
(D) The Open Window
41. “As in the concentration camp and the evening of
9/11, the artistes are the ones who might be able 47. Match the following :
to help us with our internal, invisible lives”. Story Character
Which are the two countries associated with (a) Two Friends 1. Mr. Nuttel
concentration camp and 9/11 tragedy (b)The Open Window 2. Colonel Dumoulin
respectively? (c) The Last Leaf 3. Ivan Dmitritch
Choose the right option from the following : (d)The Lottery Ticket 4. Behrman
(A) Russia and Germany (a) (b) (c) (d)
(B) Germany and ltaly (A) 2 3 4 1
(C) Germany and America (B) 2 1 4 3
(D) Iraq and America (C) 2 1 3 4
(D) 1 3 1 4
42. At high school Paulnack scored good grades in
__________ 48. “A Psalm of Life” appeared in the collection of
(A) Science and Maths poems titled __________
(B) Science and Arts (A) Wayside Inn (1855)
(C) Science and Humanities (B) Evangeline (1847)
(D) Arts and Crafts (C) Miles Standish (1858)
(D) Voices of the Night (1839)
43. The first Asian composer to score a symphony for
the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is 49. Read the sentence to find out whether there is
____________ any error. If there is any error, mark the part A,
(A) Naushad (B) Ustad Bade Ali Khan B, C or D as the case may be.

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General English 2A - 2016
Most of the victims has underwent first aid 56. In Oscar Wilde‟s „The Model Millionaire‟, Alan
A B Trevor was a good painter because
by the time the ambulance van reached the (A) He was strict
C D (B) He had natural talent
accident site. (C) He was popular
(A) A (B) B (D) He was friendly
(C) C (D) D
57. In Oscar Wilde‟s „The Selfish Giant‟ the giant saw
50. Fill out the blank with the appropriate something marvellous in his garden. He saw
conditional : (A) A silver tree with golden blossoms
You had better consult a doctor, __________ (B) A golden tree with golden blossoms
your condition will become worse. (C) A pink tree with yellow blossoms
(A) unless (B) otherwise (D) A dull tree with no blossoms
(C) provided that (D) in case
58. “... though he had no hand in his death, Shall
51. Identify the correct sentence from the four receive the benefit of his dying, a place in the
options given below : commonwealth”.
(A) All that glitters are not gold Who is speaking about whom in the above
(B) All that glitter are not gold passage from Julius Caesar?
(C) All that glitter was not gold (A) Antony about Brutus
(D) All that glitters is not gold (B) Brutus about Antony
(C) First Citizen about Brutus
52. Which among the following words cannot be (D) Octavious about Antony
used as an adverb?
Well, early, daily, lonely 59. Which of the following is the title of a poem
(A) Well (B) lonely written by Berton Braley?
(C) early (D) daily (A) Prayer for My daughter
(B) Prayer of a sportsman
53. Find out the odd word from the list given below : (C) Where the mind is without fear
(A) common (B) strange (D) Silent Prayer
(C) usual (D) regular
60. What is the nationality of Robert Frost?
54. In Oscar Wilde‟s „The Model Millionaire‟ why did (A) British (B) Canadian
Alan Trevor leave the studio for a few minutes? (C) American (D) French
(A) He had another appointment
(B) He went to see his son 61. Pick out the sentence which is in active voice.
(C) He went to see a frame maker (A) He is loved by all
(D) He went to see a customer (B) The field is ploughed
(C) The thief was caught
55. In Oscar Wilde‟s „The Selfish Giant‟, (D) The man cut down the tree
__________ came and took the giant to
Paradise. 62. Fill out the blank with the suitable option given
(A) Jesus Christ below :
(B) An angel I went there _________
(C) An evil spirit (A) To examine personally the situation
(D) The giant‟s friend (B) To examine the situation personally

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General English 2A - 2016
(C) Personally examining the situation 69. In Oscar Wilde‟s The Selfish Giant‟, the giant
(D) Examining personally the situation returned to his castle after seven years because
(A) He had urgent business at home
63. Pick out the sentence which is grammatically (B) His business with his friend was over
correct ad meaningful : (C) His friend was sick
(A) Do not altar the course of action (D) He was not well
(B) The Carpenter cut off a large bow of timber
(C) The landscape was bear 70. What was the title given to the Maratha Ruler?
(D) The site of our college building is very (A) Badshah (B) Mir Alam
beautiful (C) Peshwa (D) Maharaj

64. Fill in the blanks with the most suitable word 71. The poet, Khalil Gibran was born in
from the options. __________
She held the ___________ in her hand. Fill in the blank by choosing the right option
(A) reigns (B) rains given below.
(C) reins (D) raigns (A) Greece (B) Lebanon
(C) Syria (D) Egypt
65. Identify the play in which the following lines
appear. 72. When do we celebrate World Environment Day?
“Ambition should be made of Sterner stuff”. (A) 5th May (B) 5th July
(A) Antony and Cleopatra (C) 5th June (D) 5th August
(B) Julius Caesar
(C) The Merchant of Venice 73. We believe that as a nation and as people we
(D) Macbeth need to shed our cynicism and initiate concrete
action to realise the second vision.
66. Choose the incorrect option. Choose the correct synonym for the underlined
The court scene in The Merchant of Venice is word.
about _____________ (A) stop (B) instruct
(A) Antonio‟s pleading for justice (C) install (D) begin
(B) Portia‟s argument in favour of Shylock
(C) Shylock‟s claim of a pound of Christian flesh 74. Choose the correct answer from the options given
(D) Portia‟s argument against Shylock‟s claim of below :
a pound of flesh „Who is here so base that would be a bondman‟
These words are spoken by
67. Which is the native town of Portia of “The (A) Brutus (B) Antonio
Merchant of Venice” ? (C) Portia (D) Antony
(A) Venice (B) Belmont
(C) Sicily (D) Rome 75. Find out the word that has got a wrong prefix.
(A) Invincible (B) Indelible
68. Who makes the following statement in (C) Malnourished (D) Unaccessible
Shakespeare‟s Julius Caesar :
“Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved 76. Fill in the blanks with a suitable article.
Rome more”. The value of __________ Euro is determined
(A) Brutus (B) Antony according to the conversion rate fixed by eleven
(C) First citizen (D) Octavius European countries in terms of their own
currencies.

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General English 2A - 2016
(A) the (B) an (A) Medha Patkar (B) Zai Whitaker
(C) a (D) no article (C) Dr. Salim Ali (D) Arundhathi Roy

77. Fill out the blank with suitable preposition given 84. Pick out the statement which is wrog about
below : Mahatma Gandhi.
The book comprises ___________ seven (A) Mahatma Gandhi was a ceaseless crusader
lessons. of women‟s equality
(A) of (B) no preposition (B) Gandhi was no advocate of blind adherence
(C) for (D) in to tradition
(C) He was an extraordinary lover of truth
78. Complete the sentence with a suitable question (D) Gandhi considered women to be unfit for
tag. any position or task
Please close the door, ____________
(A) will you? (B) will he? 85. Why did Burtus kill Julius Caesar, according to
(C) can you? (D) should you? Brutus own defense?
(A) Because Caesar was ambitious
79. Which one of the following tag questions is (B) Because Brutus loved Caesar less
incorrect? (C) Because Brutus loved Rome less
(A) Anand likes oranges, doesn‟t he? (D) Because Caesar was valiant
(B) It is raining, isn‟t it?
(C) I am a teacher, am not I? 86. Which of the following poem is written by David
(D) He did not break the window, did he? Roth?
(A) Be Glad Your Nose is on Your Face
80. Choose the correct alternative from the options (B) Nine Gold Medals
given below : (C) Manliness
He used to visit us every week, but (D) Is Life But a Dream?
___________ now.
(A) rarely comes (B) was rarely coming 87. Match the poems with the poets :
(C) has rarely come (D) had rarely come (a) Earth 1. D.H. Lawrence
(b)Snake 2. H.W. Longfellow
81. What is the name of the Commander whose (c) A Psalm of life 3. Khalil Gibran
forgiveness Abraham Lincoln sought for being (d)Be Glad Your 4. Jack Prelutsky
rude to him? Nose is on
(A) Colonel Scott (B) Colonel Henry Your Face
(C) Colonel James (D) Colonel Wilson (a) (b) (c) (d)
(A) 3 1 2 4
82. „Jai Hindh‟ – whose inspiring words of salutation (B) 1 3 4 2
are these? (C) 2 3 1 4
(A) Gokhale (D) 4 3 2 1
(B) Subhash Chandra Bose
(C) Bala Gangadara Tilak 88. Who among the following is the author of the
(D) Mahatma Gandhi story, “The Wooden Bowl”?
(A) Leo Tolstoy (B) Oscar Wilde
83. Identify the person who fought for the (C) Guy de Mauppasant (D) R.K. Narayan
preservation of many important forests, like the
Bharatpur, Bird sanctuary and Silent Valley.

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General English 2A - 2016
89. “The highest result of education is tolerance”. 95. Identify the poet who worte the following lines :
Who made this statement? “We ran as if to meet the moon
(A) Rabindranath Tagore (B) A.P.J. Abdul Kalam That slowly dawned behind the trees”.
(C) Helen Keller (D) Oscar Wilde (A) Norman Nicholson
(B) Jack Prelutsky
90. Match the words and phrases given in Column A (C) Robert Frost
with their meanings in Column B : (D) Ralph Waldo Emerson
Column A Column B
(a) Power to inspire 1. Composure 96. And so, I missed my chance with one of the lords
(b)Calm manner 2. Sneer of life.
(c) Contemptuous smile 3. Charisma And I have something to expiate;
(d)Range of skills 4. Versatality A Pettiness
(a) (b) (c) (d) These lines appear in
(A) 3 1 4 2 (A) A Noiseless Patient Spider
(B) 3 1 2 4 (B) Snake
(C) 4 3 2 1 (C) A Panoramic View
(D) 2 1 4 3 (D) The Man he Killed

91. Find out the synonym for the underlined word 97. What is the name of the episode on Abraham
from the options given. Lincoln in the book
But he became nothing, a delightful, ineffectual “The war years Volume III‟‟?
young man with a perfect profile and no (A) The comforts you have is the one you live
profession. (B) The money you spend is the one you live
(A) useful (B) useless (C) The happiness you have is the one you live
(C) intelligent (D) clever (D) The legacy you leave is the one you live

92. Choose the appropriate antonym of the 98. The line “A slender tinkling fall that made”
underlined word from the options given : contains ___________
“This strict court of Venice must needs give (A) Allusion (B) Onomatopoeia
sentence against the merchant there”. (C) Ellipsis (D) Repetition
(A) rigid (B) magnanimous
(C) stern (D) lenient 99. „Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul‟.
93. Choose the option which is opposite in meaning Which of the following options best explains the
to the underlined word. above lines?
The creature seemed to be tottering with fear. (A) We are born from the dust and we return to
(A) dancing (B) motionless dust
(C) stern (D) lenient (B) Human life is not immortal
(C) The question of mortality does not apply to
94. Name the poem in which the following lines soul
appear : (D) The soul is dead when the body is dead
No nightingale did ever chaunt
More welcome notes to weary bands.
(A) A Psalm of life (B) Going for water
(C) Ode to a nightingale (D) The Solitary Reaper

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General English 2A - 2016
100. Steady throb
Then staccato rhythm
Harmonic cacophony to oblivious ears.
What is the meaning of the underlined word?
(A) Mellifluous music
(B) Rowing notes
(C) Melodious but noisy music
(D) Irregular and jarring notes

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