Verbal Ability Comprehensive Test
Comprehensive English verbal ability practice test covering sentence completion, cloze tests, paragraph completion, sentence rearrangement, paraphrasing, and reading comprehension. Ideal preparation for GMAT, CAT, TOEFL and other competitive examinations.
Questions
Directions: Choose the best option to complete the sentence.
Their Prime Minister is able to act more aggressively because he has .... his power within the government.
- recommended
- reduced
- compelled
- consolidated
- impaired
Directions: Choose the best option to complete the sentence.
Pakistan _____ the Indus and its tributaries for almost half of its irrigation supplies.
- turns back
- waits for
- takes to
- pulls up
- relies on
Directions: Choose the best option to complete the sentence.
The auroras are caused by the ______ of solar winds with gases in the Earth's atmosphere.
- intersection
- completion
- interaction
- distraction
- None of these
Directions: Choose the best option to complete the sentence.
It seems strange to us now that miners and others employed in dangerous work have not demanded the provision of ______ headgear.
- forceful
- obstructive
- relentless
- protective
- intensive
Directions: Choose the best answer to fill in the gaps.
_______ providing luxury on every imaginable level, a five- star hotel should also have the ability to take you by suprise.
- With a view to
- In excess of
- Consequent on
- In need of
- In addition to
Directions: Choose the best answer to fill in the gaps.
Ancient Peruvian textiles have survived in an excellent state of preservation ______ the dry conditions of much of the country.
- with regard to
- comparison with
- in case of
- owing to
- in opposition to
Directions: Choose the best option to complete the sentence.
In the past 30 years, our knowledge of the ancient Maya civilization has increased ____ as a result of the decipherment of a newly discovered script.
- significantly
- alternatively
- suspiciously
- persuasively
- conditionally
Directions: Choose the best answer to fill in the gaps.
Exciting new research is transforming industrial robotics, offering the promise of whole new generation of ______ intelligent machines
- more
- much
- any
- mostly
- too
Directions: Choose the best answer to fill in the gaps.
He is hoping that, by the time he for the grant, his book on Egyptiant silverwork _________
- has to apply/ will have been published
- had applied/ had been published
- was to apply / has been published
- will be applying / would have been published
- would have applied / will be published
Directions: Choose the best answer to fill in the gaps.
The big test _____ over the next few weeks when the government _____ to introduce a plan to include drug coverage in Medicare.
- is coming/ will be expected
- comes/ was expected
- has come/ is expecting
- will come/ is expected
- would come/ would be expected
Directions: Choose the best ooption to fill in the gaps.
It seems that, even if big western companies _____ to help develop lifesaving GM (genetically modified) seeds for the underdeveloped countries, only South Africa ______ to accept them.
- will be willing/is ready
- has been willing/will be ready
- had been willing/would be ready
- would be willing/was ready
- were willing/would be ready
Directions: Choose the best option to fill in the gaps.
Seafarers' records _____ back to 1590 _____ it possible to visuallse the behaviour of one of the planet's most mysterious phenomena: its magnetic field.
- dating/have made
- to date/would make
- being dated/had made
- to be dated/are making
- to have been dated/will make
Directions: Choose the best answer to fill in the gaps.
The software has been designed to help detectives solve complex cases & .. prompting them to explore lines & & .. enquity other than the obvious ones.
- through / to
- by / of
- from/ into
- over / with
- into / for
Directions: Choose the best answer to fill in the gaps.
Recent findings have suggested that, in ancient times too, man was capable & & & causing rapid and decisive changes & & . the genetic make-up of staple crops.
- in / for
- to / of
- of / in
- from / over
- with / into
Directions: Choose the best answer to fill in the gaps.
_______ helmets had been revived for soldiers and extended to many workers, safety head coverings for athletes almost inevitably followed.
- While
- Before
- Although
- Once
- until
Directions: Find out the appropriate word to fill blank (i).
Technology is the (i)…….. part of solving problems. There are zillions of cool (ii)……... Plenty of college (iii)……….. have come up with a (iv)………. new technology for the poor. The bigger challenge comes from the (v)……… around any new device: How do you build a market for a technology focused on people with no money? How do you physically get it to where it needs to be? How do poor people acquire it? How do you make it last?
- difficult
- easy
- true
- known
Directions: Find out the appropriate word to fill blank (iii).
Technology is the (i)…….. part of solving problems. There are zillions of cool (ii)……... Plenty of college (iii)……….. have come up with a (iv)………. new technology for the poor. The bigger challenge comes from the (v)……… around any new device: How do you build a market for a technology focused on people with no money? How do you physically get it to where it needs to be? How do poor people acquire it? How do you make it last?
- teachers
- professor
- students
- staff
Directions: Find out the appropriate word to fill blank (ii).
Technology is the (i)…….. part of solving problems. There are zillions of cool (ii)……... Plenty of college (iii)……….. have come up with a (iv)………. new technology for the poor. The bigger challenge comes from the (v)……… around any new device: How do you build a market for a technology focused on people with no money? How do you physically get it to where it needs to be? How do poor people acquire it? How do you make it last?
- motives
- factors
- reasons
- ideas
Directions: Find out the appropriate word to fill blank (v).
Technology is the (i)…….. part of solving problems. There are zillions of cool (ii)……... Plenty of college (iii)……….. have come up with a (iv)………. new technology for the poor. The bigger challenge comes from the (v)……… around any new device: How do you build a market for a technology focused on people with no money? How do you physically get it to where it needs to be? How do poor people acquire it? How do you make it last?
- innovations
- questions
- parts
- problems
Directions: Find out the appropriate word to fill blank (iv).
Technology is the (i)…….. part of solving problems. There are zillions of cool (ii)……... Plenty of college (iii)……….. have come up with a (iv)………. new technology for the poor. The bigger challenge comes from the (v)……… around any new device: How do you build a market for a technology focused on people with no money? How do you physically get it to where it needs to be? How do poor people acquire it? How do you make it last?
- famous
- great
- fantastic
- economical
Directions: Complete the unfinished sentence with the best choice
While most people still saw computers as science fiction
- the discriminating few immediately appreciated their advantages
- the early ones were large in size and low in performance
- they continue to get smaller and more versatile
- it is hard to imagine how banks earned on their work without them
- a majority still wish they had never been invented
Directions: Complete the unfinished sentence with the best choice
______ so long as you pay attention and stick to the rules.
- There is a huge number of fascinating wrecks around Britain
- Wecks under the sea can contain hazordous materials like oil and mutions
- Scuba diving is very safe
- Scuba was first patented in 1865 and was perfected over the years
- Scuba divers get a great deal of pleasure from exploring wrecks
Directions: Complete the unfinished sentence with the best choice.
_______ unless there is an agreement to the contrary.
- Copyright is a form of protection provided to the creators of original works of authorship
- The authors of a joint work are co-owners of the copyright in the work
- There is list of countries that maintain copyright relations with the United States
- Works by the US government were not eligible for copyright protection
- Works consisting entirely of information that is common property were given no such protection
Directions: Complete the unfinished sentence with the best choice.
______ that a road once linked the newly discovered settlement with one of the great Inca cities.
- The whole is in a remarkable state of preservation
- We wouldn't be surprised
- The surrounding area would have been cultivated
- There are at least 30 stone structures
- It seems likely
Directions: Complete the passage with the best choice.
The ability to recognize people automatically by analyzing bodily characteristics such as fingerprints, faces and eyeballs -known as biometrics - has long been a goal of both technologists and governments. .................... Both America and Europe plan to start issuing biometric passports as soon as next year
- Lobby groups have campaigned against biometrics on the grounds that they would invade privacy.
- Biometric technology has been around for quite some time, but has not been widely adopted.
- The introduction or biometric identity documents cannot be considered for a long time since it would be so expensive.
- Plans for projects to incorporate biometric seans into passports. identity cards and visas are now under way in several countries.
- Biometric could undemine security by providing a sense of false security
Directions: Complete the unfinished sentence with the best choice
Although Japan has one of the world's most rapidly ageing populations, _______ .
- Japanese companies will be world leaders in catering for the elderly
- other countries such as China and South Korea and most of Western Europe are closing the gap
- in 2004 one-fifth of its population will be 6 or over and there will be more than 20,000 people over the age of a hundred
- the increasing burden of providing pensions and health care for the growing number of elderly will cause Japan's public finances to remain by far the worst in the developed world
- to safeguard the financial assets of its pensioners, the bank of Japan will not be able to take any radical measures
Directions: Complete the passage with the best choice.
There was a time when the American accounting system was the envy of the world, .......... it encouraged millions of average people to invest, thus transforming America into the world's first mass equity culture.
- Boosting the integrity and standards of the Financial markets is a critical imperative
- Its transparency, uniformity and credibility allowed investors to make intelligent comparisons among US corporate earnings statements
- Regulators and analysists should have embraced it or at least something very much like it
- There are almost as many measures of earnings today as there are companies
- it offers them a road map to restoring investor confidence though there are shortcomings in the proposal
Directions: Which sentence is different in meaning from the others?
(I) In India, a lower-middle-class group is steadily emerging,
(II) it was a long time before any improvements were made to the infrastructure,
(III) Further, with the arrival of television, the expectations of these people have risen considerably.
(IV) Indians are now demanding better education for their children. (V) They are also asking for tarred roads to facilitate business, and better products and services to make their lives easier.
- l
- II
- III
- IV
- V
Directions: Complete the passage with the best choice.
Researchers are attempting to create the computer equivalent of human cognitive abilities, and they have had considerable success....................... . But as little as 50 years ago, how would people have reacted to a machine that corrected errors in spelling and grammar!
- The research community, underestimating the incredibte abilities of the human brain, seriously misjudged how difficult the task would be
- In the field of intelligence, how does man compare with machines?
- Man was certainly reluctant to admit that machines could be physically stronger than man.
- The chess machine is an interesting example in theory since all one had to do was create a computer chip that could analyze several million chess positions per second.
- For instance, we now have computerized spelling and grammar checkers; they are standard components of all word processors today
Directions: Which sentence is different in meaning from the others?
(I) After decades of experimentation, the first practical and fairly reliabie typewriters arrived on the market in the early 1870s.
(II) Over the next fifteen years or so they became established in American offices and were soon regarded as indispensable.
(III) But they were large and ungainly.
(IV) Obviously, these early models printed under the roller, so you couldn't see what you had typed till several lines later.
(V) Indeed, one of the early models was built into a table, like a sewing machine and had a pedal to operate carnage return.
- l
- II
- III
- IV
- V
Directions: Which sentence is different in meaning from the others?
(l) While megacities are renowned for pollution, they often generate a lot of money.
(II) Estimates made during the past two decades suggested that most megacities would continue to increase at an alarming rate.
(III) But contrary to expectations, more people are now leaving many of the world's (argest urban areas than are moving in.
(IV) For example, the population of Sao Paulo was expected to reach 24 million by the year 2000, but fewer than 13 million live there now.
(V) There is a similar situation in cities such as Calcutta, Buenos Aires and Beijing.
- l
- II
- III
- IV
- V
Directions: Re-state the sentences in bold.
The meeting lasted for longer than we had expected as, for some reason or another, there were continual interruptions
- The interruptions that made the meeting last for so much longer than we anticipated were all of them quite unnecessary.
- It was on account of there being so many interruptions that the meeting went on for so much longer than we had expected.
- We were interrupted time and again, on various accounts, so the meeting went on longer than we had anticipated.
- In spite of a succession of quite unnecessary interruptions, the meeting didn't actually last much longer than the time scheduled for it.
- The scheduled time was not adequate for the meeting but this was largely due to a succession of very annoying interruptions.
Directions: Re-state the sentences in bold.
He should have known better than to have left his son in charge of the factory if only for a week.
- Though it was only for a week, it was foolish of him to make his son responsible for the running of the factory.
- It was quite wrong of him to leave his son to run the factory for as long as a week.
- It was foolish of the boy to imagine he could take his father's place in the factory for a week.
- He must have known that he couldn't leave his son in charge of the factory for a whole week.
- He was mistaken in thinking that his son was up to the responsibility of running the factory for a week.
Directions: Re-state the sentences in bold.
To be honest, l wasn't expecting Andy to stand up for me so openly at the meeting.
- l have to admit that l wasn't too pleased when Andy took my part like that at the meeting.
- Frankly, it came as quite a surprise to me when Andy was so outspokenly on my side at the meeting.
- It came as quite a surprise to me, too, that Andy should declare himself to be on my side.
- Actually l really wish Andy hadn't been so ostentatiously on my side throughout the meeting.
- Naturally, when Andy look my part so strongly at the meeting. I could hardly hide my surprise.
Directions: Read the passages carefully and answer the question.
Much has been said and written about the declining numbers of and disappointing lack of diversity among American college students majoring in engineering. Among the factors cited to explain this phenomenon are the lack of exposure of high school students to the very idea of engineering and the fact that many have insufficient mathematics and science background to gain entrance to engineering school, even if they do identify the profession as a possible career. This is unfortunate, for the ideas of engineering should be integrated into the curricula not only of high schools but also of middle and primary schools. Our children are being done a disservice by not being exposed properly throughout their education to engineering activities identifted as such. Arter all, even pre-school children have the prerequisites in their play for appreciating exactly what engineering is: design. Indeed, design is everywhere around them throughout their school day, even in their before-school and after-school activities. it need only be pointed out to them that they are designing something, and therefore being engirteers of sorts, in virtually everything that they do.
The writer of the passage feels strongly that ............
- children should be involved in engineering activities at an early age.
- many children are being unfairly directed into a career in engineering.
- the mathematics anc science courses in schools need to be modernized.
- university engineering courses ought to be upgraded.
- the educarion of pre-schcol children is being given too much importance.
Directions: Read the passages carefully and answer the question.
Much has been said and written about the declining numbers of and disappointing lack of diversity among American college students majoring in engineering. Among the factors cited to explain this phenomenon are the lack of exposure of high school students to the very idea of engineering and the fact that many have insufficient mathematics and science background to gain entrance to engineering school, even if they do identify the profession as a possible career. This is unfortunate, for the ideas of engineering should be integrated into the curricula not only of high schools but also of middle and primary schools. Our children are being done a disservice by not being exposed properly throughout their education to engineering activities identifted as such. After all, even pre-school children have the prerequisites in their play for appreciating exactly what engineering is: design. Indeed, design is everywhere around them throughout their school day, even in their before-school and after-school activities. it need only be pointed out to them that they are designing something, and therefore being engirteers of sorts, in virtually everything that they do.
The writer points out that children can, at a very early age..........
- be encouraged to take part in after-school activities.
- devolop an interest in scientific matters.
- make up their minds to study engineering at university.
- learn something about the basis of engineering, which is design.
- be influenced by their school environment.
Directions: Read the passages carefully and answer the question.
Much has been said and written about the declining numbers of and disappointing lack of diversity among American college students majoring in engineering. Among the factors cited to explain this phenomenon are the lack of exposure of high school students to the very idea of engineering and the fact that many have insufficient mathematics and science background to gain entrance to engineering school, even if they do identify the profession as a possible career. This is unfortunate, for the ideas of engineering should be integrated into the curricula not only of high schools but also of middle and primary schools. Our children are being done a disservice by not being exposed properly throughout their education to engineering activities identifted as such. Arter all, even pre-school children have the prerequisites in their play for appreciating exactly what engineering is: design. Indeed, design is everywhere around them throughout their school day, even in their before-school and after-school activities. it need only be pointed out to them that they are designing something, and therefore being engirteers of sorts, in virtually everything that they do.
The writer recognizes the fact that engeenering.........
- is becoming less and less popular as a field of study among university students.
- is only suitable for highly intelligent students.
- is a complicated subject only suitable for really mature students.
- has become one of the most popular fields of study at American universities.
- requires many years of treaning prior to qualification.
Directions: Read the passages carefully and answer the question.
Much has been said and written about the declining numbers of and disappointing lack of diversity among American college students majoring in engineering. Among the factors cited to explain this phenomenon are the lack of exposure of high school students to the very idea of engineering and the fact that many have insufficient mathematics and science background to gain entrance to engineering school, even if they do identify the profession as a possible career. This is unfortunate, for the ideas of engineering should be integrated into the curricula not only of high schools but also of middle and primary schools. Our children are being done a disservice by not being exposed properly throughout their education to engineering activities identifted as such. After all, even pre-school children have the prerequisites in their play for appreciating exactly what engineering is: design. Indeed, design is everywhere around them throughout their school day, even in their before-school and after-school activities. It needs only to be pointed out to them that they are designing something, and therefore being engineers of sorts, in virtually everything that they do.
The writer recognizes the fact that engineering.............
- is becoming less and less popular as a field of study among university students.
- is only suitable for highly intelligent students.
- is a complicated subject only suitable for really mature students.
- has become one of the most popular fields of study at American universities.
- requires many years of training prior to qualification.
Directions: Read the passages carefully and answer the question.
Much has been said and written about the declining numbers of and disappointing lack of diversity among American college students majoring in engineering. Among the factors cited to explain this phenomenon are the lack of exposure of high school students to the very idea of engineering and the fact that many have insufficient mathematics and science background to gain entrance to engineering school, even if they do identify the profession as a possible career. This is unfortunate, for the ideas of engineering should be integrated into the curricula not only of high schools but also of middle and primary schools. Our children are being done a disservice by not being exposed properly throughout their education to engineering activities identifted as such. Arter all, even pre-school children have the prerequisites in their play for appreciating exactly what engineering is: design. Indeed, design is everywhere around them throughout their school day, even in their before-school and after-school activities. it need only be pointed out to them that they are designing something, and therefore being engirteers of sorts, in virtually everything that they do.
According to the passage, all school programmes--------.
- should be designed to make students aware of the engineering practices and principles.
- ought to give priority to the sciences.
- must encourage children to make creative designs.
- seem to put the emphasis on the need to diversify learning.
- overlook the fact that all children are different.
Directions: Complete the passage with the best choice.
The Conservative Party, which dominated British politics in the 20th century, is a shadow of its former self.............There is now only one conservative Member of Parliament from Scotland and none from Wales. Large cities such as Liverpool elect no conservatives.
- Moreover. the selection of parliamentary candidates is in the hands of small groups with extreme views
- Elsewhere in Europe right-wing parties continue to thrive
- Thatcher governed Britain for 11 years and was generally known as the "iron lady"
- Even when a conservative candidate is elected it is usually by a narrow margin
- Their role in the European Parliament at this time inspired neither respect nor confidence