Thursday, January 31, 2008

SC's Question number - 791 , 792

791). The number of undergraduate degrees in engineering awarded by colleges and universities in the United States increased by more than twice from 1978 to 1985.

(A) increased by more than twice

(B) increased more than two times

(C) more than doubled

(D) was more than doubled

(E) had more than doubled

792). The odds are about 4 to 1 against surviving a takeover offer, and many business consultants therefore advise that a company’s first line of defense in eluding offers like these be to even refuse to take calls from likely corporate raiders.

(A) that a company’s first line of defense in eluding offers like these be to even refuse

(B) that a company’s first line of defense in eluding such offers be to refuse even

(C) a company defending itself against offers of this kind that, as a first line of defense, they should even refuse

(D) companies which are defending themselves against such an offer that, as a first line of defense, they should even refuse

(E) that the first line of defense for a company who is eluding offers like these is the refusal even


Answers:

791). (OG 10th Ques No - 72) - OA - C
OE:
A - incorrect - because an adverb such as twice cannot function as an object of the preposition by

B - incorrect - distorts the sentence's meaning, stating that the number of engineering degrees conferred increased on more than two distinct occasions

D - incorrect - passive verb was ... doubled suggests without warrant that some unnamed agent increased the number of engineering degrees

E - incorrect - The past perfect tense .. had... doubled, is inappropriate unless the increase in engineering degrees is specifically being viewed as having occurred further back in the past than some subsequent event.

792). OA - B - subjunctive - ...that...to be...

A, E - incorrect - use of like

C, D - incorrect - ambiguous they; Further use of should is wrong .. (subjunctive)

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

SC's Question number - 793 , 794

793). The official languages are of India, Hindi, and of Pakistan, Urdu, but neither are spoken by a majority of the population.

(A) The official languages are of India, Hindi, and of Pakistan, Urdu, but neither are


(B) The official languages are of India, Hindi, and of Pakistan, Urdu, but neither is


(C) Officially, the languages are Hindi for India and for Pakistan, Urdu, but neither are


(D) The official language of India is Hindi, and that of Pakistan is Urdu, but neither is


(E) The official language of India is Hindi, and Urdu in Pakistan, but none is



794). The Olympic Games helped to keep peace among the pugnacious states of the Greek
world in that a sacred truce was proclaimed during the festival’s month.

(A) world in that a sacred truce was proclaimed during the festival’s month

(B) world, proclaiming a sacred truce during the festival’s month

(C) world when they proclaimed a sacred truce for the festival month


(D) world, for a sacred truce was proclaimed during the month of the festival


(E) world by proclamation of a sacred truce that was for the month of the festival


Answers:


793). OA - D - neither is is the right usage here

A, C - incorrect - neither are

B - incorrect - awkward construction -
The official languages are of India

E - incorrect - awkward construction - ...
of India is Hindi, and Urdu in Pakistan...

794). OA - C

A - incorrect - use of in that

B - incorrect - unclear who would be doing the proclaiming

C - incorrect - ambiguous they

E - incorrect - wordy

SC's Question number - 795 , 796

795). The only way for growers to salvage frozen citrus is to process them quickly into juice concentrate before they rot when warmer weather returns.

(A) to process them quickly into juice concentrate before they rot when warmer weather returns

(B) if they are quickly processed into juice concentrate before warmer weather returns to rot them

(C) for them to be processed quickly into juice concentrate before the fruit rots when warmer weather returns

(D) if the fruit is quickly processed into juice concentrate before they rot when warmer weather returns

(E) to have it quickly processed into juice concentrate before warmer weather returns and rots the fruit

796). The ordinance is intended to force householders to separate such hazardous waste like pesticides, batteries, fertilizers, and oil-based paints from the general stream of household trash.

(A) to separate such hazardous waste like

(B) that they should separate such hazardous waste like

(C) separating such hazardous wastes as

(D) that they should separate such hazardous wastes as

(E) to separate such hazardous wastes as


Answers:

795) . OA - E
Explanation at the link below:
Question number 68

796). OA - E - idiomatic - correct use of such as. Further force X to do Y is the right idiom and intended to are the right idioms

A, B, C, D - incorrect - unidiomatic

C, D - incorrect - violating parallelism - ...to force....to separate...

Friday, January 25, 2008

SC's Question number - 797 , 798

797). The original building and loan associations were organized as limited life funds, whose members made monthly payments on their share subscriptions, then taking turns drawing on the funds for home mortgages.

(A) subscriptions, then taking turns drawing

(B) subscriptions, and then taking turns drawing

(C) subscriptions and then took turns drawing

(D) subscriptions and then took turns, they drew

(E) subscriptions and then drew, taking turns

798). The original employees hired, who had been there over twenty years, were fiercely loyal to the firm and it offered no retirement benefits or profit sharing to any employees.

(A) and it offered no

(B) and it offered neither

(C) still it offered no

(D) though it offered no

(E) though it offered neither


Answers:

797). (OG 1Oth Ques No - 71) - OA - C

OE: The sentence speaks of a sequence of actions in the past:
shareholders made their monthly payments and subsequently took turns drawing on the funds. Choice C, the best answer, uses parallel past-tense verb forms to express this sequence.

A, B - incorrect - violate parallelism by using taking where took is required.

D - incorrect - run-on sentence and does not specify what the members
took turns doing.

E - incorrect - does not specify what the members drew, and taking turns produces nonsense when combined with the rest of the sentence

798). OA - D

A, B - incorrect - run on sentence - Comma Splice

C - incorrect - use of still is wrong

B, E - incorrect -
neither is followed by nor ...so neither...or is wrong


Thursday, January 24, 2008

SC's Question number - 799 , 800

799). The owner of Steele’s Grocery in Osage, Ohio, saved $600 monthly on heat during the winter by putting all his refrigerator air compressors together in an insulated compartment, then installing two fans and a duct that carried waste heat from the compressors into the main part of the store.

(A) then installing two fans and a duct that carried

(B) then he installing two fans and a duct that carried

(C) then two fans were installed with a duct that carried

(D) installing two fans, and then carrying through a duct

(E) installing two fans, and a duct carrying

800). The Parthenon was a church from 1204 until 1456, when Athens was taken by General Mohammed the Conqueror, the Turkish sultan, who established a mosque in the building and used the Acropolis as a fortress.

(A) who established a mosque in the building and used the Acropolis as

(B) who, establishing a mosque in the building, used the Acropolis like

(C) who, when he had established a mosque in the building, used the Acropolis like

(D) who had established a mosque in the building, using the Acropolis to be

(E) establishing a mosque in the building and using the Acropolis as


Answers:

799). OA - A

B - incorrect - awkward..then he installing two fans

C - incorrect - passive

D - incorrect - distorts the meaning...illogically suggests as if the owner carried the duct

E - incorrect - violating parallelism

800). (OG 10th Ques No - 120) - OA - A

OE: Choice A, the best answer, correctly supplies the past tense verbs established and used to describe two actions performed in 1456; also, it idiomatically employs the phrase used the Acropolis as a fortress, in which used as means "employed in the capacity of."

B, C - incorrect - replace as with like. Furthermore, in C, when he had established a mosque distorts the intended meaning by stating that the first action was
completed before the second was begun

D - incorrect - had established... using states that Mohammed had
already performed the actions before capturing Athens. Further D uses
unidiomatic construction "using x to be y."

E - incorrect - establishing and using modify Athens, thus
producing an absurd statement.

SC's Question number - 801 , 802

801). The pattern of whisker spot on the face of a male lion, like human fingerprints, are a lifelong means of identification, since they are both unique and unchanging.

(A) like human fingerprints, are a lifelong means of identification, since they are both unique and unchanging

(B) like human fingerprints, is a lifelong means of identification, since it is both unique and unchanging

(C) like human fingerprints, is a means of identification for life, being both unique and unchanging

(D) since they are both unique and unchanging, are, like human fingerprints, are a means of identification for life

(E) both unique and unchanging, are, like human fingerprints, a lifelong means of identification


802). The peaks of a mountain range, acting like rocks in a streambed, produce ripples in the air flowing over them: the resulting flow pattern, with crests and troughs that remain stationary although the air that forms them is moving rapidly, are known as “standing waves.”

(A) crests and troughs that remain stationary although the air that forms them is moving rapidly, are

(B) crests and troughs that remain stationary although they are formed by rapidly moving air, are

(C) crests and troughs that remain stationary although the air that forms them is moving rapidly, is

(D) stationary crests and troughs although he air that forms them is moving rapidly, are

(E) stationary crests and troughs although they are formed by rapidly moving air, is

Answers:


801). OA - B

A, D, E - incorrect - subject verb agreement - ....The pattern of whisker...are a lifelong...

C - incorrect - use of being. Further being both unique and
unchanging is incorrectly modifying life


802). (OG 10th Ques No - 205) - OA - C

OE: The main challenge in this sentence is to observe the agreement of subject and verb (the resulting flow pattern... is known...) despite the distraction of a complex intervening structure containing several plural
elements (with crests and troughs...).
C, the best choice, uses the correct verb form, is, and correctly puts the although clause inside the predicate of the relative clause (that... rapidly).

A, B, D - incorrect - use an incorrect plural verb form, are.

D, E - incorrect - incorrectly introduces a dependent adverbial although clause into a prepositional phrase (with crests ..). Such dependent clauses can only occur in the predicates of full clauses.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

SC's Question number - 803 , 804

803). The period when the great painted caves at Lascaux and Altamira were occupied by Upper Paleolithic people has been established by carbon-14 dating, but what is much more difficult to determine are the reason for their decoration, the use to which primitive people put the caves, and the meaning of the magnificently depicted animals.

(A) has been established by carbon-14 dating, but what is much more difficult to determine are

(B) has been established by carbon-14 dating, but what is much more difficult to determine is

(C) have been established by carbon-14 dating, but what is much more difficult to determine is

(D) have been established by carbon-14 dating, but what is much more difficult to determine are

(E) are established by carbon-14 dating, but that which is much more difficult to determine is


804). The physical structure of the human eye enables it to sense light of wavelengths up to 0.0005 millimeters; infrared radiation, however, is invisible because its wavelength—0.1 millimeters—is too long to be registered by the eye.

(A) infrared radiation, however, is invisible because its wavelength—0.1 millimeters—is too long to be registered by the eye

(B) however, the wavelength of infrared radiation—0.1 millimeters—is too long to be registered by the eye making it invisible

(C) infrared radiation, however, is invisible because its wavelength—0.1 millimeters—is too long for the eye to register it

(D) however, because the wavelength of infrared radiation is 0.1 millimeters, it is too long for the eye to register and thus invisible

(E) however, infrared radiation has a wavelength of 0.1 millimeters that is too long for the eye to register, thus making it invisible

Answers:

803). (OG 10th Ques No - 211) OA - B
OE from OG 10th: Two instances of subject-verb agreement must be observed in this sentence: The period ... has been established and what is much more difficult to determine ... is. Both clauses have singular subjects and must have singular verbs.
A - incorrect - uses the plural form are in the second clause.
C, D - incorrect - use the plural form have in the first clause, and D incorrectly uses are in the second clause as well.
E - incorrect - uses the plural form are in the first clause.
Furthermore, because the date of the period in question was established before the writing of the sentence, the verb of that clause must be in the present perfect form (has been established).

804). (OG 10th Ques no 234) - OA - A
OE from OG 10th - Choice A, the best answer, is clear, idiomatic, and grammatically correct.
B - incorrect - the misplaced participial phrase making it invisible modifies eye rather than wavelength, thus producing a confusing statement that distorts the
meaning.
C, D, E - incorrect - the use of the second it is so imprecise as to be confusing. Furthermore, in D, and thus invisible incorrectly modifies wavelength rather than infrared radiation.
E - incorrect - produces an illogical statement by using a restrictive clause introduced by that where a comma followed by the nonrestrictive "which"
is required: a wavelength of 0.1 millimeters that is too long nonsensically suggests that not all wavelengths of 0.1 millimeters are too long for the eye to register.


Sunday, January 20, 2008

SC's Question number - 805 , 806

805). The plot of The Bostonians centers on the rivalry between Olive Chancellor, an active feminist, with her charming and cynical cousin, Basil Ransom, when they find themselves drawn to the same radiant young woman whose talent for public speaking has won her an ardent following.

(A) rivalry between Olive Chancellor, an active feminist, with her charming and cynical cousin, Basil Ransom


(B) rivals Olive Chancellor, an active feminist, against her charming and cynical cousin, Basil Ransom


(C) rivalry that develops between Olive Chancellor, an active feminist, and Basil Ransom, her charming and cynical cousin


(D) developing rivalry between Olive Chancellor, an active feminist, with Basil Ransom, her charming and cynical cousin


(E) active feminist, Olive Chancellor, and the rivalry with her charming and cynical cousin Basil Ransom


806). The president of the block association tried to convince her neighbors they should join forces to prevent crime in the neighborhood rather than continuing to be victimized.

(A) they should join forces to prevent crime in the neighborhood rather than continuing to be victimized


(B) that they should join forces to prevent crime in the neighborhood rather than continue to be victimized


(C) about joining forces to prevent crime in the neighborhood instead of continuing to be victimized


(D) for the joining of forces to prevent crime in the neighborhood rather than continue to be victimized


(E) to join forces to prevent crime in the neighborhood rather than continuing to be victimized

Answers:


805). (OG 10th ques no 217) OA - C - right idiom - rivalry between X and Y

A, B, D - incorrect - unidiomatic

E - incorrect - awkwardly pairs Chancellor and rivalry, not Chancellor and Ransom, as antecedents of they


806). OA - B - maintaining parallelism - ..join... continue..

A, C, E - incorrect - violating parallelism

D - incorrect - awkward ....convince...for joining of forces....

SC's Question number - 807 , 808

807). The prime lending rate is a key rate in the economy: not only are the interest rates on most loans to small and medium-sized businesses tied to the prime, but also on a growing number of consumer loans, including home equity loans.

(A) not only are the interest rates on most loans to small and medium-sized businesses tied to the prime, but also on


(B) tied to the prime are the interest rates not only on most loans to small and medium-sized businesses, but also on


(C) the interest rates not only on most loans to small and medium-sized businesses are tied to the prime, but also


(D) not only the interest rates on most loans to small and medium-sized businesses are tied to the prime, but also on

(E) the interest rates are tied to the prime, not only on most loans to small and medium sized businesses, but also

808).The proposed health care bill would increase government regulation of health insurance,
establish standards that would guarantee wider access to people with past health problems and to workers changing jobs who otherwise could be uncovered for months.

(A) establish standards that would guarantee wider access to people with past health problems and to workers changing jobs who


(B) establishing standards that would guarantee wider access to people with past health problems and to workers who are changing jobs and


(C) to establish standards that would guarantee wider access to people with past health problems and to workers who change jobs that


(D) for establishing standards that would guarantee wider access for people with past health problems and workers changing jobs who


(E) for the establishment of standards that would guarantee wider access for people with past health problems and workers who are changing jobs that



Answers:

807). OA - B - maintaining parallelism - .... not only on....but also on...


808). OA - B
A - incorrect - who is modifying jobs
C - incorrect - wrongly suggests that jobs would be uncovered for months
D - incorrect - unidiomatic - access to is the right idiom

E - incorrect - wrongly suggests that jobs would be uncovered; unidiomatic




SC's Question number - 809 , 810

809). The proposed urban development zones do not represent a new principle; it was employed in “Operation Bootstrap” in Puerto Rico.

(A) do not represent a new principle; it

(B) represent not a new principle, but one that

(C) are not a new principle; the same one

(D) are not a new principle, but one that

(E) are not new in principle; it


810). The prospect of a new wave of automobile imports has prompted domestic manufacturers to reduce staff, close plants, and offering buyers financial incentives so they stay competitive.

(A) reduce staff, close plants, and offering buyers financial incentives so they

(B) reduce staff, close plants, and offer financial incentives to buyers in order to

(C) reducing staff, closing plants, and the offer of financial incentives to buyers so they can

(D) staff reductions, closing plants, and offering buyers financial incentives in order to

(E) a reduction of staff, plant closings, and offering financial incentives to buyers to


Answers:

809). OA - B - idiomatic - ...not X but Y........

A, C, E - incorrect - unidiomatic

C, D - incorrect - wrongly suggest that proposed urban development zones are a new principle

810). OA - B - maintaining parallelism -....reduce staff, close plants, and offer financial incentives...

A, C, D, E - incorrect - violating parallelism


Wednesday, January 09, 2008

SC's Question number - 811 , 812

811). The psychologist William James believed that facial expressions not only provide a visible sign of an emotion, actually contributing to the feeling itself.

(A) emotion, actually contributing to the feeling itself

(B) emotion but also actually contributing to the feeling itself

(C) emotion but also actually contribute to the feeling itself

(D) emotion; they also actually contribute to the feeling of it

(E) emotion; the feeling itself is also actually contributed to by them


812). The Quechuans believed that all things participated in both the material level and the mystical level of reality, and many individual Quechuans claimed to have contact with it directly with an ichana (dream) experience

(A) contact with it directly with

(B) direct contact with it by way of

(C) contact with the latter directly through

(D) direct contact with the latter by means of

(E) contact directly with the mystical level due to


Answers:

811). OA - C

A, D, E - incorrect - violating parallelism - ...not only...should be followed by ..but also...

B - incorrect - violating parallelism - ....provide....contributing...

812) OA - D - idiomatic - ...direct contact with...

A, B - incorrect - it has unclear referent

C, E - incorrect - contact is used a s a noun here..thus we need direct (adjective) here to modify noun contact. (directly is an adverb)


Tuesday, January 08, 2008

SC's Question number - 813 , 814

813). The question of whether to divest themselves of stock in companies that do business in South Africa is particularly troublesome for the nation’s 116 private Black colleges because their economic bases are often more fragile than most predominantly White colleges.

(A) than

(B) than those of

(C) than is so of

(D) compared to

(E) compared to those of


814). The recent surge in the number of airplane flights has clogged the nation’s air-traffic control system, to lead to 55 percent more delays at airports, and prompts fears among some officials that safety is being compromised.

(A) to lead to 55 percent more delays at airports, and prompts

(B) leading to 55 percent more delay at airports and prompting

(C) to lead to a 55 percent increase in delay at airports and prompt

(D) to lead to an increase of 55 percent in delays at airports, and prompted

(E) leading to a 55-percent increase in delays at airports and prompting


Answers:

813). OA - B

A - incorrect - wrong comparison. In the sentence we are comparing economic
bases of Black colleges and economic bases of White colleges.

C - incorrect - so is referring to what?

D, E - incorrect - ....more ..... compared to.... is wrong


814). OA - E

A, B - incorrect - unidiomatic

C, D - incorrect - violating parallelism

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

SC's Question number - 815 , 816

815). The record of the past is always incomplete, and the historian who writes about it inevitably reflects the preoccupations of their own time.

(A) the historian who writes about it inevitably reflects

(B) the historian writing about it will inevitably reflect

(C) a historian writing about it inevitably reflects

(D) writing about it, it is inevitable for historians to reflect

(E) historians in writing about it inevitably reflect

816). The relationship between corpulence and disease remain controversial, although statistics clearly associate a reduced life expectancy with chronic obesity.

(A) remain controversial, although statistics clearly associate a reduced life expectancy with

(B) remain controversial, although statistics clearly associates a reduced life expectancy with

(C) remain controversial, although statistics clearly associates reduced life expectancy to

(D) remains controversial, although statistics clearly associate a reduced life expectancy with

(E) remains controversial, although statistics clearly associates reduced life expectancy to

Answers:

815) OA - E

A, B, C - incorrect - .... the/ a historian (singular) ...
preoccupations of their own time (plural).....

D - incorrect - wordy, awkward, run on

816). OA - D

A, B, C - incorrect - ..relationship (singular) .. remain (plural)...

E - incorrect - ....statistics (plural) ..... associates (singular)...

NOTE:
Statistics : singular or plural?
1.
(used with a singular verb) when statistics means: The mathematics of the collection, organization, and interpretation of numerical data, especially the analysis of population characteristics by inference from sampling.
2. (used with a plural verb)
when statistics means: Numerical data

SC's Question number - 817 , 818

817. The report on the gross national product—the nation’s total production of goods and services—showed that second-quarter inflation was somewhat lower than a previous estimation and the savings rate slightly higher

(A) a previous estimation and the savings rate slightly higher

(B) a previous estimation and with a slightly higher savings rate

(C) a previous estimate and that the savings rate is slightly higher

(D) previously estimated and a slightly higher savings rate

(E) previously estimated and that the savings rate was slightly higher

818). The reports from the Department of Commerce indicated that the economy had grown at an annual rate much higher than most economists had predicted may occur.


(A) had predicted may occur


(B) had predicted


(C) predicted the occurrence of


(D) predicted may occur


(E) predicted


Answers:

817). OA - E - idiomatic and parallel -- ....that X was.....that Y was...

818). OA - B

A, C, D - incorrect - redundancy error - ...may occur..

E - incorrect - illogically suggests that economists predicted after the economy had already grown