CDS-II 2025 — English

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CDS-II 2025 — English — solved practice questions

8 CDS Previous Year Papers questions with step-by-step solutions. Attempt each, then reveal the answer.

1. Q1easy

   Directions: Each of the sentences in the following items has a word in square brackets, followed by four choices. Select the most appropriate option that improves/corrects the word in square brackets in the context of the sentence, and mark your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly. The family was rendered [diligent] due to the crash in the share market.

   • Aindigent
   • Bintransigent
   • Cindignant
   • Dapathetic
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (A) indigent

   'Indigent' means poor or needy, which is the natural result of a share-market crash, and the verb 'rendered' calls for a resulting state like this. 'Diligent' means hardworking and makes no sense here, and 'indignant' (angry) does not describe being made poor.

2. Q2easy

   Directions: Each of the sentences in the following items has a word in square brackets, followed by four choices. Select the most appropriate option that improves/corrects the word in square brackets in the context of the sentence, and mark your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly. Although she had sampled food from all the restaurants in the food court, she remained [indefinite] towards the culinary fare on offer.

   • Aimperious
   • Bindifferent
   • Cimperilled
   • Ddisinvested
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (B) indifferent

   'Indifferent' means having no particular interest or liking, which fits someone left unimpressed after tasting everything on offer. 'Indefinite' means vague or unlimited and cannot describe an attitude towards food, and 'imperious' (domineering) does not fit either.

3. Q3easy

   Directions: Each of the sentences in the following items has a word in square brackets, followed by four choices. Select the most appropriate option that improves/corrects the word in square brackets in the context of the sentence, and mark your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly. He had cultivated such great temperance in his personality that he was [impassioned] in his dealing with the vicissitudes of life.

   • Adispassionate
   • Bperfunctory
   • Cdevolved
   • Ddisambiguated
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (A) dispassionate

   Someone who has cultivated 'temperance' (self-restraint) would be 'dispassionate', meaning calm and not swayed by emotion, when facing life's ups and downs. 'Impassioned' means full of strong emotion, the opposite of temperance, and 'perfunctory' means careless and done only for form's sake.

4. Q4hard

   Directions: Each of the sentences in the following items has a word in square brackets, followed by four choices. Select the most appropriate option that improves/corrects the word in square brackets in the context of the sentence, and mark your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly. The attitude of the whalers was marked by [antipathy] towards the marine life they had to encounter.

   • Asympathy
   • Bempathy
   • Cindifference
   • Danimus
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (C) indifference

   Whalers kill marine creatures as a trade, not out of personal hatred, so their attitude is best described as callous 'indifference' (lack of concern). 'Animus' is only a synonym of 'antipathy' and so improves nothing, while 'sympathy' and 'empathy' contradict the sense of the sentence.

5. Q5easy

   Directions: Each of the sentences in the following items has a word in square brackets, followed by four choices. Select the most appropriate option that improves/corrects the word in square brackets in the context of the sentence, and mark your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly. He was accused of [simulism] for having copied from someone else without due acknowledgement.

   • Asensationalism
   • Binstitutionalism
   • Cplagiarism
   • Dspoonerism
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (C) plagiarism

   'Plagiarism' is copying another person's work and passing it off as your own without acknowledgement, exactly what the sentence describes. 'Simulism' is not a standard word, and a 'spoonerism' is an accidental swap of the first sounds of words (as in 'tease my ears' for 'ease my tears').

6. Q6easy

   Directions: Each of the sentences in the following items has a word in square brackets, followed by four choices. Select the most appropriate option that improves/corrects the word in square brackets in the context of the sentence, and mark your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly. Much to their disappointment, the team leader spared no more than a [reflective] glance at the draft plan drawn up by his team.

   • Aperfunctory
   • Bprecise
   • Cengaging
   • Degregious
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (A) perfunctory

   A 'perfunctory' glance is quick and careless, made only as a formality, which explains why the team was disappointed. A 'reflective' glance would show careful thought, the opposite of what upset them.

7. Q7medium

   Directions: Each of the sentences in the following items has a word in square brackets, followed by four choices. Select the most appropriate option that improves/corrects the word in square brackets in the context of the sentence, and mark your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly. The domineering manager behaved in a [paternal] manner with his subordinates, not allowing them to decide for themselves.

   • Aprim
   • Bpetulant
   • Cpresumptuous
   • Dpaternalistic
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (D) paternalistic

   'Paternalistic' describes controlling people supposedly for their own good while denying them the freedom to decide, which fits a domineering manager. 'Paternal' just means fatherly or protective and lacks this sense of restriction, and 'presumptuous' (overstepping limits) does not capture it either.

8. Q8medium

   Directions: Each of the sentences in the following items has a word in square brackets, followed by four choices. Select the most appropriate option that improves/corrects the word in square brackets in the context of the sentence, and mark your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly. Her actions were considered [salutary] because they were done without good reason or cause.

   • Aingratiated
   • Bgratuitous
   • Cgrating
   • Dgargantuan
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (B) gratuitous

   'Gratuitous' means done without good reason or justification, which matches 'without good reason or cause'. 'Salutary' means beneficial, which contradicts the sentence, and 'grating' (irritating) does not fit the meaning.

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