Directions: In the passage given below there are blanks, each followed by a word given in the brackets. Every blank has five alternative words given in options. Find the word which best suits the respective blank. If the given word suits the blank, mark 'no correction required' as the answer.

The widespread consternation over the rupee hitting a 27-month low against the dollar is unwarranted, for the Indian currency has been among the better (Q11) [hiking] currencies over the last couple of years. While other (Q12) [trickling] market currencies.  such as the Russian rouble and the Brazilian real are down more than 20 per cent this year, the rupee is lower by just 6 per cent. This follows a strong performance in 2014, when the Indian currency lost just 1.2 per cent against the greenback. It is obvious that the rupee is in a sweet spot (Q13) [peculiar] to its emerging market peers, which have been hit hard by the (Q14) [ascent] in commodity prices. India, on the other hand, has benefited from this fall. The crash in crude prices combined with the checks on gold imports have helped (Q15) [recede] the current account deficit to just 1.27 per cent of GDP. Strong foreign inflows — from both portfolio and direct investments — have pushed India’s forex reserves to $351 billion; we are among the few countries that have (Q16) [considered] to increase forex reserves since the middle of last year. These reserves provide the Indian central bank with (Q17) [ammunition] to protect the rupee from short-term volatility that may arise once the Federal Reserve goes through with its long-anticipated rate hike. Since the Fed has given financial markets sufficient time to (Q18) [discern] the move, a 25 basis points move is not likely to cause too much turbulence. True, some short-term money will flow out of the equity markets; foreign portfolio investors have (Q19) [turned] net sellers since November. But long-term investors are likely to stay put due to the better growth (Q20) [contrariety] of Indian companies. The superior real yield, falling inflation and a stable rupee also make a strong case for staying invested in Indian debt instruments.

Choose the correct answer from the given options to fill the blanks which are numbered.

Two statements with blanks have been given. These statements are followed by five alternatives. Choose the one which fits into the pair of statements.

I. He is determined to get______quickly.
 II. This chocolate mousse is too_____for me.

Direction: In the following questions, out of the four alternatives, choose the word opposite in meaning of the given word as your answer.

Turbulence

Read the following passage and answer the questions given after it.

Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamoured for food and water on Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria and killed more than 19,300 on Monday, 6th February, 2023.

Emergency crews used pick axes, shovels and jackhammers to dig through twisted metal and concrete - and occasionally still pulled out survivors. In the Turkish city of Antakya, dozens scrambled for aid in front of a truck distributing children's coats and other supplies. Many of those who lost their homes found shelter in tents, stadiums and other temporary accommodation, but others slept outdoors. In Antakya, over 100 bodies were awaiting identification in a makeshift morgue outside a hospital.

Authorities called off search-and-rescue operations in the cities of Kilis and Sanliurfa, where destruction was not as severe as in other impacted regions. The U.N. is authorised to deliver aid through only one border crossing, and road damage has prevented that thus far. U.N. Officials pleaded for humanitarian concerns to take precedence over wartime politics.

The scale of loss and suffering remained massive. Turkish authorities said on Thursday that the death toll had risen to more than 16,100 in the country, with more than 64,000 injured. In Syria, which includes government-held and rebel-held areas, more than 3,100 have been reported dead and more than 5,000 injured.

Rescue teams urged quiet in the hope of hearing stifled pleas for help, and the Syrian paramedic group known as the White Helmets noted that every second could mean saving a life. But more and more often, the teams pulled out dead bodies.

It was not clear how many people were still unaccounted for in both countries. Turkey's disaster-management agency said more than 110,000 rescue personnel were now taking part in the effort and more than 5,500 vehicles, including tractors, cranes, bulldozers and excavators had been shipped.

The Foreign Ministry said 95 countries have offered help. More than half of that number have sent a total of nearly 6,500 rescuers. Another 2,400 more are still expected to arrive. International aid for Syria was far more sparse.

Efforts there have been hampered by the civil war and the isolation of the rebel-held region along the border that is surrounded by Russia-backed government forces.

How many foreign rescue workers are engaged in the rescue work?

In the question a sentence has been given in Direct/Indirect. Out of the four alternatives suggested, select the one which best expresses the same sentence in Indirect/Direct and mark your answer in the Answer Sheet.

He said to me, "Where is the post office ?" 

In the following question, choose the word opposite in meaning to the given word.

MERETRICIOUS

In each of the following questions, sentences are given with blanks to be filled in with an appropriate word (s). Four alternatives are suggested for each question. Choose the correct alternative out of the four and indicate your choice for the correct answer.

The criminal together with his associates_______ arrested.

Direction: In the following questions, out of the four alternatives, choose the one which best expresses the meaning of the given word as your answer.

Grate