Directions: Read the following passage carefully and choose the best answer to each question out of the four alternatives.

The most logical and intelligent people seem to go berserk when talking about snakes. Recently a reputed scientist said with a wise look in his eyes that sand boas have two heads. The other day someone walked into my office and stated that in his village at least cobras mate with rat snakes. About other places he was not sure, he added modestly, but that was how it was in his village.

These stories about snakes are myths. Sand boas have only one head; vine snakes do not peck your eyes out; no snake will drink milk. But it is interesting to try and trace the origin of these untruths. The one about the sand boas two heads obviously exists because the short, stumpy tail of this snake looks remarkably like the head, an effective device to fool predators. Or take the one about vine snakes pecking at eyes. It was ‘probably started by a vine snake that had a bad aim, as snakes, when provoked, will bite the most prominent projection of the offender, which is usually the nose.

But the most interesting one is about snakes coming to the scene of killing to take revenge. It so happens that when injured or under stress, a snake exudes, a large quantity of musk. Musk is a powerful sex attractant, the snakes’ equivalent of after-shave lotion. So after a snake is killed, the ground around still has this smell and naturally a snake of the same species passing by will lick its lips and come to investigate. The killer of the snake, who is probably worried if the pooja he performed was adequate to liquidate the killing of a snake, sees the second snake and is convinced that it was not.

The Irula tribals have a good answer to the query about whether cobras have jewels in their heads; “If they did, we wouldn’t be snake catchers, we would be rajas!”

In the context of the passage, predator means

STRINGENT

Read the following passage and fill in each blank with words chosen from options given.

Uncertainty looms over the revival of Naini Lake, a waterbody in the middle of Model Town in North Delhi, due to __(157)__ in the opinions of residents and local bodies regarding its desilting and ______ (158). While the Corporation claimed that the lake _(159)_ for years and several attempts by them to initiate a drive to desilt it were halted because of lack of funds or __ (160)__ from locals, residents alleged that it is __ (161)___ fresh water lake and is free from silt, and only a water treatment plant will be enough to resolve the problem.

Select the most appropriate option to fill in the blank at 159.

Directions: In question four alternatives are given for the Idiom/Phrase underlined in the sentences. Choose the alternative which best expresses the meaning of the Idiom/Phrase and mark it is the Answer Sheet.

I got the information straight from the horse’s mouth.

Find the correct synonym for the word 

ALTERNATE

Which of the following words is the closest in meaning to 'turn into'?

If you take away the prefix and the suffix, what word is left of the word 'unemployed'?

Select the option that means the same as the given idiom.
In a nutshell