The CSS (Central Superior Services) Exam MCQs
Topic Notes: The CSS (Central Superior Services) Exam
MCQs and preparation resources for competitive exams, covering important concepts, past papers, and detailed explanations.
Plato
- Biography: Ancient Greek philosopher (427–347 BCE), student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle, founder of the Academy in Athens.
- Important Ideas:
- Theory of Forms
- Philosopher-King
- Ideal State
21
He cooked . . . . . . . . delicious meal for his guests last night.
Answer:
a
The noun 'meal' is singular and countable, first mentioned here, so 'a' is required. The adjective 'delicious' does not change article choice. 'The' would presuppose prior identification of this specific meal. Therefore, 'a delicious meal' is correct.
22
They visited . . . . . . . . Ganges during their trip to India.
Answer:
Rivers take the definite article, e.g., 'the Ganges'. The referent is unique and specific. Omitting the article would be ungrammatical. Thus, 'the Ganges' is standard.
23
He’s reading . . . . . . . . encyclopedia entry on Roman law.
Answer:
The noun 'encyclopedia' starts with a vowel sound, so 'an' is correct. The entry is introduced for the first time, justifying an indefinite article. 'A' would be phonetically incorrect. 'The' would suggest a specific, previously mentioned entry.
24
She poured . . . . . . . . water into the beaker until it reached 100 ml.
Answer:
When referring to an uncountable substance generically, no article is used. The sentence does not specify a particular water previously identified. 'The water' would indicate a specific sample. Therefore, no article suits the generic substance reading.
25
He looked at . . . . . . . . sky and saw dark clouds gathering.
Answer:
The sky is treated as a unique, contextually shared referent, taking the definite article. Speakers understand 'the sky' as the singular expanse overhead. Indefinite articles are not idiomatic here. Hence, 'the sky' is correct.
26
She has . . . . . . . . NGO background in health policy.
Answer:
The initialism 'NGO' begins with 'en', a vowel sound, so 'an' is appropriate. Article choice depends on pronunciation, not orthography. 'A NGO' would be phonetically incorrect. The reference is non-specific and first mention.
27
We discussed . . . . . . . . ethics of artificial intelligence in class.
Answer:
The 'of'-phrase defines a specific subfield ('ethics of artificial intelligence'), which licenses the definite article. The phrase points to a particular domain rather than ethics in general. 'No article' would make the reference overly generic. Therefore, 'the ethics of…' is correct.
28
They traveled by . . . . . . . . bus to the conference venue.
Answer:
The preposition 'by' with modes of transport normally omits the article ('by bus', 'by car', 'by train'). This expresses the means abstractly. Adding an article would change the meaning or sound awkward. Thus, no article is correct.
29
He took . . . . . . . . bus because it was raining heavily.
Answer:
Public transport in a habitual or contextually specific sense often takes 'the' ('take the bus', 'catch the train'). The definite article refers to the usual service relevant in context. Using 'a' would imply any single bus, which is less idiomatic. Therefore, 'the bus' is preferred.
30
Children go to . . . . . . . . school to learn and socialize.
Answer:
The zero-article construction is used with institutions when the primary function is implied (e.g., 'go to school', 'be in prison'). This sentence speaks of school in the institutional sense. Adding 'the' would shift focus to a specific building. Hence, no article is used.