Word roots | English language comprehension

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These questions are taken from the FMS MBA entrance test. They should give you a general idea about the type of vocabulary questions you can expect.

Questions 1

The element anim has several meanings including the following: life, soul, mind, hostility and courage. From the given options identify the pair in which both words mean life.

a) animalcule, animate
b) animus, animation
c) pusillanimous, magnanimous
d) animism, animadversion

Solution

Option (a): animalcule, animate

Explanations

Option (a)

Animalcule is a microscopic animal; to animate is to make something lively. Both words have a strong association with ‘life’.

Option (b)

Animus means strong dislike or enmity; animation means liveliness or vivacity. This option is incorrect because animus is not associated with life.

Option (c)

Pusillanimous means cowardly; magnanimous means generous. Neither of these two options has an association with life.

Option (d)

Animism is the belief in spiritual powers; animadversion means the act of criticizing

Question 2

Identify the pair in which both the words mean weigh or balance.

a) Librium, deliberate
b) Equilibrate, Librium
c) Equilibrate, deliberate
d) Librium, liberal
e) Calibrate, liberate

Solution: Option (c)

Explanation

Options (a)

Librium is the trade mark of a certain drug. It does not mean weigh or balance. Deliberate means carefully weighed or considered; intentional.

Options (b)

To equilibrate is to balance equally. This option is wrong because the word Librium does not mean ‘weigh’ or ‘balance’.

Option (c)

To equilibrate is to balance equally; deliberate means ‘carefully weighed’. Both words mean ‘weigh’ or ‘balance’.

Option (d)

Neither of these options means ‘weigh’ or ‘balance’. Liberal means favorable to progress or reforms. Librium is the name of a drug.

Option (e)

Neither of these options means ‘weigh’ or ‘balance’. To calibrate is to determine or check; to liberate is to set free.

Question 3

Groups of words are given below. Identify the group in which all the words ignore the existence of God or the importance of religion.

a) Pantheist, agnostic, atheist
b) Pagan, iconoclast, pantheist
c) Atheist, agnostic, secularist
d) Atheist, pantheist, agnostic

Solution

Option c) Atheist, agnostic, secularist

Explanation

Option (a)

Pantheist, agnostic, atheist

A pantheist is someone who believes in the existence of several gods in one religion. An agnostic is someone who believes that it is not possible to know whether God exists or not. An atheist is someone who believes that God does not exist.

Option (b)

Pagan, iconoclast, pantheist

A pagan is someone who does not acknowledge the God of Bible or Koran. An iconoclast is someone who attacks the beliefs, customs, and opinions that most people in a society accept. A pantheist is someone who believes in the existence of several gods in one religion.

Option (c)

Atheist, agnostic, secularist

This is the correct answer because all words in the cluster ignore the existence of God. An atheist is someone who does not believe in the existence of god. An agnostic is someone who believes that it is not possible to know whether God exists or not. A secularist is a person who believes that religious influence is not necessary in a society.

Option (d)

Atheist, pantheist, agnostic

A pantheist acknowledges the existence of God.

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