GATE 2026 Question Paper Humanities and Social Sciences - English (XH-C2)

FOR GATE EXAM PREPARATION

GATE 2026
Question Paper ·
Humanities Social
Sciences English (XH
C2)
EXAM YEAR TYPE

GATE 2026 Question Paper
SUBJECT

Humanities Social Sciences English (XH C2)

Notes · Sample Papers · Previous Year Papers · Mock Tests

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Humanities & Social Sciences (XH)

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General Aptitude (GA)
Q.1 – Q.5 Carry ONE mark Each

Q.1 “He often _____ the numbers. False claims are not going to help. Honesty _____
trust”, said the manager.
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Choose the option with the correct order of words to fill the blanks.

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(A) a exaggerates; engenders

(B) excels; encourages

(C) aggravates; alleviates

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(D) diminishes; eliminates

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Humanities & Social Sciences (XH)

Q.2 In the sequence of tiles shown below, the missing tile indicated by the question
mark should be

(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)

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Humanities & Social Sciences (XH)

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Q.3 A school has 100 students distributed among 1st to 10th standards.

Based on this, which one of the following statements is always correct?

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(A)
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There are at least 10 students who belong to the same standard.
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(B) a There is at least one student in each standard.

(C) There are at most 10 students in 10th standard.

(D) The total number of students from 1st to 5th standards is at least 50.

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Q.4 How many 3-digit numbers can be formed using three distinct single digit prime
numbers?
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(A) 64

(B) 24
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Humanities & Social Sciences (XH)

Q.5 In a group of students, 10 students like Mathematics, 12 students like English,
4 students like both Mathematics and English, and 6 students like neither
Mathematics nor English. The number of students in the group is ____

(A) 18

(B) 20

(C) 24

(D) 32

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Humanities & Social Sciences (XH)

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Q.6 – Q.10 Carry TWO marks Each

Q.6 Charity : P :: Retaliation : Q

Choose the appropriate pair of words P and Q that fit the analogy.

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(A)
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P = Parsimonious; Q = Vengeful
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(B) a P = Altruistic; Q = Amicable

(C) P = Resentful; Q = Spiteful

(D) P = Magnanimous; Q = Vindictive

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Humanities & Social Sciences (XH)

Q.7 A paper shown in Panel I is folded along the dashed lines (- - -) to construct a
cube. The shaded regions shown in Panel I appear on the outer surface of the cube.
Referring to cubes shown in Panel II, which one of the options is correct?

(A) Only (i) can correspond to the unfolded cube in Panel I.

(B) Only (ii) can correspond to the unfolded cube in Panel I.

(C) Both (i) and (ii) can correspond to the unfolded cube in Panel I.

(D) Neither (i) nor (ii) can correspond to the unfolded cube in Panel I.

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Q.8 Consider the cube shown below with its 8 corners labelled a, b, c, d, e, f, g,
and h. The figure is representative. All corners are to be colored such that any two
corners that are connected by an edge must be of different colors. The minimum
number of colors required to achieve this is ________

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(A) 8
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(B) 4

(C) 3

(D) 2
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Humanities & Social Sciences (XH)

Q.9 Four hills H1, H2, H3, and H4 are present in an area. The following observations
are made about them:

i. Neither H2 nor H3 is the easternmost hill.
ii. Neither H2 nor H3 is the westernmost hill.
iii. Neither the easternmost hill nor the westernmost hill is the southernmost
hill.
iv. Two hills are located to the west of H2.
v. The southernmost hill has at least two hills to its east.

The southernmost hill is ________.

(A) H1

(B) H2

(C) H3

(D) H4

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Humanities & Social Sciences (XH)

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Q.10 As shown in the figure, circle 𝐶1 with center 𝑂1 and radius 𝑟1 touches the square
𝑉𝑊𝑋𝑌 at points 𝑃 and 𝑄 while circle 𝐶2 with center 𝑂2 and radius 𝑟2 touches the
square 𝑉𝑊𝑋𝑌 at points 𝑅 and 𝑆. The two circles touch each other at 𝑇.

̅̅̅̅ = 𝑉𝑊
Given 𝑟1 = 1 cm and 𝑉𝑌 ̅̅̅̅̅ = 4 cm, 𝑟2 = _____ cm.

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(A)

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a (C) 7 − 4√2

(D) 5 + 3√2

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Reasoning and Comprehension (XH-B1)

Q.11 – Q.17 Carry ONE mark Each

Aman, Beena, Chiranjeevi and Dhiman are four siblings. Each of them is an
Q.11
expert in one of the performing arts, namely, dance, theatre, guitar and percussion,
not necessarily in that order.
The dancer is taller than the theatre expert. Aman is taller than Chiranjeevi. The
percussionist is taller than Beena but shorter than Aman. Beena is shorter than the
dancer. The guitarist is not the tallest. Dhiman is shorter than both, guitarist and
Chiranjeevi.

What is the expertise of Aman?

(A) Dance

(B) Theatre

(C) Guitar

(D) Percussion

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Reasoning and Comprehension (XH-B1)

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Q.12 Let ∆𝐴𝐵𝐶 be an isosceles triangle with the base 𝐴𝐵 of length 8 units. Let 𝐶𝐷 be a
perpendicular of length 4 units drawn from the vertex 𝐶 onto the base
𝐴𝐵 and 𝐴𝐶 = 𝐵𝐶.

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Then, which of the following is the set of values of the angles (in degrees)
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𝐶𝐴𝐵, 𝐴𝐵𝐶, 𝐵𝐶𝐴 respectively?
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(A) 45,45,90

(B) 100,40,40

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(C) 90,45,45

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(D) 40,40,100
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Reasoning and Comprehension (XH-B1)

Q.13 In the given passage, fill in the blanks with most suitable set of given words:

The future must no longer be___ by the past. While, the effects of the past are still
with us, each day is a new___. Therefore, one should ___from solely believing in
destiny and crave towards charting their own path of success with grit and labour.
Positive_______ is imperative.

(A) Determined, beginning, refrain, anticipation

(B) Fascinated, one, include, physiology

(C) Explored, suffering, content, psychiatry

(D) Marred, life, hinder, labyrinth

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Reasoning and Comprehension (XH-B1)

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Q.14
Indian society is experiencing a boom in pet culture, where people are becoming
responsible caretakers of pets rather than merely providing food and shelter. They
no longer like to identify themselves as ‘pet-owners’ but rather as ‘pet-parents’.
This means that there is an emotional transaction rather than a utilitarian one.
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Which of the following weaken(s) the argument presented in the given passage?
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(A) Some social media influencers are using their pets only for popularity.

(B) Food, medicines and clothes for pets are becoming easily available.

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(C) Pet owners are expecting some provision for tax rebate.

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(D)
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In today’s stressful times, pets lprovide
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Reasoning and Comprehension (XH-B1)

Q.15
Three statements, S1, S2 and S3 are given, followed with 4 conclusions, C1, C2,
C3 and C4.
S1: Hostel authorities organised a special lunch on 01-02-26 during 12 noon to
3 pm, for those residents of the Hostel, who paid hostel mess fees on time.
S2: Hostel authorities issued a notice that, since elections for Mess Council is held
during 4-5 pm of 01-02-26, residents of the Hostel who are contesting the
elections need to stay away from the hostel since morning till 5 pm.
S3: Hostel residents who were eligible to have special lunch, had it on 01-02-26.
C1: Residents who did not have special lunch on 01-02-26, either did not pay
hostel mess fees on time or were contesting elections.
C2: Residents having special lunch on 01-02-26, were either not contesting
elections or had paid hostel mess fees on time.
C3: Residents who are contesting elections need not care about paying mess fees.
C4: Residents who have paid hostel mess fees on time could join special lunch
only if they are not contesting elections.
Which of the conclusion(s) is/are incorrect?

(A) Only one among C1, C2, C3 and C4 is incorrect.

(B) C1 and C2 are incorrect.

(C) C2 and C3 are incorrect.

(D) C3 and C4 are incorrect.

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Reasoning and Comprehension (XH-B1)

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Q.16
Six statements, S1 to S6, are given.
S1: All GATE candidates are engineers.
S2: Some GATE candidates are CAT candidates.
S3: All GRE candidates are GATE candidates.
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S4: All engineers are GRE candidates.
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S5: Some CAT candidates are GRE candidates.
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S6: Some CAT candidates are engineers.
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fourth statement. Identify the option(s) where the fourth statement can be
necessarily inferred from the set of three statements.

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(A) {S1, S2, S3} => S5
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(B) {S4, S1, S2} => S5 a
(C) {S6, S1, S3} => S5

(D) {S4, S3, S1} => S6

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Reasoning and Comprehension (XH-B1)

Q.17 Four couples M-N, O-P, R-L, S-E meet to have a dinner together on an eight-
seater rectangular dining table with four seats each on opposite sides. The men are
named as M, O, R, S. Two of the men, O, R, sit on the two corners of one side of
the table and M sits beside R. Further, none of the couples occupy seats opposite
to each other. However, a person sits adjacent to the seat opposite to his/her
spouse.

Based on the information, which of the following conclusions can be drawn?

(A) R sits opposite to N and S sits opposite to P.

(B) R sits opposite to P and O sits opposite to N.

(C) S sits opposite to N and O sits opposite to L.

(D) M sits opposite to L and O sits opposite to E.

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Reasoning and Comprehension (XH-B1)

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Q.18 – Q.26 Carry TWO marks Each

Q.18
Me and my spouse have a big family, comprising 8 females and 6 males. We have
two sons and two daughters, of whom the eldest is unmarried. Out of my two
grandsons and three granddaughters, only one grandson is a single child. His
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mother is my younger daughter.
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Which of my children necessarily has two daughters?
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(A) None of my sons

(B) One of my sons
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(C) One of my daughters
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(D) Elder daughter
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Reasoning and Comprehension (XH-B1)

Q.19
Given the first four terms 30, 105, 385, 1001 in a sequence, which amongst the
following is the fifth term of the sequence?

(A) 2341

(B) 2431

(C) 2571

(D) 2751

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Reasoning and Comprehension (XH-B1)

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Q.20
Three players named Arun, Babita and Chandu play a game by tossing an
unbiased coin in turn whose rules are as follows:

Initially each player has 100 candies. If the tossing of this coin results in a ‘head’
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then the player who tosses receives 10 candies from each of the other two players,
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whereas, if the toss results in a ‘tail’ then the player who tosses has to give away
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20 candies
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candies
a Babita and finally stopped after Chandu’s turn. Given that Arun is the only
winner, which of the following hold(s) true?

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(A) Arun has 90 candies more than Chandu

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(C) Arun has 90 candies more than Babita

(D) Babita and Chandu together have 120 candies

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Reasoning and Comprehension (XH-B1)

Q.21
Choose the correct sequence of sentences so that they form a coherent paragraph:
P. However, in the context of texts dealing with science or engineering, this
condition may not be applicable.
Q. One can infer, that there is something called discipline fidelity and within
this aspect, content, language, structure and scope of a text may vary.
R. In the meaning-making process of a text, it is not always logic that is central.
S. Most of the times, it is the expression of the experience that supersedes the
structure and argument.
Which of the following options is/are correct and giving the most appropriate order
and meaning to the sentence?

(A) RSPQ

(B) QRSP

(C) RSQP

(D) SPRQ

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Reasoning and Comprehension (XH-B1)

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Q.22
Mental health is a global concern, especially among the youth. During the Covid-
19 pandemic, when schools and colleges were operating online, students were left
with no option but to stay at home leading to negligible social interaction. Several
studies indicate that even when offline classes have now resumed post Covid-19
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pandemic, these students are finding it difficult to establish social connect leading
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to mental health issues. To deal with this situation, schools and colleges are trying
hardstoe implement different strategies to combat their student’s mental health l as
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agdepending on their unique culture, overall strength, and resources.
Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from the above passage?

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(A) India is a young nation.

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Different schools and colleges will have their own way to tackle the issue of
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(C) A combination of online and offline class is good for students.

(D) Social connect is important for mental health.

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Reasoning and Comprehension (XH-B1)

Q.23 On the basis of syntax and grammar, identify the incorrect sentence(s).
I. Doctors have found high levels of cerebrospinal fluid in certain cases of
cerebral palsy around the world. They also suggested its abnormal impact
on speech and muscle movement.
II. Doctors have found high levels of cerebrospinal fluid in certain cases of
cerebral palsy around the world which suggests the abnormal impact on
speech and muscle movement.
III. Having found high levels of cerebrospinal fluid in certain cases of cerebral
palsy around the world, doctors are suggesting abnormal impact on speech
and muscle movement.
IV. Having found high levels of cerebrospinal fluid in certain cases of cerebral
palsy around the world, doctors suggested its abnormal impact on speech
and muscle movement.

(A) I

(B) II

(C) III

(D) IV

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Q.24
In a cricket match amongst 7 friends, named P1 – P7, P1 scored maximum
individual runs of 25 and P7 scored minimum individual run of 0. No two friends
had the same score. The median and average runs scored were 15 and 12.57, not
necessarily in that order. Two players, P2 and P3, who scored more than median
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but less than maximum, scored less than 40 runs together. One player scored
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double the sum of non-zero scores of two players.
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What could be the possible value(s) of the second highest score?
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(A) 18

(B) 20
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(C) 21
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(D) 22 a

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Reasoning and Comprehension (XH-B1)

Q.25
A police station has six personnel comprising an inspector (I) and five constables
(𝐶1 , 𝐶2 , 𝐶3 , 𝐶4 , 𝐶5). Normally, a ‘raid team’ of two, three, or four members is formed
depending upon the nature of the raid. As per rule, it is mandatory that the inspector
is part of raid team.
Number of distinct raid teams that can be formed is __________________.
(Answer in integer)

Q.26
A man visits four relatives on a day. He purchases some sweets and gives a part of
it to the first relative. Next, he purchases the same number of sweets he is left with
after he visited his first relative. He repeats this process while visiting his other
relatives. Finally, he gives all the sweets to his fourth relative. It is known that he
gives equal number of sweets to all the relatives and is left with no sweets after
the fourth relative. Assuming that he initially purchased more than 20 sweets, the
minimum number of sweets he gave to each relative is _______________.
(Answer in integer)

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Q.27 – Q.44 Carry ONE mark Each

Q.27 Which novel by Margaret Atwood is often studied for its feminist themes and
dystopian setting?

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(A) The Bell Jar

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(B)
a Frankenstein

(C) The Handmaid’s Tale

(D) To Kill a Mockingbird

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Q.28
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Which one of the following is an example of a metaphor?

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(A) The cat was like a furry cloud

(B) The cat was a furry cloud

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(C) The cat was as furry as a cloud
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English (XH-C2)

Q.29 What is the term for the repetition of initial consonant sounds in closely connected
words?

(A) Assonance

(B) Consonance

(C) Alliteration

(D) Onomatopoeia

Q.30 Which one of the following plays is NOT written by Girish Karnad?

(A) Yayati

(B) Tughlaq

(C) Nagmandala

(D) Tara

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Q.31 “River Sarayu was the pride of Malgudi. It was some ten minutes walk from
Ellaman street, the last street of the town, chiefly occupied by oil mongers. Its sand-
banks were the evening resort of all the people of the town. The Municipal President
took any distinguished visitor to the top of the town hall and proudly pointed to him
Sarayu in moonlight, glistening like a silver belt across the north.” m
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From which one of the following texts has the above passage been excerpted?

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(A) The Guide

(B) The English Teacher

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(C) Swami and Friends

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(D) The Man-Eater of Malgudi
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English (XH-C2)

“The peasants came like swarms of flies
Q.32
And buzzed the name of God a hundred times
To paralyze the evil one.”

The above stanza appears in which poem?

(A) “Dawn at Puri”

(B) “Night of the Scorpion”

(C) “Palanquin Bearers”

(D) “Our Casuarina Tree”

Q.33 Which one of the following war poets did not die in action during World War I?

(A) Edward Thomas

(B) Isaac Rosenberg

(C) Siegfried Sassoon

(D) Wilfred Owen

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Q.34 Grimus is the first novel of which well-known author?

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(A) Arundhati Roy

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(B)
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Hanif Kureishi
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(C)
agSalman

(D) Kiran Desai

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English (XH-C2)

Q.35 Which of these counts as a qualitative research method in literary studies?

(A) Critical Theory

(B) Statistical Modelling

(C) Close-textual Reading

(D) Ethnographic Analysis

Q.36 What is/are the central theme/s of Kamala Das’s “An Introduction”?

(A) Identity Crisis

(B) Political Activism

(C) The Feminine Mystique

(D) Cultural Assimilation

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Q.37 “Postcolonial Translation” deals with:

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(A) Appropriation and abrogation

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Translation. between European languages
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(B)
s l
g la identity, and cultural politics in translation ag
(C)
a Power,

(D) Replacing outdated vocabulary

Q.38
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Which of these is/are associated with Marxist Literary Criticism?

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(A) Raymond Williams a
(B) Frederic Jameson

(C) Pierre Macherey

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(D) Northrop Frye
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English (XH-C2)

Q.39 To which of the following does the term “pastoral elegy” apply?

(A) “Lycidas”

(B) Adonais

(C) In Memoriam

(D) “The Deserted Village”

Q.40 Which of the following represent/s Jacobean tragedy?

(A) Revenge

(B) Morality play

(C) Sexual intrigue

(D) Senecan influence

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Q.41 Which of these works directly engage/s with the French Revolution?

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(A) A Tale of Two Cities

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(B)
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The Prelude
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(C)
agLyrical

(D) Culture and Anarchy

Q.42 Which of the following is/are (an) epistolary novel/s?
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(A) Pamela a
(B) The Vicar of Wakefield

(C) Clarissa

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(D) Wuthering Heights
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English (XH-C2)

Q.43 Which of the following is/are (an) American novel/s of the 19th century?

(A) Moby Dick

(B) The Scarlet Letter

(C) A Farewell to Arms

(D) The Age of Innocence

Q.44 Which of the following is/are winner(s) of the Booker Prize/Man Booker Prize for
fiction?

(A) Arundhati Roy

(B) Amitav Ghosh

(C) Kiran Desai

(D) Anita Desai

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Q.45 – Q.65 Carry TWO marks Each

Q.45 Which one of these poems is written by William Wordsworth?

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(A) “Ode to a Nightingale”

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(B)
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“Ode: Intimations of Immortality”
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(C) “Ode to the West Wind”

(D) “Ode on a Grecian Urn”

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Q.46 .co
Which of the following is a key work in feminist literary criticism written by
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Virginia Woolf?
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(A) The Awakening

(B) A Room of One’s Own

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(C) The Feminine Mystique
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c. o(D) s e m
e m Their Eyes Were Watching God
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English (XH-C2)

Q.47 Which 19th-century novel is known for its protagonist’s struggle as a governess and
her complex relationships?

(A) Jane Eyre

(B) Wuthering Heights

(C) Pride and Prejudice

(D) Sense and Sensibility

Q.48 Which feminist author wrote “The Yellow Wallpaper”?

(A) Charlotte Perkins Gilman

(B) Louisa May Alcott

(C) Edith Wharton

(D) Harriet Beecher Stowe

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Q.49 In feminist literary theory, what does patriarchy refer to?

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(A) A type of literary genre

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A societal .system where men hold primary power
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(B)
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Alstyle of writing ag
(C)
a
(D) A historical period

Q.50
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Which novel by George Orwell depicts a dystopian future under a totalitarian

.co
regime?

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(A) Animal Farm

(B) 1984

(C) Brave New World

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(D) Fahrenheit 451
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English (XH-C2)

Q.51 Who wrote a fantasy novel featuring Prince Caspian?

(A) J. R. R. Tolkien

(B) C. S. Lewis

(C) J. K. Rowling

(D) Roald Dahl

Q.52 Which one of the following describes the practice of interpreting a text based on the
author’s intentions?

(A) Reader Response Criticism

(B) Formalism

(C) Intentional Fallacy

(D) New Criticism

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Q.53 What is the literary device in which a part of something is used to represent the
whole?

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(A) Synecdoche
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(B) Metonymy

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(C) a Juxtaposition

(D) Paradox

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English (XH-C2)

“I resisted all the way: a new thing for me; and a circumstance which greatly
Q.54 strengthened the bad opinion Bessie and Miss Abbott were disposed to entertain of
me. The fact is, I was a trifle beside myself; or rather, out of myself, as the French
would say: I was conscious that a moment’s mutiny had already rendered me liable
to strange penalties, unlike any other rebel slave, I felt resolved, in my desperation
to go all lengths.”

What does the narrator mean by “I was a trifle beside myself”?

(A) She was feeling a bit sleepy.

(B) She was angry and not in control of her emotions.

(C) She was standing next to someone else.

(D) She was excited about going on a trip.

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Match Column I with Column II:
Q.55

Column I Column II
i The Elizabethan Age a Dryden
ii The Puritan Age b Shakespeare
iii The Restoration Age c Wordsworth
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iv The Romantic Age d Milton
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(A) i – d, ii – a, iii – c, iv – b

(B) i – a, ii – c, iii – b, iv – d

(C) i – b, ii – c, iii – a, iv – d
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(D) i – b, ii – d, iii – a, iv – c
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Q.56 Which of the following is/are the title/s of 18th-century periodical/s?

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(A) Spectator

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Idler
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(D) Rover

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English (XH-C2)

Q.57 “Poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion; it is not the
expression of personality, but an escape from personality. But, of course, only those
who have personality and emotions know what it means to escape from these
things”

Which of the following interpretation/s is/are supported by this passage?

(A) Poetry emerges from a controlled transformation of emotion, not a direct expression
of feelings.

(B) A strong personal identity is a barrier to producing impersonal and objective art.

(C) Artistic creation necessitates emotional detachment to a great degree.

(D) Only poets with personal turmoil can create powerful poems.

Q.58 Which of the following theorists was/were directly affiliated with the Centre for
Contemporary Cultural Studies at the University of Birmingham?

(A) Raymond Williams

(B) Richard Hoggart

(C) Stuart Hall

(D) E. P. Thompson

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Q.59 “Colonialism imposed its control of the social production of wealth through military
conquest and subsequent political dictatorship. But its most important area of
domination was the mental universe of the colonised, the control, through culture,
of how people perceived themselves and their relationship to the world.”

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.co
Which of the following options is/are implied by the excerpt?
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.co s e m
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(A) agColonialism had military, political, and cultural dimensions.
ag
In addition to controlling wealth and resources, colonialism also sought to control
(B)
the mental realm of the colonised.

(C) Colonialism ends with the overthrow of military conquest.

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Social production of wealth shapes the colonised people’s perception of themselves.
.co
(D)

e m
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ag

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English (XH-C2)

“Sweet smiling village, loveliest of the lawn,
Q.60 Thy sports are fled, and all thy charms withdrawn;
Amidst thy bowers the tyrant’s hand is seen,
And desolation saddens all thy green:
One only master grasps the whole domain,
And half a tillage stints thy smiling plain;
No more thy glassy brook reflects the day,
But choked with sedges, works its weedy way;
Along thy glades, a solitary guest,
The hollow-sounding bittern guards its nest;
Amidst thy desert walks the lapwing flies,
And tires their echoes with unvaried cries.”

Which of the following does the excerpt imply?

(A) The poet is nostalgic about an idealized vision of rural life that is being lost.

(B) Nature is being ravaged by changes.

(C) External interference has reshaped the pastoral landscape.

(D) The poet laments the loss but sees it as an inevitable cost of development.

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“She felt very young; at the same time unspeakably aged. She sliced like a knife
Q.61
through everything; at the same time was outside, looking on.”

Which narrative technique/s is/are evident in this passage?

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(A) Fragmentation of identity

s l a
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a
(B) Free

(C) Linear chronological narration

(D) Allegory of nationalism

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English (XH-C2)

Q.62 Which of the following is/are counted among the Movement poets?

(A) Philip Larkin

(B) Kingsley Amis

(C) Ted Hughes

(D) Allen Ginsberg

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Q.63 Which of the following Caribbean author/s won the Nobel Prize for Literature?

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(A) Derek Walcott
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(B) V. S. Naipaul
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(C)
a Wilson

(D) George Lamming

Which of the following themes does Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart explore?
Q.64
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(A) Clash of Cultures a
(B) Industrial Revolution in Europe

(C) Colonial Disruption

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(D) Religious Imposition
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English (XH-C2)

“My country! In thy days of glory past
Q.65 A beauteous halo circled round thy brow
and worshipped as a deity thou wast—
Where is thy glory, where the reverence now?
Thy eagle pinion is chained down at last,
And grovelling in the lowly dust are thou,
Thy minstrel hast no wreath to weave for thee
Save the sad story of thy misery!
Well—let me dive into the depths of time
And bring from out the ages, that have rolled
A few small fragments of these wrecks sublime
Which human eye may never more behold
And let the guerdon of my labour be,
My fallen country! One kind wish for thee!”

Which of the following is/are implied in the above lines?

(A) The poet is anguished by the impoverished state of her/his country.

(B) The poet says that the country is like an unrestrained eagle, ready to take flight.

(C) The poet wants to serve her/his country by revisiting its past grandeur.

(D) The poet is indifferent to the fate of her/his country.

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