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Taking sides: On Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel

India’s relations with Israel should not be at the cost of ties with Arab world

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 24-hour visit to Jerusalem was a significant bilateral outreach to
Israel, but a missed opportunity on Palestine, with complex consequences for India’s ties with West
Asia. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had announced the visit in December and confirmed
the dates on Sunday, indicating Israel’s keen interest in hosting Mr. Modi. From Mr. Modi’s landing, to
every engagement up to his departure, Mr. Netanyahu personally escorted Mr. Modi everywhere.
After bilateral talks on Thursday, the two leaders agreed to upgrade ties to a “Special Strategic
Partnership”, and signed a critical technologies partnership among more than 15 MoUs in AI,
agriculture, culture and education. They also agreed to facilitate the employment of 50,000 Indian
workers in Israel over the next five years. The engagement, and Mr. Netanyahu’s deep praise for Mr.
Modi and the India relationship was even more intense than during Mr. Modi’s 2017 visit. This
possibly accrues from the timing of the visit, as Israel faces growing isolation over high casualties in
Gaza and Mr. Netanyahu’s West Bank settlement plans. In the past week, Israel’s West Bank proposals
have been condemned by dozens of countries, which includes Germany, France, and the U.K. that
have been measured so far. Mr. Netanyahu heads into an election later this year, which will be seen
as a referendum on his record, in terms of alleged corruption in his government as well as for
accountability for security lapses in 2023 and the civilian toll of Israel’s response. Mr. Modi’s visit
would bolster him politically. In his speech at the Knesset, Mr. Modi referred only obliquely to
Palestinian sovereignty, saying that the U.S.-led Gaza Peace Initiative, which commits to a two-state
solution, “holds the promise of a just and durable peace... including by addressing the Palestine
Issue”. The Prime Minister said that India shared the pain and grief of every life lost in the October
2023 terror attack by Hamas but made no mention of the high toll — more than 72,000 killed — in the
strikes on Gaza by Israel since then.

It is hoped that Mr. Modi will clarify India’s position on the conflict, as he did after his last visit, by
following it up with a visit to Palestine. His decision to travel amidst the threat of U.S. attacks on Iran
carried the possible risk of taking sides in the event of a conflict. Beyond the bilateral, the outcomes
of his visit will be judged globally by its impact on the larger West Asian neighbourhood. First, his
announcement that India-Israel-UAE and India-Israel-UAE-U.S. “I2U2” would develop new
momentum, as would the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), indicates New Delhi
believes that regional initiatives are still viable despite the polarised atmosphere and recent deep
fault-lines. Second, a decision to “stand with Israel, firmly... ” could come at the cost of India’s
relations with other West Asian powers, which expect India to remain steadfast to its historically
calibrated regional balance, and to principles of peace, morality and compassion in the Israel-
Palestine conflict. [Practice Exercise]

 Red/blue coloring of words in the sentence indicates subject verb relationship; where ‘red’
denotes ‘subject’ and ‘blue’ denotes ‘verb’.

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Vocabulary
1. Take side (phrase) - favoring one person or 15. Condemn (verb) - censure, denounce,
group in a dispute or conflict over another criticize, reprimand, castigate र
ऱ 16. So far (phrase) - up to this point in time;
2. At the cost of (phrase) - with the loss or until now
sacrifice of something else 17. Referendum (noun) - plebiscite, vote, poll,
र ballot, mandate
3. Tie (noun) - connection, bond, link, 18. In terms of (phrase) - with regard to;
relation, affiliation concerning a particular aspect
4. Bilateral (adjective) - mutual, reciprocal, 19. Alleged (adjective) - supposed, reported,
two-sided, joint, bipartite य purported, ostensible, claimed
5. Outreach (noun) - involvement, contact, 20. Accountability (noun) - responsibility,
communication, engagement, accessibility liability, answerability, culpability,
/ amenability
6. Keen (adjective) - eager, anxious, intent, 21. Lapses (noun) - failures, errors, blunders,
enthusiastic, avid omissions, faults / ऱ य
7. Departure (noun) - exit, withdrawal, 22. Toll (noun) - count, number, damage, loss,
leaving, exodus, retirement price य
8. Escort (verb) - accompany, conduct, guide, 23. Bolster (verb) - strengthen, support,
usher, attend / र reinforce, fortify, boost र /
9. Facilitate (verb) - ease, expedite, simplify, र
assist, promote 24. Obliquely (adverb) - indirectly, evasively,
10. Deep (adjective) - profound, intense, implicitly, sideways, covertly र
extreme, heartfelt, sincere र 25. Sovereignty (noun) - autonomy,
11. Intense (adjective) - acute, fierce, independence, self-rule, dominion,
vehement, profound, extreme / supremacy
12. Accrue (verb) - accumulate, result, arise, 26. Commit (verb) - pledge, dedicate, devote,
emanate, flow ऱ / bind, obligate
13. Isolation (noun) - separation, segregation, 27. Hold the promise (phrase) - likely to be
detachment, loneliness, seclusion ऱ successful or yield good results in the
14. Casualties (noun) - victims, fatalities, future
losses, mortality, sufferers / 28. Durable (adjective) - lasting, enduring,
stable, persistent, abiding य/ र य

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29. Address (verb) - tackle, attend, handle, 35. Polarised (adjective) - divided, split,
confront, resolve र separated, partitioned, antagonistic
30. Grief (noun) - sorrow, misery, woe,
sadness, anguish / 36. Fault-lines (noun) - divisions, rifts, splits,
31. Amidst (preposition) - amid, during, fractures, gaps
among, throughout, betwixt 37. Steadfast (adjective) - loyal, faithful,
32. In the event of (phrase) - if something resolute, constant, unwavering /
happens; in case of something 38. Calibrated (adjective) - adjusted,
regulated, measured, aligned, balanced
33. Momentum (noun) - impetus, energy,
- ऱ/ य
drive, thrust, speed /
39. Morality (noun) - ethics, virtue, integrity,
34. Viable (adjective) - feasible, workable,
rectitude, decency
practical, applicable, usable य य
40. Compassion (noun) - empathy, pity,
kindness, benevolence, mercy य /

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Summary of the Editorial

1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 24-hour visit to Israel marked a significant strengthening of
bilateral ties.

2. The visit elevated India-Israel relations to a “Special Strategic Partnership.”

3. Over 15 MoUs were signed, covering areas such as AI, agriculture, culture, education, and
critical technologies.

4. The two countries also agreed to facilitate employment of 50,000 Indian workers in Israel.

5. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally hosted and accompanied Mr. Modi
throughout the visit.

6. The timing of the visit is sensitive, as Israel faces global criticism over high civilian casualties in
Gaza.

7. Israel’s West Bank settlement plans have drawn condemnation from several European
countries.

8. Netanyahu faces elections later this year, and Mr. Modi’s visit may strengthen his domestic
political standing.

9. In his Knesset speech, Mr. Modi referred only indirectly to Palestinian sovereignty and the
two-state solution.

10. While condemning the October 2023 Hamas attack, he did not mention the high civilian toll in
Gaza.

11. The editorial suggests that India should clarify its stance by also engaging directly with
Palestine.

12. Visiting Israel during tensions with Iran risked perceptions of India taking sides in regional
conflicts.

13. India aims to sustain regional initiatives like I2U2 and the India-Middle East-Europe Economic
Corridor (IMEC).

14. However, openly “standing with Israel” may strain India’s longstanding balanced relations with
Arab nations.

15. The editorial stresses that India’s engagement with Israel should not undermine its historical
commitment to regional balance, peace, and moral consistency.

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Practice Exercise: SSC Pattern Based

1. Which of the following statements are correct based on the passage? [Editorial page]
1. India and Israel decided to elevate their bilateral relationship to a "Special Strategic
Partnership."
2. The two countries signed more than 15 MoUs covering sectors like AI, agriculture, and
education.
3. During his Knesset speech, Prime Minister Modi detailed the high civilian death toll in Gaza.
A. Only 1 and 2
B. Only 2 and 3
C. Only 1 and 3
D. All are Correct
2. Based on the passage, which statements reflect the challenges mentioned regarding the
visit?
1. The visit was seen as a significant bilateral reach out to Israel but a missed opportunity on
Palestine.
2. Israel is currently facing growing international isolation due to casualties in Gaza and West
Bank plans.
A. Only 1
B. Only 2
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2
3. Determine if the following is True or False based on the passage:
"Prime Minister Modi’s visit is expected to politically weaken Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of
the upcoming Israeli elections."
A. True; the passage says the visit highlights Netanyahu's corruption allegations.
B. True; the visit was condemned by Germany, France, and the U.K.
C. False; the passage explicitly states that "Mr. Modi’s visit would bolster him politically."
D. False; the passage states that Mr. Netanyahu has already lost the election.
4. According to the passage, what are the potential risks for India’s regional balance?
Standing firmly with Israel could harm India's relations with other West Asian powers.
Regional initiatives like the I2U2 and IMEC have been officially cancelled due to deep fault-
lines.
A. Only 1
B. Only 2
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2
5. Which of the following best summarizes the author's observation on India's diplomatic
stance during the visit?
A. India has completely shifted its policy to support only Israeli interests in West Asia.
B. India successfully balanced its ties by visiting both Jerusalem and Palestine in 24 hours.
C. India deepened its Israeli partnership but left its position on the Palestinian conflict
needing clarification.
D. India’s visit was primarily focused on military defense rather than technology or
agriculture.

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6. Select the most appropriate synonym of the given word:

LUMINOUS
A. Dull
B. Dim
C. Opaque
D. Radiant
7. Select the most appropriate synonym of the given word:
EXIGUOUS
A. Scanty
B. Huge
C. Excessive
D. Abundant
8. Select the most appropriate antonym of the given word:
ABROGATE
A. Abolish
B. Revoke
C. Uphold
D. Annul
9. Choose the correct meaning of idiom:
To chew the cud of reflection
A. Eating slowly
B. Daydreaming without focus
C. Pondering deeply
D. Mentally preparing for battle
10. Choose the correct spelling of a word meaning 'witty, clever, and verbally skillful'.
A. Persiflage
B. Persiphledge
C. Pursiflage
D. Persiflagee
11. Find the word that is spelled correctly and means the quality of being sarcastic in a bitter
way.
A. Causticity
B. Costicity
C. Cawstic
D. Caustisity
12. Choose the correct one-word substitute for:
'A person who supports change'.
A. Conservative
B. Radical
C. Reformer
D. Constitutionalist
13. Choose the correct one-word substitute for:
'Extremely old-fashioned; belonging to a time before the biblical flood'
A. Tale

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B. Obsolete
C. Antediluvian
D. Medieval
14. Choose the correct option:
The anthropologist's findings were considered so controversial that they were initially ____.
A. disregarded
B. celebrated
C. acclaimed
D. adopted
15. Select the sentence containing the homonym of the highlighted word:
The bishop condemned the act as simony, citing canonical law.
A. The preacher was accused of simony for charging for blessings.
B. The court equated indulgence-selling with simony.
C. The alchemist failed to explain the simony in his formulas.
D. Simony was rampant in medieval ecclesiastical courts.
16. Choose the most suitable option to replace the highlighted part of the sentence:
She is confident to win the match
A. of to win
B. that she wins
C. of winning the match
D. on winning match
17. A sentence is provided in direct speech. From the four given options, choose the one that
most accurately conveys the sentence in its corresponding indirect speech.
He said to me, “You should work harder.”
A. He said me that I should work harder.
B. He told me that I should work harder.
C. He told me that you should work harder.
D. He told that I should work harder.
18. A sentence is provided in direct speech. From the four given options, choose the one that
most accurately conveys the sentence in its corresponding indirect speech.
The scientist said, “We have been working on this project for months.”
A. The scientist said they had been working on that project for months.
B. The scientist said they have been working on this project for months.
C. The scientist said that they were working on that project.
D. The scientist said that we had worked on this project.
19. A sentence is provided in indirect speech. From the four given options, choose the one that
most accurately conveys the sentence in its corresponding direct speech.
The diplomat said that only after the ceasefire would negotiations begin.
A. “Negotiations begin only after the ceasefire,” said the diplomat.
B. “Only after the ceasefire, negotiations would begin,” said the diplomat.
C. “Only after the ceasefire will negotiations begin,” said the diplomat.
D. “Negotiations would begin once the ceasefire is announced,” said the diplomat.
20. Rearrange the following sentences in correct order to make a logical passage.
A. The blueprint is finalized after approval from stakeholders.

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B. First, a basic framework is proposed.

C. Then revisions are made after discussions.
D. Finally, execution begins as per plan.
E. 2-3-1-4
F. 1-3-2-4
G. 3-2-1-4
H. 2-1-3-4
Comprehension
In the US alone, 127 billion plastic bottles are purchased every year, according to one
[Link], one soft drinks firm in the Midwest is keeping old school tradition alive by
continuing to sell its products in returnable glass bottles. For almost a century, until the 1960s,
soda bottles in the US were generally meant to be returned. Customers had to pay a deposit
for the (1) ____ glass bottles. They then got this money back when they returned them to the
shop. And the bottles would be washed and refilled over and over again. Sadly the adoption of
plastic meant that this system was phased out, but one soft drinks producer – family-owned
Twig's Beverage – has stuck to it. Customers in its home county of Shawano County, in
Wisconsin, pay a $20 (£15) deposit per case of 24. They can even go direct to the Twig's
factory in the city of Shawano to have the same bottles refilled. Some are vintage ones still
going strong after 60 or so [Link]'ve been seeing some families come in for years," says
Twig's vice-president Ben Hartwig. "Cases get passed down and the next family member gets
to bring them in. That nostalgic feel is something that long-time customers (2) ____ those
cases like [Link] will be in glass bottles, but for the (3) ____ future at least, they won't be
returnable. "We are slowly picking up distributors and growing the brand," says Hartwig.
Explaining why customers further (4) ____ will be asked to recycle the bottles instead of
returning them, Hartwig adds: "If the people purchasing them are from a different state, it's
very unlikely they'll bring them back." Now celebrating its 75th anniversary, Twig's story began
in a Tokyo hospital bed where Floyd Hartwig was (5) ____ after being shot in both legs during
the Korean War.
21. Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank (1).
A. translucent
B. disposable
C. sturdy
D. hypochondriac
22. Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank (2).
A. impale
B. modus operandi
C. cherish
D. nonplussed
23. Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank (3).
A. foreseeable
B. rendezvous
C. thoroughfare
D. tinsel
24. Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank (4).

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A. offshore
B. afield
C. whittle
D. precipice
25. Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank (5).
A. convalescing
B. recuperating
C. recalibrated
D. camouflaged

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Answers
1. A 2. C 3.C 4. A 5. C 6.D 7. A 8. C 9. C 10.A 11.A 12.C
13. C 14.A 15.C 16.C 17.B 18.A 19.C 20.A 21.C 22.C 23.A 24.B
25. B [Practice Exercise]
Explanations
1. A) Only 1 and 2
Statement 1 – Correct: The passage explicitly states that the two leaders "agreed to upgrade
ties to a ‘Special Strategic Partnership’," which is exactly what the statement says.
Statement 2 – Correct: The passage explicitly states that they "signed a critical technologies
partnership among more than 15 MoUs in AI, agriculture, culture and education," as the
statement says.
Statement 3 – Incorrect: The statement says the death toll was detailed, but the passage
explicitly states Mr. Modi "made no mention of the high toll—more than 72,000 killed—in the
strikes on Gaza."
2. C) Both 1 and 2
Statement 1 – Correct: The passage explicitly states the visit was a "significant bilateral
outreach to Israel, but a missed opportunity on Palestine," which matches the statement.
Statement 2 – Correct: The passage explicitly states that "Israel faces growing isolation over
high casualties in Gaza and Mr. Netanyahu’s West Bank settlement plans," as the statement
says.
3. C) False; the passage explicitly states that "Mr. Modi’s visit would bolster him politically."
The passage explicitly states that the visit would "bolster him [Netanyahu] politically," making
the original claim False.
4. A) Only 1
Statement 1 – Correct: The passage explicitly states a decision to stand with Israel "could come
at the cost of India’s relations with other West Asian powers," as the statement says.
Statement 2 – Incorrect: The statement says the initiatives are cancelled, but the passage
explicitly states Mr. Modi announced they "would develop new momentum."
5. C) India deepened its Israeli partnership but left its position on the Palestinian conflict
needing clarification.
Option A – Incorrect: The statement says India shifted only to Israel, but the passage explicitly
mentions India's desire to remain "steadfast to its historically calibrated regional balance."
Option B– Incorrect: The statement says he visited both, but the passage explicitly states it was
a "missed opportunity on Palestine" and hopes he follows it up with a visit there.
Option C – Correct: The passage explicitly states it was a "significant bilateral outreach" but
hopes Mr. Modi "will clarify India’s position... by following it up with a visit to Palestine."
Option D– Incorrect: The statement says it was primarily military, but the passage explicitly
highlights MoUs in "AI, agriculture, culture and education."
6. D) Luminous (adjective) – Shining, glowing, bright, lustrous, radiant प्रकाशमान
Synonym: Radiant (adjective) – Sending out light; shining or glowing brightly. दीप्तिमान
• Dull (adjective) – Lacking brightness or interest; not shiny. फीका
• Dim (adjective) – Not bright or clear; faint. मंद
• Opaque (adjective) – Not able to be seen through; not transparent. अपारदशी

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7. A) Exiguous (adjective) – Meager, scanty, small in amount, inadequate, insufficient. अल्प, बहुत
कम
Synonym: Scanty (adjective) – Insufficient in quantity or amount, meager, sparse, skimpy.
अपयाा ि
• Huge (adjective) – Extremely large, enormous, massive. विशाल
• Excessive (adjective) – More than necessary, extreme, undue. अत्यवधक
• Abundant (adjective) – Present in large quantities, plentiful, ample. प्रचुर
8. C) Abrogate (verb) – To cancel, abolish, annul, or repeal officially रद्द करना
Antonym: Uphold (verb) – To support, maintain, or defend something, especially a law or
principle समथान करना, बनाए रखना
• Abolish (verb) – To formally put an end to, terminate, annul समाि करना
• Revoke (verb) – To officially cancel or withdraw िापस लेना
• Annul (verb) – To declare invalid or cancel officially अमान्य करना
9. C) To chew the cud of reflection (idiom) – Pondering deeply गहराई से विचार करना
10. A) The correct spelling of the word is ‘Persiflage’ which means “light and slightly contemptuous
mockery or banter” — witty, clever, and verbally skillful talk. हल्की-फुल्की चुहलबाजी, मजावकया
बातचीत.
11. A) The correct spelling is ‘Causticity’ which means “the quality of being sarcastic in a bitter or
scathing way” तीखी व्यंग्यता, कटु ता.
12. C) Reformer
A Reformer is a person who advocates or supports change, especially improvements or
amendments in a system, society, or institution.
 Conservative means someone who prefers to maintain the existing conditions or
traditions.
 Radical refers to someone who desires extreme or fundamental changes, but it is not
the general term for a supporter of change.
 Constitutionalist means someone who supports a particular constitution or
constitutional government.
13. C) Antediluvian (adjective) – Extremely old-fashioned; belonging to a time before the biblical
flood अत्यंत प्राचीन, आवदकालीन
• Tale (noun) – a fictitious or true narrative or story, especially one that is imaginatively
recounted. कहानी, कथा
• Obsolete (adjective) – no longer in use or out of date. अप्रचवलत, पुराना
• Medieval (adjective) – relating to the Middle Ages; very old-fashioned (but later than
antediluvian). मध्ययुगीन, पुरातन
14. A) 'disregarded' का प्रयोग होगा क्ोंवक पूरे संदभा में िाक् यह बताता है वक मानिविज्ञानी
(anthropologist) की खोजें इतनी वििादास्पद (controversial) थी ं वक उन्हें प्रारं भ में अनदे खा कर वदया
गया। यहााँ "disregarded" का अथा है "नजरअंदाज वकया गया" या "गंभीरता से नहीं वलया गया", जो संदभा
के अनुरूप है ।
• ‘Disregarded’ should be used because in the entire context, the sentence conveys that
the anthropologist’s findings were so controversial that they were initially ignored. The

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word “disregarded” means “not considered important” or “ignored,” which fits the
meaning perfectly.
15. C) The alchemist failed to explain the simony in his formulas.
िाक् में ‘simony’ का अथा है — धावमाक पद या िरदान को धन दे कर खरीदने या बेचने का अपराध (the
buying or selling of church offices or spiritual benefits)।
अब हमें ऐसा िाक् चुनना है वजसमें ‘simony’ का समान उच्चारण िाला लेवकन अलग अथा िाला शब्द
(homonym) प्रयोग हुआ हो।
विकल्प C में ‘simony’ शब्द का प्रयोग रसायनशास्त्र या रासायवनक प्रविया (alchemy/chemistry) के
सन्दभा में हुआ है, जो पूरी तरह से वभन्न अथा दे ता है ।
यहााँ इसका प्रयोग ‘similar sounding’ लेवकन वभन्न अथा में है ।
इसवलए यह िाक् homonym का उदाहरण है ।
In the highlighted sentence, simony means the sin of buying or selling ecclesiastical privileges
or church offices.
In option C, simony is used with a different contextual meaning (as a supposed scientific or
alchemical term), unrelated to religion.
They share the same pronunciation and spelling, but their meanings differ, making them
homonyms.
16. C) 'of winning the match' के बदले प्रयोग होगा क्ोंवक adjective ‘confident’ के बाद preposition ‘of’
और gerund (verb + ing) का प्रयोग होता है ; जैसे— She is confident of passing the exam.
3) of winning the match
‘of winning the match’ is correct because after the adjective ‘confident’, the
preposition ‘of’ is followed by a gerund (verb + ing).
Example: She is confident of passing the exam.
17. B) 'He told me that I should work harder.'
Direct Speech को Indirect Speech में बदलते समय ‘said to’ को ‘told’ में बदला जाता है और उसके
बाद ‘that’ का प्रयोग वकया जाता है । Active िाक् में "He said to me" Reporting Clause है और “You
should work harder” Reported Speech है । Indirect में बदलने पर Pronoun “you” को “I” में बदला
गया है क्ोंवक Reporting Verb का Object “me” है ।
To convert Direct to Indirect Speech:
Remove the quotation marks.
Change the pronouns appropriately.
Use reporting verbs like "said" or "told" correctly.
Add the conjunction "that" to introduce the reported clause.
Adjust word order and tense if needed.
In this sentence:
Reporting clause: He said to me
Direct speech: “You should work harder.”
Changes made:
“You” changes to “I” because the speaker is reporting what was said to me.
“said to me” changes to “told me” because "tell" is used with an indirect object (me).

Add "that" before the reported clause.

Correct indirect speech:

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He told me that I should work harder. (Option 2)

18. A) 'The scientist said they had been working on that project for months.' का प्रयोग होगा क्ोंवक
Direct Speech में Reporting Verb “said” Past Tense में है और Reported Speech में Present Perfect
Continuous Tense “have been working” को Past Perfect Continuous “had been working” में
बदला गया है । साथ ही “this” को “that” में पररिवतात वकया गया है क्ोंवक यह Indirect Speech में
सामान्य वनयम है ।
To convert Direct to Indirect Speech:
Remove the quotation marks.
Change pronouns appropriately.
Shift the tense back one step because the reporting verb “said” is in the past tense.

Add the conjunction “that” to introduce the reported clause.

In this sentence:
Reporting clause: The scientist said
Direct speech: “We have been working on this project for months.”
Changes made:
“We” changes to “they”
Present Perfect Continuous “have been working” changes to Past Perfect Continuous
“had been working” due to the past reporting verb
“this project” changes to “that project”
Correct indirect speech:
The scientist said they had been working on that project for months. (Option 1)
19. C) “Only after the ceasefire will negotiations begin,” said the diplomat.
Indirect से Direct Speech में बदलने के वलए, 'that' को हटाया जाता है और िाक् को उद्धरण वचह्न (“ ”)
में वलखा जाता है । Reported Speech में जो Tense होता है , उसे Direct Speech के अनुसार बदला जाता
है । यहााँ "said that" को "said" में बदला गया है , और Indirect िाक् "only after the ceasefire would
negotiations begin" में 'would' (Past form of will) को Direct Speech में ितामान काल दशाा ने के वलए
'will' में बदला गया है । िाक् का िम भी सामान्य Direct शैली में लाया गया है ।
To convert Indirect to Direct Speech:
Remove the conjunction “that.”
Use quotation marks around the reported speech.
Change the word order to fit direct speech format, especially with inversion in
conditional or time clauses.
Keep the tense and modal verbs appropriate to the original meaning.
In this sentence:
Reporting clause: The diplomat said
Reported clause: that only after the ceasefire would negotiations begin.
Changes made:
Remove “that”
Change “would negotiations begin” to “will negotiations begin” to fit natural direct
speech tense/modal usage
Keep the phrase “Only after the ceasefire” at the beginning as in reported speech

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Add quotation marks

Correct direct speech:
“Only after the ceasefire will negotiations begin,” said the diplomat. (Option 3)
20. A) 2-3-1-4
2 starts the paragraph by introducing the initial step—proposing a basic framework.
3 follows as it explains that revisions are made after discussions on the proposed framework.
1 comes next, describing the finalization of the blueprint after stakeholder approval.
4 concludes the paragraph by mentioning the execution phase based on the approved plan.
 2 paragraph की शुरुआत करता है क्ोंवक यह पहला कदम—basic framework का प्रस्ताि—
बताता है ।
 3 इसके बाद आता है जो discussion के बाद संशोधन (revisions) को स्पष्ट करता है ।
 1 इसके बाद blueprint के finalization और stakeholder की मंजूरी को बताता है ।
 4 अंत में आता है जो approved plan के अनुसार कायाान्वयन (execution) को दशाा ता है ।
21. C) Sturdy सही है क्ोंवक sentence में glass bottles के बारे में बताया गया है वजन पर deposit वदया जाता
था और वजन्हें बार-बार wash और refill वकया जाता था। “Sturdy” का मतलब है strong और durable।
“Translucent” का मतलब है light pass होने दे ना, “Disposable” का मतलब है एक बार use करके फेंक
दे ना, और “Hypochondriac” एक व्यप्ति को कहते हैं जो अपनी health को लेकर ज़्यादा वचंवतत रहता है ।
 Sturdy is correct because the sentence refers to glass bottles that required a deposit
and were washed and refilled repeatedly. “Sturdy” means strong and durable, which
fits reusable glass bottles. “Translucent” means allowing light to pass through,
“Disposable” means meant to be thrown away after one use, and “Hypochondriac”
refers to a person who is excessively worried about health
22. C) Cherish सही है क्ोंवक sentence में बताया गया है वक long-time customers उन cases को बहुत
value दे ते हैं । “Cherish” का मतलब है deeply value करना या प्यार से संभाल कर रखना। “Impale” का
मतलब है वकसी को नुकीली चीज से भेद दे ना, “Modus operandi” का मतलब है काम करने का तरीका,
और “Nonplussed” का मतलब है confused या surprised।
 Cherish is correct because the sentence says long-time customers value those cases
deeply. “Cherish” means to value or hold something dear. “Impale” means to pierce
with a sharp object, “Modus operandi” means a method of working, and “Nonplussed”
means confused or surprised.
23. A) Foreseeable सही है क्ोंवक sentence कहता है वक future में bottles returnable नहीं होंगी।
“Foreseeable future” का मतलब है वनकट भविष्य वजसे हम अंदाजा लगा सकते हैं । “Rendezvous” का
मतलब है meeting, “Thoroughfare” का मतलब है main road, और “Tinsel” का मतलब है सजािट की
चमकीली पट्टी।
 Foreseeable is correct because the sentence refers to the “foreseeable future,”
meaning the near future that can be predicted. “Rendezvous” means a meeting,
“Thoroughfare” means a main road, and “Tinsel” refers to decorative shiny material.
24. B) Afield सही है क्ोंवक sentence में customers further ____ की बात है , यानी जो दू र रहते हैं ।
“Afield” का मतलब है away from home या दू र के स्थान पर। “Offshore” समुद्र के बाहर िाले क्षेत्र के
वलए होता है , “Whittle” का मतलब है काटकर छोटा करना, और “Precipice” का मतलब है खडी चट्टान
का वकनारा।

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 Foreseeable is correct because the sentence refers to the “foreseeable future,”

meaning the near future that can be predicted. “Rendezvous” means a meeting,
“Thoroughfare” means a main road, and “Tinsel” refers to decorative shiny material.
25. B) Recuperating सही है क्ोंवक Floyd Hartwig hospital bed पर थे और गोली लगने के बाद recovery
कर रहे थे। “Recuperating” का मतलब है recover करना या health िापस पाना। “Convalescing” भी
recovery का अथा दे ता है , लेवकन passage में original word “recuperating” है और िही expected
answer है । “Recalibrated” का मतलब है वफर से adjust करना, और “Camouflaged” का मतलब है
वछपाना।
 Recuperating is correct because Floyd Hartwig was in a hospital recovering after being
shot. “Recuperating” means recovering health and strength. “Convalescing” also means
recovering, but the correct word given in the passage is “recuperating.” “Recalibrated”
means adjusted again, and “Camouflaged” means hidden.

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