Clat-2019-English-Solution-6
29.
I can‘t work on this assignment anymore!
I think I have ——————.
(A)
broken the ice (B)
added insult to injury
(C) chewed
cud (D) bitten off more than I can chew
Solution
& Explanation: Option (D)
Bitten
off more than I can chew- If you
say that someone has bitten off more than they can
chew, you mean that they are trying to do something which
is too difficult for them. He bought the old hotel but soon realized he
had bitten off more than he could chew.
Wrong Options:
(A) Broken the ice-
To create a more friendly and
relaxed atmosphere. If you break the ice at a party or
meeting, or in a new situation, you say or do something to make people feel
relaxed and comfortable.
(B) Added
insult to injury- To add insult to injury means
to make a bad situation worse by adding on to the bad situation with more
problems, humiliation, or scorn. The phrase 'add insult to injury' is
used in a situation when something happened or was said that upset you, after
you've already been upset about something else.
(C) Chewed cud- To think slowly and carefully about something. Partially digested food regurgitated
from the first stomach of cattle and other ruminants to the mouth for a
second chewing. Chew the cud to
reflect or think over something.
30.
I‘m a historian. I‘m a ——————
in this seminar
on robots!
(A)
drop in the bucket (B)
fish out of water
(C)
fly in the ointment (D)
fly on the wall
Solution
& Explanation: Option (B)
Fish
out of water- If you feel
like a fish out of water, you do not feel comfortable or relaxed
because you are in an unusual or unfamiliar situation. When you say that
something does or does not 'hold water',
it means that the point of view or argument put forward is or
is not sound, strong or logical.
Wrong Options:
(A) Drop
in the bucket- An effort
or action having very little overall influence, especially as compared to a
huge problem. 'A Drop in the Bucket' refers to a very small or
unimportant amount.
(C) Fly
in the ointment- A fly
in the ointment describes something slightly irritating that ruins the
overall picture, the enjoyment or success of a situation. A fly in the
ointment is a minor drawback that keeps someone from proclaiming a
complete success. The phrase fly in the ointment is an
idiomatic expression for a drawback, especially one that was not at first
apparent.
(D) Fly
on the wall- An unnoticed observer of a particular situation. If
you say that you would like to be a fly on the wall on an
occasion, you mean that you would like to hear what will be
said or see what will happen while not being noticed
Directions for Questions 31 to 40: The questions in this section are based on what is stated or implied in the passage given below. For each question, choose the option that most accurately and completely answers the question.
The words invention and Innovation are closely linked,
but they are not interchangeable. The inventor is a genius who uses his intellect,
imagination, time and resources to create something that does not exist. But this invention may or may not be of utility
to the masses. It is the enterprising innovator
who uses various
resources, skills and time to make the invention available for use.
The innovator might
use the invention as it is,
modify it or even
blend two or more inventions to make one marketable product. A great example
is that of the
iPhone which is a combination of various inventions.
If
an invention is the result of countless trials and errors, so can be the case
with an innovation. Not every attempt
to make an invention is successful. Not every innovation sees the light of the day.
Benjamin Franklin had the belief
that success doesn‘t
come without challenge, mistake,
and in a few cases failure.
One of the world‘s most
famous innovators, Steve
Jobs says, ―Sometimes when you innovate, you make
mistakes. It is best to admit them
quickly and get on with improving your
other innovations.‖
Thus, inventors and innovators have
to be intrepid enough to take risks;
consider failures as stepping stones and not stumbling blocks.
Some inventions are the result of a keen observation or a simple
discovery. The inventor
of Velcro, also called
the zipless zipper,
is the Swiss engineer George
de Mestral. He was hiking in the woods when
he found burrs clinging to his clothes
and his dog‘s
fur. Back at home, he studied the burrs. He discovered that
each burr was
a collection of tiny hooks
which made it cling on to another
object. A few years later,
he made and patented the strips of fabric that came to us as Velcro.
The world of inventions and innovations is a competitive one. But the race does
not end here; it is also prevalent
in the case of getting
intellectual property rights.
There have been inventors who failed to get a single patent
while there have
been some who
managed to amass numerous patents
in their lifetime. Thomas Edison had 1,093 patents
to his credit!
We relate
the telephone with
Alexander Graham Bell.
It is believed that around
the same time, Antonio
Meucci had also
designed the telephone, but due to lack of resources and various hardships, he could
not proceed with
the patent of his invention. It is also
believed that Elisha Gray had made
a design for the telephone and applied for the patent
at the U.S. patent office on the same day as Graham Bell did. By sheer chance, Graham‘s
lawyer‘s turn to file
the papers came
first. Hence, Graham
was granted the
first patent for the telephone.
It is not easy,
and at times
almost impossible, for an inventor
to be an innovator too.
There are very few like Thomas
Edison who graduated
from being an incredible inventor
to a successful manufacturer and businessman with
brilliant marketing skills.
While innovations that have helped
to enhance the quality of life are laudable, equally laudable are the inventions that laid the foundation of these very
innovations.
