Directions : Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow…
2023
Directions : Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow by selecting the correct/most appropriate option.
“Let’s go! We are going to be late!” shouted Glen gleefully as he tightened his schoolbag on his back. Three other faces broke into a smile upon hearing his words. They could not wait to soak their feet in the water and perhaps catch a small fish or two, just for kicks. They were clearly not heading towards where they should be — school. The cold imposing white building became smaller and smaller. Their little hearts grew braver by the minute. They knew exactly where to go.
The canal was huge but that morning, there was only a small lazy stream of dirty water in it. With great gusto, Glen, the leader of the pack, hoisted himself over the railings and climbed down the huge monsoon drain. In the process, he got himself very dirty, but the excitement of truancy was too great to be bothered by some loose buttons and tears in his shirt.
In a fraction of seconds, the other boys joined him. Soon, screams and laughter of delight reverberated into the air but no one else could hear them for they had chosen a canal that was far from anyone. Glen spied many tiny fish darting to and fro in the murky water. They had no economical value and were practically worthless but nevertheless, the thrill of catching them bare-handed was priceless. Glen raced after an extra fat one. He plunged his hands to grab it only to have it slip between the cracks of his fingers.
Complete the word analogy :
imposing : impressive :: truancy : ?
- A.
foolhardiness
- B.
absenteeism
- C.
lying
- D.
play-acting
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
A word-analogy question requires you to first identify the exact relationship between the given pair of words, then apply that identical relationship to complete the second pair. Here, “imposing” and “impressive” are synonyms — both describe something grand or striking — so the missing word must likewise be a synonym of the second given word.
“Truancy” specifically names the act of habitually staying away from school without permission. The word that carries this same meaning — unauthorized, repeated absence — is “absenteeism,” so it completes the synonym pattern set up by imposing : impressive.
Foolhardiness names reckless, rash boldness — a personality trait, not the act of staying away from school — so it does not carry the meaning the analogy needs.
Lying names the act of telling falsehoods — a form of deception, not absence — so it does not fit the required synonym relationship.
Play-acting names pretending or performing a role — a form of make-believe, not absence — so it too fails to match the meaning truancy carries.
Checking the reverse direction confirms it: substituting impressive for imposing does not change the sense of the first pair (both mean grand or striking); substituting absenteeism for truancy likewise preserves the sense (both mean unauthorized, repeated absence from school) — confirming the analogy holds only with this pairing.