NDA (I) 2017 General Ability Test · Question 17 of 149

Correct — A, 'opposed'. To counter something is to act against it in order to check it, which is what 'opposed' states. The sentence sets good tendencies directly against bad ones until the evil disappears, and that working-against is the sense the underlined word carries.

• (b)balanced — Balancing leaves both sides standing in equilibrium, yet the sentence says the evil is to disappear altogether.
• (c)reduced — Reducing names the result that is hoped for, not the act of setting one force against another.
• (d)bypassed — Bypassing means going round something and leaving it untouched, which is the reverse of confronting it.

'Counter' as a verb means to act in opposition to something so as to check or neutralise it.

'Balanced' is the tempting choice because 'counterbalance' is such a familiar word. Reading to the end of the sentence settles it — the aim stated is that all that is evil disappears, so the good tendencies are opposing the bad rather than holding them in equilibrium.

• 'Counter' as a verb means to speak or act against something.
• 'Counterbalance' means to offset with an equal force, a narrower idea.
• The clause 'until all that is evil disappears' names a total outcome, not a standoff.

• Choosing 'balanced' by association with 'counterbalance'.
• Confusing the intended result with the action being described.

Asked as a synonym item — choose the word or group of words most similar in meaning to the underlined word.

No directly related past PYQ was found.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Choose the word nearest in meaning to 'counter' used as a verb.

  • (a)assist
  • (b)oppose
  • (c)ignore
  • (d)repeat

  Answer(b) oppose — to counter is to act against something.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Choose the word nearest in meaning to 'counteract'.

  • (a)worsen
  • (b)neutralise
  • (c)postpone
  • (d)permit

  Answer(b) neutralise — to counteract is to act against an effect so as to cancel it.