SSC CGL 2025 Tier-II · Paper-I, 19 January 2026 · English Language and Comprehension · Question 45 of 150

We transcribed this text from the pictures of a candidate's response sheet for this paper; the answer is the key SSC marked with a green tick on that sheet. Solution last reviewed 11 September 2026.

Where this paper and its answers come from

SSC does not publish CGL question papers or a public answer key. This paper reaches us as a candidate's response sheet saved as pictures, so we transcribed the text from those pictures, and a second reader checked every question against them; where the layout carries meaning, we show the picture too. Each answer is the key SSC marked with a green tick on that sheet. SSC released a tentative key for challenge and later its final one, both only to candidates behind a login, and the sheet does not say which of the two it carries. UnlockIAS wrote the solutions.

In the following question, some of the words in the passage have been left out. Read the passage carefully and choose the correct word for each blank, out of the four alternatives and fill in the blanks.
After falling consistently __________ (1) the U.S. dollar for a major part of the year, the rupee has __________ (2) somewhat over the last few weeks. It has risen by almost 5% from its lowest levels __________ (3) in October. Even with this recent improvement, the rupee is still down about 11% since the start of the year. The rupee’s performance has been closely _________ (4) to global crude oil prices. This makes sense, as imported oil accounts for about 80% of India’s total demand. The value of the rupee dropped when oil prices climbed earlier this year, a trend that lasted until early October. Since then, as global crude prices have fallen, the rupee has __________ (5) against the dollar.

What should come in blank (5) ?

(a)strengthened
(b)tandem
(c)culture
(d)relating

Answer

Why

Correct — A. The passage states the link: 'The value of the rupee dropped when oil prices climbed earlier this year'. Oil up, rupee down.

The blank's sentence reverses the cause: 'as global crude prices have fallen'. So the rupee moves the other way and gains value.

After 'has', that gain needs a past participle: has strengthened against the dollar → option (a).

Why the others are wrong

(b)
tandem — Tandem is a noun, used in the phrase 'in tandem', meaning together. 'The rupee has tandem' has no verb, and the phrase would need 'in'.
(c)
culture — Culture is a noun with no link to exchange rates. 'Has culture against the dollar' gives the rupee no movement at all.
(d)
relating — Relating is a present participle, and 'has' needs a past participle — 'has related'. Even that would not say which way the rupee moved.

Concept

This blank is decided by cause and effect across sentences. The passage first sets up the pattern — oil prices climbed, the rupee dropped — then reverses the cause: crude prices have fallen.

A reversed cause gives a reversed effect, so the rupee has gained in value: it has strengthened.

Grammar agrees. 'Has' needs a past participle, which strengthened is, and tandem, culture and relating are not.

Key facts

In the passage, the rupee dropped while oil prices climbed, a trend that lasted until early October.
A currency strengthens against another when it gains value relative to it.
In tandem means together, at the same time.

Study next

Cause-and-effect reading across sentences in a cloze passageCurrency verbs: strengthen, weaken, appreciate, depreciateFixed phrases built on nouns: in tandem, in line with, in keeping with

Common traps

Choosing 'tandem' from the idea that the rupee moves in tandem with oil — the passage says it moves the opposite way, and 'has tandem' is not English.
Missing the direction: in this passage, falling oil prices go with a rising rupee.

Blank (1) of this passage, 19 Jan 2026, 11:00 AM, English Q.41, sets up the same comparison: the rupee falling 'against' the U.S. dollar.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: Cloze test — all 185 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.

In the following question, some of the words in the passage have been left out. Read the passage carefully and choose the correct word for each blank, out of the four alternatives and fill in the blanks.
After falling consistently __________ (1) the U.S. dollar for a major part of the year, the rupee has __________ (2) somewhat over the last few weeks. It has risen by almost 5% from its lowest levels __________ (3) in October. Even with this recent improvement, the rupee is still down about 11% since the start of the year. The rupee’s performance has been closely _________ (4) to global crude oil prices. This makes sense, as imported oil accounts for about 80% of India’s total demand. The value of the rupee dropped when oil prices climbed earlier this year, a trend that lasted until early October. Since then, as global crude prices have fallen, the rupee has __________ (5) against the dollar.