Aptitude GATE previous year questions with answer

• The first part of the sentence, "He could not understand the judges awarding her the first prize," indicates a sense of confusion or disagreement with the judges' decision.
• The word "because" introduces the reason for this lack of understanding.
• Therefore, the missing word must describe a performance that is subpar or not good enough to win the first prize.

Evaluate Each Option:
• A) superb: "Superb" means excellent or outstanding. If her performance was superb, he would understand or agree with her getting the first prize. This contradicts the sentence.
• B) medium: "Medium" means average. While an average performance might not win first prize, it doesn't carry the strong negative connotation that would cause someone to "not understand" the decision in such a definitive way.
• C) mediocre: "Mediocre" means of only moderate quality; not very good. This word strongly implies a performance that is distinctly unworthy of a top award like the first prize. This fits perfectly with the sentiment of not understanding why she won.
• D) exhilarating: "Exhilarating" means exciting or thrilling. An exhilarating performance would be a positive attribute and would be a reason *for* her to win, not a reason for him to *not understand* her winning. This contradicts the sentence.

Conclusion:
The word that best expresses a performance unworthy of a first prize, thereby explaining his inability to understand the judges' decision, is "mediocre."

The phrase is "cope with varied environmental conditions."
• "Cope with" means to deal effectively with something difficult or challenging; to manage, handle, or contend with. In the context of life forms and environmental conditions, it implies the ability to survive and function despite difficulties presented by the environment.

Options:
• A) adopt to
    • "Adopt" means to take on or choose something as one's own (e.g., adopt a child, adopt a new strategy). The phrasing "adopt to" is not standard English and does not convey the meaning of dealing with a challenge.
• B) adapt to
    • "Adapt to" means to adjust to new conditions, to become suited to a new situation, or to modify oneself or something else to fit new circumstances. This meaning strongly aligns with how life forms survive in different environments, by undergoing changes or developing characteristics that allow them to deal with those conditions effectively.
• C) adept in
    • "Adept" is an adjective meaning very skilled or proficient at something. "Adept in" means skilled in a particular area (e.g., adept in coding). While life forms might be 'adept' at surviving, "adept in" is not a verb phrase that captures the active process of dealing with conditions, nor is it grammatically similar to "cope with."
• D) accept with
    • "Accept" means to receive something willingly or to agree to something. "Accept with" is not a common or natural phrasing in this context. While one might accept conditions, "cope with" implies a more active struggle or management of difficult situations, rather than simple acceptance.

Conclusion:
Comparing the options, "adapt to" is the closest in meaning to "cope with" as it correctly describes the process of adjusting and making oneself suitable to manage different environmental conditions.