Cloze Test Questions for SSC Selection Post Phase 14 Exam: Practice Now

Are you preparing for the upcoming SSC Selection Post Phase 14 exam? If yes, then you already know that the English Language section plays a massive role in your final merit list. Out of the 25 English questions, the “Cloze Test” alone can give you 5 direct marks. Many students, especially those from a Hindi medium background, feel very scared when they see a long English paragraph with blank spaces. They think they need to read heavy English newspapers or memorize thousands of grammar rules to solve it. But here is the truth: the SSC board only checks your basic reading habits and common sense. If you understand the simple story of the paragraph, you can easily grab these free marks. To make your preparation super easy, we have explained this topic in the simplest words and provided real exam-level questions below.

What is a Cloze Test? (Explained in Simple Words)

You do not need to open thick grammar books to understand this. A Cloze Test is simply a “Fill in the Blanks” game built inside a short story.

In the exam hall, you will see a small paragraph. It can be a simple story or a basic article about the environment, health, or society. However, 5 words will be missing from this paragraph. Blank spaces with numbers (like 1, 2, 3) will be placed there. For every blank space, the examiner will give you 4 options below the paragraph.

Your job is very simple: You just have to read the paragraph, understand what the story is trying to say, and choose the correct word from the options that perfectly fits the blank space. It checks two basic things:

1. Your Grammar: For example, if the story happened yesterday, you have to choose a past-tense word (like went, not go).
2. Your Vocabulary: Picking the word that makes the best sense in that particular sentence.

Important Cloze Test Questions for SSC Phase 14

Now you know the basics of a cloze test, but reading theory is not enough. To score full marks, you must practice real exam-level questions. Grab a pen, read the passage, and solve these blanks below.

Passage 1 (Questions 1 to 5)

Direction: Read the following passage carefully. Some words have been deleted. Fill in the blanks with the help of the options given below.

Trees are very important for our survival. They give us oxygen to breathe and (1) ______ the air. But today, humans are cutting down trees at a very fast (2) ______. This continuous cutting of trees is called (3) ______. If we do not stop this, our planet will soon become very (4) ______ and dry. We must plant more trees to save our (5) ______.

Q1. Select the most appropriate option for blank No. 1.

(A) dirty
(B) clean
(C) pollute
(D) mix

Answer: (B) clean

Explanation: Trees do good things for us. They give oxygen and “clean” the air. ‘Dirty’ or ‘pollute’ are negative words.

Q2. Select the most appropriate option for blank No. 2.

(A) time
(B) rate
(C) age
(D) limit

Answer: (B) rate

Explanation: When something is happening at a fast speed, we say it is happening at a fast “rate.”

Q3. Select the most appropriate option for blank No. 3.

(A) deforestation
(B) plantation
(C) farming
(D) watering

Answer: (A) deforestation

Explanation: The act of cutting down trees continuously is called “deforestation.” ‘Plantation’ is the opposite (planting trees).

Q4. Select the most appropriate option for blank No. 4.

(A) cold
(B) rich
(C) hot
(D) wet

Answer: (C) hot

Explanation: Without trees, there will be no rain, and the earth will become very “hot” and dry.

Q5. Select the most appropriate option for blank No. 5.

(A) future
(B) past
(C) sky
(D) moon

Answer: (A) future

Explanation: We plant trees today so that our tomorrow is safe. So, we do it to save our “future.”

A healthy diet is the key to a good life. Eating fresh fruits and green vegetables (6) ______ our body strong. Many young people today prefer eating fast food, which is very (7) ______ for their health. This junk food has a lot of oil and sugar, which causes (8) ______ like obesity. To stay fit, one should also drink plenty of (9) ______ every day. Good habits formed today will give long-term (10) ______ in old age.

Passage 2 (Questions 6 to 10)

Direction: Read the following passage carefully. Some words have been deleted. Fill in the blanks with the help of the options given below.

Q6. Select the most appropriate option for blank No. 6.

(A) makes
(B) breaks
(C) stops
(D) looks

Answer: (A) makes

Explanation: Eating good food “makes” our body strong. This is a simple present tense sentence.

Q7. Select the most appropriate option for blank No. 7.

(A) useful
(B) safe
(C) harmful
(D) tasty

Answer: (C) harmful

Explanation: Fast food is bad for the body. The correct English word for bad or dangerous is “harmful.”

Q8. Select the most appropriate option for blank No. 8.

(A) happiness
(B) diseases
(C) fitness
(D) money

Answer: (B) diseases

Explanation: Junk food causes sickness. Obesity is a sickness. The word for sickness is “diseases.”

Q9. Select the most appropriate option for blank No. 9.

(A) milk
(B) juice
(C) water
(D) cold drinks

Answer: (C) water

Explanation: For general daily fitness, the most common advice is to drink plenty of “water.”

Q10. Select the most appropriate option for blank No. 10.

(A) pain
(B) loss
(C) benefits
(D) trouble

Answer: (C) benefits

Explanation: Good habits will always give you good results later. The correct word for good results is “benefits” (fayda).

4 Simple Tips to Prepare Cloze Test for SSC Phase 14

You do not need a master’s degree in English to score full marks in a Cloze Test. Just keep a cool head and follow these easy tips:

• Read the Full Passage First: This is the biggest mistake students make! Never start answering from the very first blank. Always read the whole paragraph from start to end without looking at the options. This will tell you the main “story” and whether the tone is positive, negative, past, or present.
• Use the Elimination Trick: If you do not know the exact answer, read the options and remove the wrong ones. For example, if the sentence is happy, you can cross out all the sad or negative words from the options.
• Check the Grammar: Look at the words just before and after the blank. If the sentence is talking about yesterday, pick the past tense word from the options. If the blank is after “to”, mostly a V1 (first form of verb) will be used.
• Read Simple English Daily: The best way to master Cloze Tests is to read daily. You do not need to read tough newspapers like The Hindu. Just read simple 8th or 10th-level English storybooks or basic news articles for 15 minutes daily.

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FAQs: Cloze Test Questions for SSC Phase 14 Exam

1. Is the Cloze Test topic difficult in the SSC Selection Post Phase 14 exam?

No, not at all! The English section is generally of the 10th (Matriculation) or 12th (Higher Secondary) level. The Cloze Test paragraphs are usually based on simple daily life stories, environment, or social issues.

2. How many Cloze Test questions can I expect in the exam?

You can comfortably expect a single passage with 5 blanks, meaning a total of 5 direct questions just from this one topic!

3. Do I need to memorize heavy vocabulary books for this?

Absolutely not! SSC asks very basic daily-use words in the options. If you understand basic English sentences, you can solve 80% of the questions by pure common sense.

4. Should I read the questions first or the paragraph?

Always read the full paragraph first. Quickly reading the paragraph gives you the hidden theme. Once you know what the story is about, picking the right words becomes super easy.

5. Is there a negative marking for wrong English answers?

Yes, there is a negative marking of 0.50 marks for every wrong answer in the SSC Selection Post Phase 14 exam. Do not guess blindly if you have zero idea about the blank.

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