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SSC CGL 2025 PYQ — Question 25

SSC CGL - 21 Sep 2025 - Shift 3 • English • Q25

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Read the passage and answer the questions:

The annals of mountaineering history are adorned with figures whose daring transcended mere athleticism, embodying philosophical quests for transcendence against Earth’s most formidable landscapes. Each mountaineer — whether treading the snows of Everest, the granite of Patagonia, or the arid heights of the Atlas Mountains — etched a distinct narrative of audacity and introspection.

'Tenzing Norgay' and 'Sir Edmund Hillary’s' epochal 1953 Everest ascent immortalized human perseverance, but figures such as 'Reinhold Messner' redefined the boundaries further. Rejecting supplemental oxygen, Messner’s minimalist ethos emphasized purity over conquest, portraying mountains not as trophies but as sentient entities commanding reverence. Similarly, 'Junko Tabei', the first woman to summit Everest, symbolized the intersection of resilience and quiet defiance in an era resistant to female adventurers.

The ethos of mountaineering diversified through the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Climbers like 'Kilian Jornet', blending ultra-marathon endurance with technical ascents, and 'Nirmal Purja', whose record-breaking summits shattered temporal assumptions, reveal a contemporary paradigm: mountains as arenas of rapid, almost transcendental athleticism. Meanwhile, indigenous climbers, long relegated to footnotes in expedition histories, increasingly assert their rightful place as stewards of sacred peaks.

Thus, the saga of mountaineering resists reduction to mere feats of strength. It weaves a tapestry of cultures, philosophies, and personal odysseys — each ascent a dialectic between human fragility and the immutable majesty of the mountains.

In the sentence: '

The annals of mountaineering history are adorned with figures whose daring transcended mere athleticism...'?

What is the grammatical role of the clause

'whose daring transcended mere athleticism'

 

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A

Explanation

The correct answer is option 1 i.e. Adjective clause modifying 'figures'.

 

Grammatical Analysis:

  • The Clause: 'whose daring transcended mere athleticism'

  • The Antecedent: 'figures' (the noun sitting right before the clause).

Why it is an Adjective Clause: An adjective clause (also known as a relative clause) functions as an adjective by providing additional information about a noun or pronoun. In this sentence, the clause describes which 'figures' the author is talking about—specifically, those whose bravery went beyond simple physical ability.

Breakdown of the Clause:

  • Whose: This is a relative pronoun (possessive form). It connects the clause to the noun 'figures' and shows possession (the daring of the figures).

  • Daring: The subject of the clause.

  • Transcended: The verb of the clause.

  • Mere athleticism: The object of the clause.

Hence, the chosen option is correct.