SSC CGL 2023 PYQ — Question 103

SSC CGL Tier II - 7 March 2023 - Shift 1 • English • Q103

Read the following passage and answer the questions given after it. 
Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled 
around campfires in the bitter cold and clamoured for food and water on Thursday, three days 
after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria and killed more than 19,300 on Monday, 6th February, 
2023. 
Emergency crews used pick axes, shovels and jackhammers to dig through twisted metal and 
concrete - and occasionally still pulled out survivors. 
In the Turkish city of Antakya, dozens scrambled for aid in front of a truck distributing 
children's coats and other supplies. Many of those who lost their homes found shelter in tents, 
stadiums and other temporary accommodation, but others slept outdoors. 
In Antakya, over 100 bodies were awaiting identification in a makeshift morgue outside a 
hospital. 
Authorities called off search-and-rescue operations in the cities of Kilis and Sanliurfa, where 
destruction was not as severe as in other impacted regions. 
The U.N. is authorised to deliver aid through only one border crossing, and road damage has 
prevented that thus far. U.N. Officials pleaded for humanitarian concerns to take precedence 
over wartime politics. 
The scale of loss and suffering remained massive. Turkish authorities said on Thursday that 
the death toll had risen to more than 16,100 in the country, with more than 64,000 injured. 
In Syria, which includes government-held and rebel-held areas, more than 3,100 have been 
reported dead and more than 5,000 injured. 
Rescue teams urged quiet in the hope of hearing stifled pleas for help, and the Syrian 
paramedic group known as the White Helmets noted that every second could mean saving a 
life. But more and more often, the teams pulled out dead bodies. 
It was not clear how many people were still unaccounted for in both countries. 
Turkey's disaster-management agency said more than 110,000 rescue personnel were now 
taking part in the effort and more than 5,500 vehicles, including tractors, cranes, bulldozers 
and excavators had been shipped. 
The Foreign Ministry said 95 countries have offered help. More than half of that number have 
sent a total of nearly 6,500 rescuers. Another 2,400 more are still expected to arrive. 
International aid for Syria was far more sparse. 
Efforts there have been hampered by the civil war and the isolation of the rebel-held region 
along the border that is surrounded by Russia-backed government forces.
 

Match the words with their meaning. 
Words meanings 
a. clamoured 1. checked 
b. scrambled 2. screamed 
c. hampered 3. jostled
 

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A

Explanation

The correct answer is a-2, b-3, c-1 i.e. option 1.

 

  • "Clamoured" means to make a loud and noisy demand or protest. 
  • "Scrambled" can have multiple meanings, but in the context provided, it means to move quickly and with difficulty, in a disordered or chaotic manner.
  • "Hampered" means to hinde or restrict the progress and movement of something.