SSC CPO 4 July 2017 Afternoon Shift

In the following passage some of the words have been left out. Read the passage carefully and select the correct answer for the given blank out of the four alternatives.
Science is both a blessing and a _____. While it has given us many things which have made life better and _____, it has also given terrible instruments of _____. Science has discovered and invented many things to _____ pain and cure terrible diseases. These discoveries have enabled man to live a longer and _____ life.

A passage is given with five questions following it. Read the passage carefully and select the best answer to each question out of the given four alternatives.
Corruption is not a new phenomenon in India. It has been prevalent in society since ancient times. History reveals that it was present even in the Mauryan period. Great scholar, Kautilya, mentions the pressure of forty types of corruption in his contemporary society. It was practised even in Mughal and Sultanate period. When the East India Company took control of the country, corruption reached new height. Corruption in India has become so common that people now are averse to thinking of public life with it. Corruption has been defined variously by scholars. But the simple meaning of it is that corruption implies perversion of morality, integrity, character or duty out of mercenary motives, i.e. bribery, without any regard to honour, right and justice. In other words, undue favour for any one for some monetary or other gains is corruption. Simultaneously, depriving the genuinely deserving from their right or privilege is also a corrupt practice. Shrinking from one's duty or dereliction of duty are also forms of corruption. Besides, thefts, wastage of public property constitute varieties of corruption. Dishonesty, exploitation, malpractices, scams and scandals are various manifestations of corruption.