General English and Comprehension Flashcards

Read the passage: 'An officer's first duty is to his mission; his second is to his men. He who inverts this order may save lives in the short term but will ultimately fail both.' What is the main argument of this passage?

Answer: Mission accomplishment should take precedence, as it ultimately serves the troops better.

The passage argues that placing mission first is the correct order of priorities, as inverting it leads to ultimate failure of both goals.

Which of the following words is spelled correctly?

Answer: Surveillance

'Surveillance' is the correctly spelled word; the others have spelling errors (occurrence, necessary, accommodate).

Choose the sentence that uses the correct form of the word in parentheses: The officer maintained his ________ (compose) throughout the debriefing.

Answer: composure

The sentence requires a noun after 'his'; 'composure' is the noun form meaning calmness and self-control.

What does the phrase 'a Pyrrhic victory' mean?

Answer: A victory that costs so much it equates to defeat

A Pyrrhic victory is one where the winner suffers such devastating losses that the win is tantamount to defeat, named after King Pyrrhus of Epirus.

Identify the correctly written sentence:

Answer: Between you and me, the mission plan has serious flaws.

After the preposition 'between,' the objective case 'me' is required, not the subjective 'I' or reflexive 'myself.'

Which literary device is used in the phrase: 'The battlefield fell silent as a grave'?

Answer: Simile

A simile makes a comparison using 'as' or 'like'; 'silent as a grave' compares the battlefield to a grave using 'as.'

The word 'insubordination' in a military context means:

Answer: Defiance of authority or refusal to obey orders

Insubordination refers to defiance of authority or refusal to obey orders, which is a serious breach of military discipline.