Govt Exams
This is irony (specifically verbal irony). Mud is unclear, so saying something is 'as clear as mud' means it's actually unclear—opposite of literal meaning.
Gregarious means fond of the company of others, or living in groups. It comes from 'grex' meaning flock.
Tactless (lacking sensitivity) fits the context of remarks that 'created controversy'. Other options suggest positive qualities.
'Each' is singular and requires 'is' instead of 'are'. The sentence should read 'Each of the students is required...'
Ameliorate means to make something better or improve it. It's the opposite of worsen.
Both instances need the definite article 'the': 'The elephant' (specific animal) and 'the largest' (superlative requires 'the').
While 'sanguine' originally relates to blood, in modern usage it means optimistic or hopeful about the future. This is the most commonly tested meaning in SSC exams.
Parallel structure requires all items in a list to have the same grammatical form. Option B uses infinitives consistently: 'to read, to write, to paint'.
This is irony—saying the explanation is clear when it's actually the opposite (mud is unclear). It's also a simile, but the primary device is irony.
'Neither' is singular and takes a singular verb. The correct form is 'is acceptable'.