The given sentence is in Direct Speech.

The given sentence is in Direct Speech because it quotes actual words. Therefore, it must be changed into Indirect Speech.

We notice that the reporting verb is in the Past tense (‘said’). Hence, a change will be made in the tense of the reported speech.

Also, the first person of the reported speech is changed according to the subject of reporting speech.

In the given question, the pronoun ‘my’ is changed to ‘his’ and ‘is’ is changed to ‘was’.

Therefore, the sentence in Indirect Speech will be:

Shubham told me that his mother was an entrepreneur.

Hence, option B is the correct answer.

The meanings of the words are:

• Theorist: a person concerned with the theoretical aspects of a subject; a theoretician.

• Theologian: a person who studies God and religion.

• Atheist: a person who disbelieves or lacks belief in the existence of God or gods.

• Theist: a person who believes in the existence of a god or gods, specifically of a creator who intervenes in the universe.

Hence, option B is the correct answer.

Option B has the incorrectly spelt word as 'malecious'. Its correct spelling is 'malicious' which means marked by deep ill will; deliberately harmful.

The meanings of other words are :- 

Meanwhile = at the same time but in another place.

Marvelous = extraordinarily good or great; used especially as an intensifier.

Mercenary = a person hired to fight for another country than their own.

The idiom 'have an axe to grind' means to have a private or selfish reason for doing or being involved in something. Thus, option D is the correct answer.

• The sentence starts with a negative tone, so a negative word will be used in the sentence.
• In conventional English, some small sentences start with "neither, nor, so etc".
• It is done to indicate that the second situation is similar to the one described earlier.
• In such sentences starting with "neither, no, so", we use the inversion rule.
  It means that the verb is used before the subject. 
  e.g. He went there. So did I.
  e.g. He did not go there. Neither did I.
• Thus, 'neither' is the correct word for the blank. 

Hence, option D is the correct answer.

Let's understand the meaning of the given words :-

Potent = having a strong effect on one’s body or mind OR being powerful.

E.g.:- This is the most potent headache remedy you can get without a prescription.

Powerful = being able to control and influence people and events.

E.g.:- She's the most powerful person in the organization.

Beautiful = having beauty; giving pleasure to the sense or to the mind.

Graceful = moving in an attractive way that shows control.

Wonderful = very good, pleasant.

Hence, option A is the correct answer.

Let's understand the meaning of the given words:

Barren= land or soil that is not good enough for plants to grow on it.

E.g.: We saw a barren landscape without a scrap of vegetation.

Fertile = land or soil in which plants grow well.

E.g.: Whole tracts of country, once fertile, have become arid.

Empty = with no people or things inside.

Vacant = empty

Clear= easy to understand and not confusing.

Hence, option A is the correct answer.

The given sentence is in the active form. It is in the simple past tense.

The structures for active/passive voices are:

Active: Subject + verb (IInd form) + object...

Passive: Object + was/were + verb (IIIrd form) + by + subject...

So, with the help of the above structures, we can convert the given sentence into passive voice: My hand was burnt yesterday while cooking

Hence, option C is the correct answer.

Gang= an organized group of criminals.

Troop= a large group of people or animals.

Caravan= a large vehicle that is pulled by a car. You can sleep, cook, etc. in a caravan when you are travelling or on holiday.

Circus= a show performed in a large tent by a company of people and animals.

Hence, option C is the correct answer.

Option A has the incorrectly spelt word. The correct spelling is "argument" which means an exchange of diverging or opposite views, typically a heated or angry one.

Other words with their correct spellings and meanings:

Installment = a sum of money due as one of several equal payments for something, spread over an agreed period of time.

Frequent = occurring or done many times at short intervals.

Element = an essential or characteristic part of something abstract.