English Questions: Fill in the Blanks 67

Directions: Each sentence below is given with two blanks. Each question is followed by four options with two words in each. You have to select that option as your answer which can fill both the blanks of the sentence respectively.

1. a. Letting out a soft ____________, the janitor couldn’t help but laugh at the ___________ he overheard.
   b. My mother began to _____________ at the _____________ of the baby with the gardner in the garden.
   titter, soliloquy
   chuckle, conversation
   chortle, complementary
   cackle, trade
   All are correct
   Option B
   chuckle = laugh quietly or inwardly.

    

2. a. Management is hoping a supply of ______________ snacks and beverages will ______________ the employees in the afternoon.
   b. Hopefully the ____________ energy drink will _____________ him so that he could work all night on my paper.
   free, drain
   free, enfeeble
   free, invigorate
   free, enerate
   All are correct
   Option C
   invigorate = give strength or energy to.

    

3. a. Having money makes you happy is a _________________ because happiness has nothing to do with _______________ .
   b. Mark’s ______________ on the workings of the stock market caused us all to lose a great deal of _______________.
   delusion, wealth
   flaw, riches
   delicacy, loot
   fallacy, money
   All are correct
   Option D
   fallacy = a mistaken belief, especially one based on unsound arguments.

    

4. a. We expressed anger and _________________ when we arrived at the hotel after midnight and learned our hotel room had been given to another ________________.
   b. To the children’s ______________, there was not enough snow in the neighbouring ______________ yard to build a snowman.
   dread, people
   delight, clan
   encourage, kin
   dismay, family
   All are correct
   Option D
   dismay = concern and distress caused by something unexpected.

    

5. a. As a politician, Phil hates when reporters wait in ____________________ for an opportunity to pounce on him with their _________________.
   b. A suicide bomber waited in _______________ for the right opportunity to detonate his bomb, but was ________________ before he had the opportunity.
   snare, queries
   lurk, believes
   ambush, questions
   cessation, certainities
   All are correct
   Option C
   ambush = a surprise attack by people lying in wait in a concealed position.

    

6. a. The new swimmer had to __________________ in the deep end _______________ the lifeguard dragged him to safety.
   b. After it hit the iceberg, the Titanic was left to ________________ in the Atlantic Ocean _________________ it finally sank.
   lurch, before
   flourish, before
   coast, before
   flounder, before
   All are correct
   Option D
   flounder = struggle or stagger clumsily in mud or water.

    

7. a. If you want me to ________________ your point of view, you’re going to have to explain your _________________ to me in a way that I can understand.
   b. Despite my promise to _______________ him with his parents, he still didn’t trust me to tell them the ________________ which were behind the situation.
   acquit, certainities
   incriminate, entities
   criticize, facts
   vindicate, ideas
   All are correct
   Option D
   vindicate = clear (someone) of blame or suspicion.

    

8. a. Because the mistress wanted the man’s wife to find out about their affair, she tried to _________________ her red lip stick _________________ his collar.
   b. The baby used her fingers to ____________ paint all ______________ the paper.
   slander, beyond
   smudge, over
   smear, across
   dignity, against
   All are correct
   Option C
   smear = coat or mark (something) messily or carelessly with a greasy or sticky substance.

    

9. a. The plan to __________________ the historical church and build a strip mall is going to _______________ all the religious activists in the community.
   b. Because Heather has already _________________ everything around him, it will not take much to ______________ her and worsen her mood.
   tear down, rankle
   raze, appease
   edify, fret
   erect, aggravte
   All are correct
   Option A
   tear down = an act of completely dismantling something. rankle = (of a comment or fact) cause continuing annoyance or resentment.

    

10. a. The ______________ ______________by our principal is the reason our school is one of the best in the nation.
    b. Over the past three years, the ______________ ________________ by the company president has been unshakable.
    perception, masked
    dopiness, absorbed
    acumen, displayed
    fatuity, exposed
    All are correct
    Option C
    acumen = the ability to make good judgements and take quick decisions.