English Questions: Fill in the Blanks 141

Directions(1-5): The given sentence has two blanks, each blank indicating that something has been omitted. Choose the words that best fit the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

1. It is the digital world, ___________, non-locatable, seemingly free and floating, that beckons the way out of the ___________ of the human world.
   surety, impulse
   ephemeral, constraints
   spectators, prepare
   moviegoers, commence
   certainty, eventuate
   Option B
   ‘Ephemeral‘ refers to lasting for a very short time while ‘constraints ‘ means a limitation or restriction.

    

2. It was an excellent evening with people from all ________ of life getting a chance to let their hair _______.
   areas, drop
   realms, flowed
   area, undone
   walks, down
   types, loose
   Option D
   The phrase ‘all walks of life’ is used to refer to people who have many different jobs or positions in society. It is usually used with from. Also, the phrase ‘to let your hair down’ means to allow yourself to behave much more freely than usual and enjoy yourself.

    

3. Federal law _____ racial discrimination in the workplace because incidents of race discrimination can take many forms, however, in the workplace particularly they can be hard to _____.
   coax, decide
   prohibits, identify
   exhort, deem
   prompt, conjecture
   marks, deem
   Option B
   Prohibit means to formally forbid (something) by law, rule, or other authority.
   Identify means to establish or indicate who or what (someone or something) is.
   Prompt doesn’t fit in grammatically, hence option D can be eliminated.
   Coax means to persuade.
   Exhort means to encourage.

    

4. In an effort to provide ____________ for higher education to all, most of the universities have been providing education without adequate infrastructure thus churning out ___________ graduates every year.
   
   chances, fresh
   platform, capable
   opportunities, unemployable
   prospects, eligible
   policy, incompetent
   Option C
   

    

5. He was mainly using the account to _________ contact with Pakistan-based JeM terrorists and radicalise youths by sharing photographs and videos related to the _________ atrocities on Muslims in India.
   end, actual
   create, declared
   cancel, reputed
   terminate, real
   establish, alleged
   Option E
   Alleged means supposed.

    

Directions(6-10): Two sentences with one blank in each, followed by five alternatives, are given. Choose that option as the answer which can fill both the blanks of both the sentences.

6. A) The news, which was on the front page of every newspaper for the past few weeks,soon _______________ down.
   B) Some scientists say that, the dinosaurs which ruled the world once, ________________ out when a comet hit the earth and caused a nuclear winter.
   Wiped
   Taken
   Died
   Passed
   Snuffed
   Option C
   “Die down” is a phrasal verb. It means to gradually become less strong.
   “Die out” is a phrasal verb which means to ‘become extinct or disappear.’ It fits in the second sentence.

    

7. A) The company employs people to _______________ up debts.
   B) We had to _________________ down everyone we had sold the car to.
   Run
   Pile
   Chase
   Went
   Clean
   Option C
   In the first sentence, “chase up” is the correct phrase to be used. It means that the company employs people to look for and catch the debtors. “Chase down” is a phrasal verb which means to follow and catch (someone or something). It fits in the second sentence.

    

8. A) The sins of the ancestors were ________________ upon their descendants.
   B) Robin had a chance, so he __________________with his grandmother.
   Met
   Visited
   Looked
   Set
   Checked
   Option B
   The first sentence means that the sins of the ancestors were inflicted on the descendants. The phrase which also means the same is “visited upon”. “Visited with” is the correct phrase which fits in the second sentence.

    

9. A) Kohli was one run ______________ of a century when he got out.
   B) A responsible person should never _____________ away from taking responsibilities.
   Short
   Get
   Turn
   Miss
   Shy
   Option E
   “Shy of” means to have less than a particular amount of something. It fits perfectly in the first sentence.
   “Shy away” means to be unwilling to do something, because one is nervous, afraid, or not confident. It fits in the second sentence.

    

10. A) The price of onion ____________________ at least twofold in the last few months in various places of the country.
    B) He _________________ the situation first before going inside the boardroom for the yearly review of the company.
    Appreciated
    Raised
    Acknowledged
    Increased
    Escalated
    Option A
    According to sentence A, the price of onion increased heavily. But option D does not fit in the second sentence. Thus, the word that fits in the blank is “appreciated”. Appreciated means rise in value or price.
    Also, option A fits in the second sentence. Here, it means to understand (a situation) fully; grasp the full implications of some situation.