Each of the questions below contains one or more blank spaces, each blank…
2024
Each of the questions below contains one or more blank spaces, each blank space indicating an omitted word or phrase. Beneath the sentence are four words or set of words. Choose the word or set of words for each blank space that best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.
Psychologists agree that human beings have a strong need to ..............their time; having too much idle time can be as stressful as having none at all.
- A.
compartmentalise
- B.
structure
- C.
functionalise
- D.
remand
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Concept: In a sentence-completion item, the surrounding clause sets up a collocation or sense relationship the blank must satisfy — the replacement word must carry the SPECIFIC connotation the context calls for (e.g., organising, categorising, operationalising, or legally detaining), not merely be a plausible-sounding synonym.
Application: The second clause — 'having too much idle time can be as stressful as having none at all' — tells us the missing action is what people need to do WITH their time so that neither extreme (too much unstructured time nor no time) causes stress. That sense is captured by the idea of planning or organising time into a workable arrangement.
compartmentalise means to divide into separate, isolated categories — it is about splitting things apart, not about planning how time is used, so it does not resolve the stress described.
structure means to give a planned, organised arrangement — exactly the action needed so that idle time and lack of time both stop being sources of stress.
functionalise means to make something operational or put it to practical use — it fits designing a system for use, not organising one's own time.
remand is a legal term meaning to send someone back into custody — unrelated to time management.
Only 'structure' names the act of organising time into a planned arrangement, which is exactly what the context calls for, so it completes the sentence.