Comprehension: In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Read…
2024
Comprehension:
In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in
each blank.
Tea prices in the domestic (1)__________ continue to rule high in the current year despite the expectation of a higher production as compared to the previous year. During the past three months, tea prices have been (2)__________ with the prices of other companies. Unlike last year, tea prices have generally shown (3) __________, when tea prices rose dramatically, this year, prices seem to have (4) __________ at a rather high level. In the subsequent four months, the (5)__________ average price showed a downtrend.
Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank number 2.
- A.
aligning
- B.
favouring
- C.
countering
- D.
encountering
Attempted by 11 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Correct Option
Option A: aligning
Detailed Explanation
The sentence containing blank number (2) is: "During the past three months, tea prices have been (2)________ with the prices of other companies."
Contextual Analysis: The passage describes how one company's tea prices relate to the prices of other companies in the market.
Reasoning: The phrase "aligning with" is used to describe when things move into similarity, agreement, or a parallel state. In economic contexts, when the prices of one company begin to mirror or match the trends of others, they are said to be "aligning." The other options do not fit the grammatical or semantic needs of comparing price movements.
Summary Solution
The passage evaluates the behavior of tea prices relative to market competitors. "Aligning" is the most appropriate term to describe how the company's pricing strategy has become similar to the pricing patterns of other industry participants.