In the following passage, some of the words have been left out. Read the…
2023
In the following passage, some of the words have been left out. Read the passage carefully and select the correct answer out of the four alternatives for the given blanks.
A mother duck and her little ducklings were on their way to the lake one day. Suddenly the mother duck saw a fox in the distance. She was frightened and shouted, “Children, hurry to the lake. There’s a fox!” The ducklings (1) towards the lake. The mother duck began to walk back and forth (2) one wing on the ground. When the fox saw her, he said to himself, “It seems that she’s hurt and can’t fly! I can easily catch and eat her!” Then he ran towards her. The mother duck ran, leading the fox away from the lake so, he (3) be able to harm her ducklings. The mother duck saw that they had reached the lake. She was (4), so she stopped. The fox thought she was tired and he came closer, but the mother duck quickly spread her wings and 5) up in the air. She landed in the middle of the lake and her ducklings swam to her.
Find the appropriate word in 1st case.
- A.
rushed
- B.
tootled
- C.
scrambled
- D.
All of the above
Attempted by 18 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Answer: rushed
Explanation: The mother duck shouts "hurry," so the blank must express quick movement toward the lake. "Rushed" is the best fit: "The ducklings rushed towards the lake."
Grammar note: In this sentence, "rushed" is the past tense of the verb "rush" and functions as the main verb of the clause, not as an adjective.
Tootled: Means to move in a leisurely or unhurried way (or casually play a horn). This contradicts the urgency conveyed by "hurry."
Scrambled: Often implies clambering or awkward movement over obstacles. While it can mean moving quickly, it suggests a different kind of motion and is not the best match for ducklings hurrying to the lake.
All of the above: Cannot be correct because the options have different meanings; not all of them fit the context of hurrying.
Therefore, "rushed" best completes the sentence.