Read the passage and select the most appropriate option for blank (4). Digital…
2022
Read the passage and select the most appropriate option for blank (4).
Digital India can be the prime (1) _____ behind making a reality of the government’s promise of minimum government, maximum governance. Such a transformation requires technology to be firmly (2) _____ into government, something that the Digital India project lists as one of its foremost objectives. Embedding technology into government (3) _____ will do three things: transform the government and make it more transparent and efficient; transform the lives of citizens, especially those at the bottom of the (4) _____ pyramid; and make our economy more efficient and competitive. A 2014 McKinsey Global Institute report predicts that the large-scale (5) _____ of technology through Digital India positions India with the biggest opportunity yet to accelerate economic growth.
Answer: B. proverbial — ConceptA cloze-test adjective must satisfy both contextual meaning and conventional word partnership. In a fixed or familiar expression, the usual collocation…
- A.
mythical
- B.
proverbial
- C.
hypothetical
- D.
classified
Attempted by 2 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Concept
A cloze-test adjective must satisfy both contextual meaning and conventional word partnership. In a fixed or familiar expression, the usual collocation is stronger evidence than a merely possible dictionary meaning.
The adjective should therefore describe the metaphorical “pyramid” in the sense intended by the surrounding discussion of social and economic levels.
Application
The phrase “the bottom of the proverbial pyramid” refers to the familiar social or economic pyramid often used when discussing people at its lowest level. “Proverbial” means widely known or commonly referred to, so it fits this established expression.
Contrast
“Mythical” concerns myths or something lacking factual existence, which is not the intended description of the social pyramid.
“Hypothetical” concerns something supposed for discussion rather than established as real, which changes the meaning of the passage.
“Classified” concerns formal grouping or restricted information, neither of which forms the intended collocation here.
Result
The completed phrase is “the bottom of the proverbial pyramid”; therefore, the required word is “proverbial”.