Directions: Read the given passage carefully to answer the following…
2025
Directions: Read the given passage carefully to answer the following questions.
In the bustling city of Melbourne, Australia, a new trend had been steadily rising: cloud kitchens. These kitchens were unique in that they had no traditional shopfronts or dining areas. Instead, they focused solely on preparing food for delivery. As Jane Lawson tapped the screen of her tablet, confirming the latest batch of orders, she couldn't help but marvel at how quickly her cloud kitchen business had taken off. With customers appreciating the convenience of home-delivered gourmet meals, her venture seemed destined for success.
However, navigating the regulatory landscape for cloud kitchens was no easy task. The rules in Australia were still evolving, making it an elusive target for owners who sought to be fully compliant. Jane had spent countless hours studying food safety regulations, zoning laws, and delivery logistics requirements. She knew that ensuring her business met all these standards was crucial, not only for the survival of her kitchen but also for the safety and satisfaction of her customers. One of the regulations that often tripped up new owners was related to food hygiene. The Australian Food Safety Standards required cloud kitchens, like traditional restaurants, to adhere to strict guidelines on food storage, preparation, and delivery. Jane had done her due ________ in this area, frequently conducting internal audits to make sure everything was spotless and up to code. She had also installed temperature-controlled storage units and invested in high-quality packaging to maintain the freshness of her dishes until they reached her customers' homes. Jane's efforts didn't stop there. She also had to navigate the complexities of zoning laws. Unlike traditional eateries, cloud kitchens often operated out of industrial spaces, which required different permits and zoning approvals. This added another layer of complexity to an already dense web of regulations. Jane sought the help of a local consultant who specialised in this area, ensuring that her business was operating within legal bounds. Despite the hurdles, Jane found the journey fulfilling. The cloud kitchen model offered her flexibility and the ability to reach a broader customer base without the overhead costs of a traditional restaurant. She could tap into the growing trend of online food delivery, leveraging technology to streamline operations and meet the demands of modern consumers. The cloud kitchen phenomenon was undoubtedly here to stay. For Jane and many other entrepreneurs, learning to navigate the elusive and ever-changing regulatory landscape remained a primary challenge. Yet, with diligence and a commitment to quality, Jane was confident that her business would not only survive but thrive in the competitive world of food delivery.
What will fit in the blank taken from the passage: "Jane had done her due ________ in this area, frequently conducting internal audits to make sure everything was spotless and up to code."
- A.
diligence
- B.
research
- C.
inquiry
- D.
analysis
- E.
examination
Attempted by 14 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
CONCEPT: English builds many everyday expressions through fixed collocations — set word-partnerships used by convention rather than by freely swapping in any near-synonym. "Due" belongs to one such family: only a small, fixed set of nouns (diligence, process, care, date) habitually follow it, and "due diligence" specifically denotes the careful, reasonable effort a person or organisation takes to meet a legal, regulatory, or business obligation.
APPLICATION: In the passage, Jane is repeatedly working to meet food-safety and compliance obligations — she is described as "frequently conducting internal audits to make sure everything was spotless and up to code" — which is exactly the obligation-driven, careful effort that "due diligence" names. The blank occupies the fixed slot directly after "due", so the correct word must be the one candidate that actually forms an established collocation with "due" in this compliance register, not merely a word that could describe careful effort in isolation.
CROSS-CHECK: Checking each candidate noun against its own typical usage pattern confirms only one completes the fixed phrase:
diligence — denotes careful, sustained effort and attentiveness to a duty or obligation; it is the standard noun for compliance-driven behaviour such as regular audits and record-keeping.
research — denotes systematic investigation carried out to discover facts or test an idea; it typically pairs with verbs such as "conduct" or "carry out" (e.g., "conducted research").
inquiry — denotes a formal request for information or a probe into a specific matter; it typically follows adjectives such as "official" or "formal" (e.g., "formal inquiry").
analysis — denotes a detailed breakdown of the elements or structure of something; it typically pairs with verbs such as "perform" or "carry out" (e.g., "carried out an analysis").
examination — denotes a close, detailed inspection or assessment of something; it typically follows adjectives such as "thorough" or "close" (e.g., "close examination").
RESULT: "Diligence" is the word taken from the passage: it both completes the fixed collocation "due diligence" and matches the compliance-driven narrative of Jane's story.