Read the following passage and select the correct option. We planned to travel…
2014
Read the following passage and select the correct option.
We planned to travel Calcutta towards the end of last November. We arranged tickets for the journey from an agency and began our long cherished journey on the third day of the fourth week. It was a very clear day without a cloud in the sky. We felt very little motion as the vehicle moved smoothly into the air. The hostess brought water bottle for each passenger along with a light meal packet in a card board box. She also served tea or coffee according to the demands of the passengers. One passenger asked her when to open the box. She replied, ‘you can take it now or keep it to be used later’. We did not open the box then and there as we did not feel any urge for we just took our meals.
The appropriate meaning of the word ‘cherished’ is
- A.
carried
- B.
nurtured
- C.
left
- D.
forgotten
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
A vocabulary-in-context question asks for the dictionary sense of the highlighted word that also fits the sentence's meaning and tone, not merely a word that sounds similar. 'Cherish' (past participle 'cherished') is a verb meaning to hold an idea, a hope, a memory, or a plan in one's mind with care and affection over a period of time; standard dictionaries gloss it as 'to nurture' or 'to hold dear'.
Locate the word in context: the phrase 'our long cherished journey' describes the journey itself as something held in mind with affection over time, rather than describing a physical action performed on it.
Recall the core dictionary sense of 'cherish': to keep and cultivate a feeling, hope, or plan with care over time (e.g. 'to hold dear', 'to nurture an ambition').
Match that sense to the sentence: a journey that has been mentally sustained and looked forward to for a long period corresponds to this sense.
Substituting each candidate word back into the phrase 'our long ___ journey' and comparing the resulting sense to 'held dear / sustained with care over time' confirms the choice:
'carried' describes physically transporting or bearing something from one place to another — a different sense from holding a plan dear.
'nurtured' describes fostering and sustaining something with care over time — the same sense as 'held dear'.
'left' describes departing from or abandoning something — the opposite of continuing to hold it in mind.
'forgotten' describes losing something from memory — again the opposite process of actively sustaining an idea over time.
Result: the sense of 'cherish' that fits — fostering and sustaining something with care and affection over time — matches 'nurtured'.