In the following passage, some of the words / sentences have been left out,…
2024
In the following passage, some of the words / sentences have been left out, each of which is indicated by a letter. Find the suitable word / sentence from the options given against each letter and fill up the blanks with appropriate words / sentences to make the paragraph meaningful.
The layer of ozone helps _____ 1 _____ the harmful ultraviolet rays away from entering the Earth’s atmosphere. Ozone layer depletion over the years has _____ 2 _____ in ozone hole formation through which harmful radiations can now enter the atmosphere. Ozone layer depletion has many _____ 3 _____ effects including cancer risks. These wavelengths can harm plants and animals and also cause skin cancer, sunburn, and cataracts in humans. The problem is very _____ 4 _____ indeed and has rightly generated global concern. These concerns led to the _____ 5 _____ of the Montreal Protocol in the year 1987. This protocol bans the production of ozone-depleting chemicals like CFCs and halons. Ozone depletion refers to a steady _____ 6 _____ in the total amount of ozone present in the Earth’s atmosphere or the ozone layer. It can also be described as a much larger decrease in stratospheric ozone around the polar regions of the Earth. The second phenomenon is termed as the ozone hole. In addition to these stratospheric events, there are also springtime polar tropospheric ozone depletion events. _____ 7 _____ . These compounds enter the stratosphere after being emitted at the surface where these compounds release halogen atoms by a process called photo dissociation. _____ 8 _____ . The main cause of ozone layer depletion is the indiscriminate use of CFCs, which are chlorine-based substances. These are widely used in several manufacturing plants, refrigerants and aerosols. _____ 9 _____ . Just one atom of chlorine can destroy around 100, 000 molecules of ozone. Wind blows the CFCs up into the stratosphere. Ozone molecules are already unstable. The chlorine atoms in the CFCs react with the ozone molecules, which break down resulting in the formation of an oxygen molecule and a single free-floating oxygen atom. _____ 10 _____ . However, chlorine in other places such as swimming pools does not pose any danger.
Find the appropriate word in case 1
(Question no. 1 to 10 are linked together)
- A.
Preserve
- B.
Prevent
- C.
Pretend
- D.
Intend
Attempted by 3 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Concept: In a vocabulary-based cloze blank, the missing word must match the exact action or state that the surrounding sentence logically requires, not merely a word loosely related to the topic. Identify what the sentence needs the word to DO, then test each option’s precise dictionary meaning against that requirement.
Application: The sentence reads: “The layer of ozone helps ___ the harmful ultraviolet rays ... from entering the Earth’s atmosphere.” The missing word must describe an action that STOPS an occurrence — here, the ozone layer stopping UV rays from entering.
“Preserve” means to keep something in its existing, safe condition — it protects a thing FOR itself; it carries no sense of stopping an outside event from happening, so it does not fit.
“Prevent” means to stop something from happening or arising — this is exactly the blocking action the sentence describes.
“Pretend” means to act as if something untrue were true — a sense of deception or make-believe that has no place in a factual description of a physical shielding process.
“Intend” means to have a plan or purpose to do something — a mental intention, not an accomplished blocking action, so it cannot complete the sentence.
Cross-check: Substituting the fitting word gives “the layer of ozone helps prevent the harmful ultraviolet rays away from entering the Earth’s atmosphere” — pairing “prevent” with “away” is a slightly redundant construction, but among the four options only “prevent” carries the stopping/blocking sense the sentence needs, and this matches the well-established scientific fact that the ozone layer blocks UV radiation from reaching the surface, confirming the choice independently of the passage’s exact wording.