In the following passage there are blanks, each of which has been numbered.…
2024
In the following passage there are blanks, each of which has been numbered. These numbers are printed below the passage and against each, several words are suggested, one of which fits the blank appropriately. Find out the appropriate word in each case.
As international oil prices head higher, India will have to ..(1).. itself for the economic risks of expensive energy. Brent crude oil futures were trading at about $70 a barrel on Friday, marking a four-year high and a price increase of close to 6% since the start of the year. The rise in international prices has been particularly sharp given that oil had been selling at below $45 in June. This is a rally of about 55% in a matter of just months. Oil price ..(2).. have often been explained by changes in the supply outlook ..(3).. by the decisions of major oil producers. Oil trading at $70 should offer some ..(4).. to traditional oil producers like the OPEC members, which have suffered the ..(5).. of U.S. shale producers.
Find the appropriate word in case 3
(question no 11 till 15 are linked together )
- A.
palisade
- B.
parapet
- C.
bastille
- D.
influenced
Attempted by 2 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Concept: In a vocabulary-based cloze question, a correct fill must clear two independent checks — it must belong to the word class (noun, verb, adjective, etc.) that the sentence's grammar demands at that slot, AND its meaning must fit the passage's context. A word can be a genuine, well-formed vocabulary item and still be wrong there if its part of speech does not fit the sentence structure.
Application: The blank sits inside 'changes in the supply outlook ___ by the decisions of major oil producers.' This is a passive-voice modifying phrase, so the slot needs a past-participle verb that pairs with 'by' — the standard construction 'X influenced by Y', meaning X changed as a result of Y. Reading the completed sentence — 'changes in the supply outlook influenced by the decisions of major oil producers' — correctly conveys that shifts in supply expectations are shaped by producer decisions, matching the passage's causal, economic narrative about oil-price swings.
Cross-check: Checking word class first eliminates the other three options outright, since each names a fortification-related structure, not a verb:
palisade — a defensive fence made of stakes
parapet — a low protective wall
bastille — a fortress or stronghold
None of these nouns can occupy a slot that needs a past-participle verb, regardless of meaning. Re-reading the full sentence with the remaining option confirms it is both grammatically consistent and semantically coherent with the passage's discussion of the causes of the oil-price rise.