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, four 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 5
(question no 11 till 15 are linked together )
- A.
bulwark
- B.
conclude
- C.
national
- D.
restart
Attempted by 2 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
In a vocabulary-based cloze blank, a word must clear two independent checks before it can be the answer: it must be the correct part of speech for the sentence slot, and its meaning must make sense in context. Failing either check disqualifies it, regardless of the other.
The blank sits in 'which have suffered the ___ of U.S. shale producers.' Coming right after 'the' and before 'of', the slot needs a noun describing something U.S. shale producers did that caused traditional producers (OPEC members) pain even during the price rally described in the passage. 'restart' works as a noun here -- a resurgence, a ramping-back-up of shale output that kept adding supply and eating into the price gains traditional producers were counting on. That is both grammatically valid (a noun) and contextually coherent with the rest of the passage.
bulwark is a noun, but it means a protective barrier or defense -- something you benefit from, not something you suffer. It carries the opposite sense the sentence needs.
conclude is only a verb; the slot right after 'the' grammatically demands a noun, so conclude cannot fill it regardless of meaning.
national functions as an adjective (or, as a rare noun, means a citizen of a country); neither reading produces a sensible noun phrase describing an action by shale producers.