Below, a passage is given with five blanks labelled (A)-(E). For the blank…
2025
Below, a passage is given with five blanks labelled (A)-(E). For the blank asked about below, four options are given. Choose the word that fits the blank most appropriately in the context of the passage and mark the corresponding answer.
William Shakespeare was a great English ――――(A)―――――, dramatist and poet who lived during the late sixteenth and early ――――(B)――――― centuries. Shakespeare is considered to be the greatest playwright of all time. William Shakespeare was born in Stratford in 1564. Shakespeare’s poems and plays show love for nature and rural life which ――――(C)――――― his childhood. It is believed that he may have become well known in London‘s ――――(D)――――― life by 1592. By that time, he had joined one of the city’s ――――(E)――――― theatre companies.
Which of the following words most appropriately fits the blank labelled (E)?
- A.
Adamant
- B.
Repertory
- C.
Worst
- D.
Terrible
Attempted by 9 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Concept: In a context-based vocabulary blank, the word chosen must belong to the same domain as the surrounding text and must match the passage's overall tone — a word that fits grammatically but clashes with the domain or the tone is still the wrong choice.
Application: Here, blank (E) describes a TYPE of theatre company that Shakespeare joined as his reputation grew in London. ‘Repertory’ is the standard term for a company that performs a repertoire of different plays in rotation — exactly the kind of organisation described in the passage.
Cross-check (contrast each distractor by value):
‘Adamant’ names a personal trait (firm, unyielding determination) — a quality of a person, not a category of theatre company.
‘Worst’ and ‘Terrible’ are negative evaluative adjectives that clash with the passage's tone of Shakespeare's rising reputation and success; neither describes any type of theatrical organisation.
Result: ‘Repertory’ is therefore the only option that both belongs to the theatrical domain and matches the passage's positive, factual tone, making it the correct fit for blank (E).