In the following passage, there are blanks, each of which has been numbered.…
2026
In the following passage, there are blanks, each of which has been numbered. These numbers are printed below the passage and against each, five words are suggested, one of which fits the blank appropriately.
It was a dappled three-storied house, away from the _____(1)_____ alleys of Benaras. There was a profound tranquillity about it. Set in the heart of a lush garden, you could stretch your arms from a window and caress a _____(2)_____parrot. A small amphitheatre hosted many _____(3)_____under the starlit sky. And then there was a room with elegant French windows – the taalim room. At least twenty men and women spent hours there, _____(4)_____in their music. The sitar, slide guitar, vocals, sarod, santoor, tabla – all rising to the didactic call of Ravi Shankar, who sat on a raised platform, singing, playing his sitar, instructing. The Guru would sometimes smile, sometimes frown, but he would not relent until every single disciple who had gathered at Hemangana, from all over the world, had _____(5)_____ his every single musical utterance.
Find the appropriate word in case 5
- A.
Absorbed
- B.
Soak
- C.
Devoured
- D.
Grasp
Attempted by 174 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Answer: Absorbed is correct.
Explanation:
Absorbed: This is the past participle of "absorb" and correctly follows "had." It means to take in and internalize, so "had absorbed his every single musical utterance" is both grammatical and appropriate in meaning.
Soak: This is the base form (past participle would be "soaked") and primarily refers to immersion in liquid. Its form and literal meaning do not suit the context of listening to music.
Devoured: Although this is a past participle and grammatically possible, it usually describes physically consuming something (e.g., food). Using it for listening would be a strained metaphor and less appropriate than "absorbed."
Grasp: This is the base form; the past participle would be "grasped," which would mean "understood" and could be grammatical. Because the given word is not in past participle form, it cannot correctly follow "had."
Conclusion: "Absorbed" best fits both the grammatical requirement (past participle after "had") and the intended meaning (fully taking in the musical instruction).