English Questions: Fill in the Blanks 139

Directions(1-5): In the given question, a statement with one blank, followed by three alternatives, is given. Out of the given three alternatives, more than one can fill the given blank. Choose the set of words from the given options which can be used to fill the blank.

1. With his powerful ________ K. L. Saigal easily managed to carve a niche for himself at the dawn of the talkie era.
   I. ally for more than two decades
   II. persona that was alternately cocky,
   III. ,canorous, nasal yet mellifluous voice
   Only I
   Only II
   Both I and II
   Both II and III
   Both I and III
   Option D
   Option II: Cocky means to be conceited or confident in a bold or cheeky way.
   Option III: Canorous means melodious or resonant. Mellifluous refers to the sound which is pleasingly smooth and musical to hear.
   
    



2. There was a time when California's Santa Clara Valley, ______________ was known as “the valley of heart's delight.
   I. From Bucolic home to orchards and vineyards,
   II. Now jettisoned for being gimmicky,
   III. An alluvial plain at the head of San Francisco Bay,
   Only I
   Only II
   Only III
   Both I and III
   Both I and II
   Option D
   Option I: Bucolic refers to the pleasant aspects of the countryside and country life.
   Option II: Jettisoned is a verb which means to abandon or discard someone or something that is no longer wanted. Gimmicky refers to an ingenious or novel device, scheme, or stratagem, especially one designed to attract attention or increase appeal.
   Option III: Alluvial refers to or derived from alluvium. Alluvium is typically made up of a variety of materials, including fine particles of silt and clay and larger particles of sand and gravel.
   
    



3. Selected in 2001, from a parcel of rough emeralds purchased from an African emerald dealer from Madagascar in 1977, Marcial de Gomar recognized that the rough emerald _________ possibly in the form of a cat’s eye.
   I. Might exhibit some chatoyancy,
   II. Of Madagascar origin, is rare because the phenomenon of asterism is extremely rare in emeralds,
   III. Should be re-examined by an expert gemologist,
   Only I
   Only II
   Only III
   Both I and II
   None of these
   Option A
   Chatoyancy basically means having a changeable lustre or colour with an undulating narrow band of white light.
   
    



4. People often believe that spices help in preservation of food; however, researchers have found that many ____________________ fungi, bacteria, and yeast.
   
   i. available spices are represented by
   ii. available spices are teeming with
   iii. available spices are devoid of
   Only i
   Only ii
   Only iii
   Both ii and iii
   All of the above
   Option B
   'Teeming with' means to be full of or swarming with something.
   
    



5. Porto’s lead striker Gareth is ________________ when it comes to scoring from a long distance.
   i. Clearly on a disadvantage
   ii. Clearly in a disadvantage
   iii. Clearly at a disadvantage
   Only i
   Only ii
   Both i and ii
   Only iii
   All of the above
   Option D
   
   
    


Directions(6-10): A sentence with two blanks is given, each blank indicating that something has been omitted. Choose the words that best fit in the given blanks making the sentence grammatically correct and meaningful.


6. If there is nothing to absorb the energy of sound waves, they travel on __________ but their intensity __________ as they travel further from their source.
   everlasting, decreases
   always, improves
   forever, inclines
   steadily, deflates
   indefinitely, diminishes
   Option E
   
   
    



7. The move to allow dumping of mercury __________ an outcry from residents of the area who that high levels of mercury will affect their health and __________ to destroy ecologically sensitive forest area.
   resulted, insist
   provoked, fear
   incited, determined
   activated, accept
   angered, believe
   Option B
   
   
    



8. The pilot knew she would be able to see the __________ lights of the city from her cockpit window, but she; would not see the fireworks explode to welcome the new year as she would have __________ to cruising altitude.
   few, soared
   divine, escalate
   glistening, jumped
   shining, reached
   glittering, climbed
   Option A
   
   
    



9. There can be no denying the fact that in sports, star coaches have the __________ to get something extra out of their __________ .
   apprehension, work
   ability, teams
   fear, member
   capability, house
   desirous, players
   Option B
   
   
    



10. Biological clocks are of __________ adaptive value to animals since it __________ nervous and physiological functions of the body.
    immense, assumes
    great, regulates
    ultimate, created
    high, engulfs
    no, governs
    Option B
    Assumes- acquires
    Engulfs- swallows