Directions: Each of the following passages in this section has some blank spaces with four words or groups of words given. Select whichever word or group of words you consider most appropriate for the blank space and indicate your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly. Ecology, in a very simple term, is a science that ______(1)_____ the interdependent mutually reactive and interconnected relationships ______(2)______the organisms and ______(3)_______ physical environment on the one hand and among the organisms on the other hand.______(4) ______ the term 'ecology' was first coined and used by the German biologist Ernst Haeckel in 1869, a few conceptual terms______(5)______already proposed to reveal relationships ______(6)______ organisms and their environment. For example, French zoologist I.G. Hilaire used the term 'ethology'______(7) ______ the study of the relations of______(8) _______ organisms within the family and society in the aggregate and in the community. British naturalist St. George Jackson Mivart proposed the term 'hexicology' with regard to the study of the relations______(9) _____ living creatures to other organisms and their environment as regards the nature of the locality they frequent, the temperatures and the______(10) ______ of light which suit them, and their relations to other organisms as enemies, rivals, or accidental and involuntary benefactors.
their
Understanding the Definition of Ecology
The question asks us to fill in the blanks in a definition of Ecology. We need to find the most suitable word for the third blank space (3) in the sentence:
"...relationships ______(3)_______ physical environment on the one hand and among the organisms on the other hand."
This sentence describes ecology as the science studying the relationships between organisms and their physical environment, as well as relationships among organisms themselves.
Analyzing Blank (3): Relationships and Environment
The blank space (3) comes after the word "relationships" and before "physical environment". The preceding part of the sentence mentions "the organisms" (plural). We need a word that connects the "relationships" to the "physical environment" in the context of these multiple organisms.
Let's examine the given options for blank (3):
- Option 1: their - This is a plural possessive determiner. It indicates something belonging to multiple entities (the organisms). "Their physical environment" correctly refers to the environment associated with the organisms.
- Option 2: its - This is a singular possessive determiner. It refers to something belonging to a single entity. Since the context refers to "organisms" (plural), "its" is grammatically incorrect here.
- Option 3: theirs - This is a plural possessive pronoun. It typically replaces a noun phrase (e.g., "The environment is theirs"). It doesn't function as a determiner directly modifying "physical environment".
- Option 4: all - This is a determiner meaning the entirety of something. "All physical environment" doesn't fit the context of connecting relationships *of the organisms* to the environment.
Determining the Correct Fit for Blank (3)
The sentence structure requires a word that shows the connection or belonging of the "physical environment" to the "organisms". We are looking at the relationships *between* organisms and *their* environment.
Option 1: 'their' fits perfectly:
"...relationships their physical environment..."
This implies the relationships that organisms have with the physical environment that surrounds or pertains to them. It maintains the plural subject ("organisms") and correctly links them to the "physical environment".
The other options fail grammatically or contextually. 'Its' is singular, 'theirs' is a pronoun not a determiner here, and 'all' changes the meaning inappropriately.
Conclusion
Based on the grammatical structure and the context of defining ecology as the study of relationships between organisms and their surroundings, the word 'their' is the most appropriate choice for the third blank.
Similar Questions
Select whichever word you consider most appropriate for the blank (1)
Select whichever word you consider most appropriate for the blank (2)
Select whichever word you consider most appropriate for the blank (3)
Select whichever word you consider most appropriate for the blank (4)
Select whichever word you consider most appropriate for the blank (5)
Select whichever word you consider most appropriate for the blank (6)
Select whichever word you consider most appropriate for the blank (7)
Select whichever word you consider most appropriate for the blank (8)
Select whichever word you consider most appropriate for the blank (9)
Select whichever word you consider most appropriate for the blank (10)
Important Questions from Vocab Based Questions
Select whichever word you consider most appropriate for the blank (1)
Select whichever word you consider most appropriate for the blank (2)
Select whichever word you consider most appropriate for the blank (3)
Select whichever word you consider most appropriate for the blank (4)
Select whichever word you consider most appropriate for the blank (5)
