Understanding Homophones and Word Choice

This question tests your understanding of homophones and your ability to choose the correct words based on sentence context. Homophones are words that sound alike but have different meanings and often different spellings. In this sentence, we need to correctly fill two blanks with words that fit the meaning of the surrounding text.

Analyzing the Sentence Blanks

Let's break down the sentence: "By giving him the last _______ of the cake, you will ensure lasting ______ in our house today."

First Blank: Last _______ of the Cake

• The phrase "of the cake" strongly suggests a part or a portion of the cake.
• "Piece" (as in, a part or a segment of something) perfectly fits this context. For example, you would say "a piece of cake."
• "Peas" (small, green, spherical vegetables) makes no logical sense in the context of a cake. You cannot give someone "the last peas of the cake."

Second Blank: Lasting _______ in Our House Today

• The word "lasting" implies a state, condition, or feeling that endures.
• "Peace" (meaning freedom from disturbance; tranquility; a state of calm) is the appropriate word here. Giving someone the last piece of cake might resolve a conflict or prevent an argument, thereby ensuring "lasting peace."
• "Piece" (as in a part) does not fit the context of ensuring "lasting" something in a house. You cannot have "lasting piece" in a house in this sense.

Evaluating the Options

Based on the analysis, we are looking for the word combination "piece" for the first blank and "peace" for the second blank.

Correct Word Choice

The words that best fill the blanks are "piece" for the first blank and "peace" for the second blank. This results in the complete sentence: "By giving him the last piece of the cake, you will ensure lasting peace in our house today." This sentence is grammatically correct and makes perfect sense contextually.