Codes of Behavior Across Societies

The given sentence states, “It is no surprise that every society has had codes of behavior; however the nature of these codes is often ________.” We need to choose the word that best completes this sentence, maintaining its logical flow and meaning.

Understanding the Sentence Structure and “However”

The sentence begins by saying it's “no surprise” that societies have codes of behavior. This sets an expectation that the existence of these codes is common and predictable. However, the conjunction “however” introduces a contrast or a point that goes against the expectation set by the first part of the sentence. This means that while the *existence* of codes is predictable, their *nature* must be something different, perhaps unexpected or variable.

Analyzing the Options for the Blank

Let's examine each option to see which one best fits the contrasting meaning implied by “however”:

• Unpredictable: This word means not able to be foreseen or known in advance; variable or erratic. If the nature of these codes is unpredictable, it means they can vary greatly from one society to another, or even within the same society over time, making it difficult to guess what they will be like. This creates a strong contrast with the initial statement that it’s “no surprise” that codes exist. The existence is certain, but their specific form or nature is not.
• Simple: If the nature of codes were simple, it might imply that they are easy to understand or uniform. This doesn't necessarily create a strong contrast with the fact that their existence is unsurprising. A simple nature could even make them *more* predictable, which would contradict “however.”
• Expected: This word is the opposite of what “however” implies. If the nature of these codes were “expected,” there would be no reason to use “however” as a contrasting conjunction. The sentence would then suggest both their existence and their nature are unsurprising/expected, removing the intended logical break.
• Strict: While some codes of behavior are indeed strict, this word describes a characteristic of the codes, not necessarily their predictability or variability across societies. The sentence is talking about the *general nature* of codes across *every* society. Their strictness might vary, but “strict” itself doesn't provide the best contrast to “no surprise” regarding their overall nature.

Conclusion for the Best Fit

The word “unpredictable” perfectly captures the contrasting idea required by “however.” While the presence of codes of behavior in every society is a consistent and unsurprising fact, the specific details, nuances, and characteristics that define the “nature” of these codes are not uniform and can vary widely, making them unpredictable.

Therefore, “Unpredictable” is the word that best fills the blank in the given sentence.