In the following passage some words have been deleted. Fill in the blanks with the help of the alternatives given. Select the most appropriate option for each blank. The locust is an insect that belongs to the family of grasshoppers. These insects are essentially harmless (1)______ they meet certain circumstances under which they (2)______ more abundant and change their behaviour. India, Pakistan and Iran (3)______ currently thinking over the locust plague threat (4)______ over their economies. When these locusts meet (5)______ environmental conditions, they become gregarious and (6)______ breeding abundantly. With their population becoming (7)______, they form swarms and keep moving (8)______ areas damaging the crops. These swarms attacking (9)______ and thereby devastating the entire agricultural economy is (10)______ is commonly referred to as locust plague.
Select the most appropriate option for blank no. 5.
suitable
Analyzing the Locust Passage and Blank 5
The passage describes locusts, insects belonging to the grasshopper family. It explains how they are normally harmless but can become abundant and change their behaviour under specific circumstances, leading to what is known as a locust plague. The question asks us to fill in blank number 5 with the most appropriate option from the given alternatives.
Let's look at the sentence containing blank 5:
"When these locusts meet (5)______ environmental conditions, they become gregarious and (6)______ breeding abundantly."
We need a word to describe the "environmental conditions" that trigger the locusts to become gregarious and breed abundantly. This word should fit grammatically and make sense in the context of the passage.
Evaluating Options for Blank 5
Let's examine each option provided for blank 5:
suitable: This is an adjective. It means appropriate or fitting for a particular purpose, person, or occasion. If the environmental conditions are 'suitable', it means they are the right conditions for the locusts to undergo this change in behaviour and population growth.
suitably: This is an adverb. Adverbs typically modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, describing how something is done. It cannot modify a noun like "environmental conditions". For example, you might say "The room was suitably decorated," where 'suitably' modifies 'decorated' (an adjective). Using 'suitably' before a noun like 'conditions' is grammatically incorrect.
suiting: This is the present participle form of the verb 'suit'. While it can be used in various contexts (like in the phrase "suiting the occasion"), it does not function as a simple adjective to describe "environmental conditions" in this context. "suiting environmental conditions" is not standard English usage here.
suited: This is the past participle form of the verb 'suit', often used as an adjective meaning appropriate or appropriate for something. For example, "This tool is suited for the job." While 'suited' can function as an adjective, 'suitable' is the more natural and common choice when directly describing conditions that are appropriate or favourable for something to happen. "Suitable conditions" is a standard phrase.
Selecting the Most Appropriate Option
Comparing the options, we need an adjective to modify the noun phrase "environmental conditions". Both "suitable" and "suited" are adjectives derived from the verb 'suit'. However, "suitable" is generally used to describe something that is appropriate or fits a requirement, while "suited" is often used in the structure "suited for/to something" or as a predicate adjective ("The conditions were suited..."). In the context of describing conditions that are appropriate for a particular biological event (locust behaviour change), "suitable" is the most common and grammatically appropriate adjective to use before the noun "environmental conditions".
Therefore, "suitable environmental conditions" correctly conveys that when the locusts encounter the right kind of environment (like specific temperature, humidity, and food availability), they change their behaviour and multiply.
Conclusion for Blank 5
Based on the grammatical analysis and the context of the passage describing the conditions under which locusts become a plague, the most appropriate word to fill blank 5 is "suitable".
| Option | Type of Word | Fit in Sentence | Appropriateness |
|---|---|---|---|
| suitable | Adjective | "suitable environmental conditions" | Most appropriate; describes conditions as fitting or appropriate. |
| suitably | Adverb | "suitably environmental conditions" | Incorrect; an adverb cannot modify a noun. |
| suiting | Participle/Gerund | "suiting environmental conditions" | Incorrect usage as a simple adjective here. |
| suited | Past Participle/Adjective | "suited environmental conditions" | Possible but less common/natural than "suitable" in this context. "Suitable conditions" is standard. |
Revision Table: Key Terms from the Locust Passage
| Term | Context in Passage | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Locust | Insect, family of grasshoppers | The main subject of the passage. |
| Harmless | Locusts are usually harmless | Contrasts with their plague behaviour. |
| Circumstances | Conditions under which locusts change behaviour | Triggers for population growth and swarming. |
| Abundant | Locusts become more abundant | Describes population increase. |
| Behaviour | Locusts change their behaviour | Transformation from solitary to gregarious. |
| Plague threat | Threat over economies | The negative impact of locust swarms. |
| Environmental conditions | When locusts meet specific conditions | Key trigger for gregarious phase. |
| Gregarious | Locusts become gregarious | Describes their social behaviour change (forming groups/swarms). |
| Breeding abundantly | Locusts start breeding abundantly | High reproduction rate during the plague phase. |
| Swarms | Locusts form swarms | Large, mobile groups of locusts. |
| Damaging the crops | Swarms damage crops | Direct economic impact. |
| Agricultural economy | Devastated by swarms | The economic sector most affected. |
| Locust plague | What the phenomenon is called | The overall term for the destructive swarming phase. |
Additional Information: Understanding Locust Swarms
A locust plague is a serious natural disaster that can cause widespread famine. Unlike individual grasshoppers, locusts can undergo a dramatic transformation, changing their colour, shape, and behaviour when conditions are right. This is often triggered by specific weather patterns, such as rainfall after a long drought, which leads to rapid vegetation growth and increased locust numbers.
When the population density becomes high, locusts switch from a solitary phase to a gregarious phase. In this phase, they are attracted to each other and form large, mobile swarms. These swarms can travel long distances, sometimes covering hundreds of square kilometers. They eat voraciously, consuming almost all vegetation in their path, which devastates crops and pastures.
Understanding the "suitable environmental conditions" is crucial for predicting and controlling locust outbreaks. Factors like soil moisture (for egg-laying), temperature (affecting development rate), and availability of food (new vegetation growth) all play a role in triggering the gregarious phase and swarm formation.
Important Questions from Cloze Test
What would come in blank space (1)?
What would come in blank space (2)?
What would come in blank space (3)?
What would come in blank space (4)?
What would come in blank space (5)?
