Analyzing the Cloze Test Passage and Blank No. 2

The passage describes how humans interact with different creatures based on whether they perceive them as harmful or useful. The sentence containing blank No. 2 is: "Man wages war against the creatures which he 1 ______ harmful even when his warfare makes 2 _______ or no difference to the numbers of his enemies."

We need to select the most appropriate word to fill blank No. 2, considering the context "makes _______ or no difference". The phrase "difference" in this context refers to the extent or amount of change or effect, which is treated as an uncountable concept.

Understanding the Options for Blank No. 2

Let's examine the given options and their typical usage:

• less: Used with uncountable nouns or in comparisons (e.g., less water, less money, less difference than expected).
• few: Used with countable nouns (e.g., few birds, few enemies).
• fewer: Used with countable nouns, typically in comparisons (e.g., fewer birds than before).
• little: Used with uncountable nouns to indicate a small amount or degree (e.g., little time, little effort, little difference). It can also form idiomatic phrases.

Choosing the Most Appropriate Word for Blank No. 2

The blank is followed by "difference to the numbers of his enemies". Since "difference" here is an uncountable noun (referring to the degree of impact), options used with countable nouns are incorrect.

• few and fewer are used with countable nouns. "Difference" is uncountable here. Thus, options 2 and 3 are incorrect.
• We are left with less and little, both of which can be used with uncountable nouns like "difference".

Now consider the full phrase: "makes _______ or no difference". This is a common idiomatic expression meaning the effect is minimal or non-existent. The standard idiom is "makes little or no difference". While "makes less difference" is grammatically correct in a comparative sense, the structure "less or no difference" is not the standard or common idiom in English. The phrase "little or no difference" effectively conveys that the warfare's impact on the enemy numbers is either very small (little) or zero (no).

Therefore, little is the most appropriate choice because it completes the common idiom "little or no difference", which fits the context of the sentence indicating minimal or zero impact of the warfare.

Revision Table: Word Usage Summary

Additional Information: Understanding Idiomatic Expressions

Idiomatic expressions are phrases whose meaning cannot be understood from the ordinary meanings of their words. "Little or no difference" is a classic example of an idiom. Using the correct word in such fixed phrases is crucial for natural and correct English.

Some other common idioms using "little":

• Little by little (gradually)
• Make a little of something (treat something as unimportant)
• In a little while (soon)

Understanding such idioms helps in choosing the right words in cloze tests and improving overall language proficiency.