Direction: In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank. Everything (1) _________ us makes our environment. Living and non-living things form the (2) _________ of our surroundings. Plants, animals and microbes are parts of our environment. Humans have affected the environment in multiple (3) ______ like clearing of forests, building houses and farms, making roads, etc. This is the root (4) _______ of air, water and land pollution on the planet. Ecologists across the globe are making efforts to educate mankind about the (5) _________ of nature, the crisis we face and the methods of managing these crises.
Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank number 1.
around
Understanding the Passage and Filling Blank 1
The passage discusses the concept of the environment and human impact on it. It describes what constitutes our environment and how human activities lead to pollution. We need to carefully read the sentence containing blank (1) and consider the options provided to find the most suitable word that fits the context and makes grammatical sense.
Analyzing Sentence 1: "Everything (1) _________ us makes our environment."
This sentence defines what makes up our environment. The blank requires a word that indicates the spatial relationship between "everything" and "us" in the context of forming our surroundings.
Evaluating the Options for Blank 1
Let's examine each option and see how it fits into the sentence:
- Option 1: over
If we use 'over', the sentence becomes "Everything over us makes our environment." This implies only things positioned vertically above us constitute the environment, which is not accurate. Our environment includes things in all directions.
- Option 2: beyond
Using 'beyond', the sentence is "Everything beyond us makes our environment." 'Beyond' suggests things that are further away or outside our immediate location. While the environment extends far, the phrase "makes our environment" usually refers to our immediate surroundings as well as the broader context, implying things that are close by and encompassing.
- Option 3: across
Inserting 'across' gives "Everything across us makes our environment." 'Across' typically implies movement from one side to another or being on the opposite side. It doesn't grammatically fit here to describe things that surround us.
- Option 4: around
With 'around', the sentence reads "Everything around us makes our environment." 'Around' means surrounding or on every side of something. This perfectly captures the idea that all the things that surround us, both living and non-living, form our environment. This aligns with the common understanding of the term environment.
Determining the Best Fit for Blank 1
Comparing the options, 'around' is the only word that logically and grammatically fits the sentence "Everything _________ us makes our environment." The things that make up our environment are the things that surround us.
| Option | Word | Fit in Sentence | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | over | Poor fit | Only refers to things above. |
| 2 | beyond | Less appropriate | Implies distance, not necessarily immediate surroundings. |
| 3 | across | Incorrect grammar/meaning | Doesn't fit the context of surroundings. |
| 4 | around | Excellent fit | Correctly describes things surrounding us that form the environment. |
Therefore, the most appropriate word for blank (1) is 'around'.
Revision Table: Key Vocabulary
| Word | Meaning in Context |
|---|---|
| Environment | The surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates. |
| Surroundings | The things, conditions, or people around a person or thing; environment. |
| Pollution | The presence in or introduction into the environment of a substance or thing that has harmful or poisonous effects. |
| Ecologists | Scientists who study the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment; ecology. |
Additional Information: Understanding Prepositions
The question relies on understanding prepositions that describe location or spatial relationships. Prepositions like 'over', 'beyond', 'across', and 'around' have distinct meanings:
- Over: indicates a position higher than something, or covering something.
- Beyond: indicates a position on the further side of something, or exceeding a limit.
- Across: indicates movement from one side to the other, or being on the opposite side.
- Around: indicates surrounding something, or being on every side.
In the context of defining the environment as everything that "makes" it, the preposition must describe the general location of these components relative to "us". 'Around' is the most fitting preposition to describe things that are on all sides and constitute the surroundings.
Important Questions from Vocab and Grammar Based Questions
Which of the following words should be filled at (10) as per the context of the passage from the given options?
Which of the following words should be filled at (9) as per the context of the passage from the given options?
Which of the following words should be filled at (8) as per the context of the passage from the given options?
Which of the following words should be filled at (7) as per the context of the passage from the given options?
Which of the following words should be filled at (6) as per the context of the passage from the given options?
