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. When he was in college, a famous poet made a useful distinction for him. He had drunk ______ (1) ______ in the poet's company to be compelled to describe to him a poem he was ______ (2) ______ of. It would be a monologue of sorts, the self-contemplation of a student on a summer afternoon who is reading Euphuise. The poem itself would be a subtle ______ (3) ______ of euphuisms, translating the heat, the day, the student's concerns, into symmetrical posies; translating even his ______ (4) ______ and boredom with that famously foolish book into a euphuism. The poet nodded his big head in a sympathetic, rhythmic way as this was ______ (5) ______ to him, then told him that there are two kinds of poems. There is the kind you write; there is the kind you talk about in bars. Both kinds have value and both are poems; but it's fatal to confuse them.
Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank no. 1.
enough
Understanding the Passage and Blank (1)
The passage describes an encounter between a student (the narrator) and a famous poet. The student had been drinking with the poet and felt compelled to describe a poem he was thinking about writing. The sentence with blank (1) is central to explaining the circumstances leading to this compulsion: "He had drunk ______ (1) ______ in the poet's company to be compelled to describe to him a poem he was ______ (2) ______ of."
We need to choose the word that best fits the grammatical structure and meaning, indicating the amount or degree of drinking that caused the student to feel compelled to share his poem idea.
Analyzing the Options for Blank (1)
Let's look at the provided options for blank (1):
- enough
- many
- far
- since
We need to determine which word creates a sensible and grammatically correct phrase when combined with "had drunk... to be compelled".
Evaluating Each Option:
Option 1: enough
- The phrase becomes "He had drunk enough in the poet's company to be compelled...".
- This structure "drunk enough to do something" is common and grammatically correct. It implies that the amount of alcohol consumed was sufficient to lower inhibitions or make the student talkative, leading to the compulsion to describe the poem. This fits the context well.
Option 2: many
- The phrase becomes "He had drunk many in the poet's company to be compelled...".
- "Many" is typically used with countable nouns (e.g., "many drinks," "many times"). "Drunk many" without specifying what was drunk (like "many drinks") is not grammatically correct in this construction.
Option 3: far
- The phrase becomes "He had drunk far in the poet's company to be compelled...".
- "Far" relates to distance. "Drunk far" does not make sense in this context.
Option 4: since
- The phrase becomes "He had drunk since in the poet's company to be compelled...".
- "Since" is used to indicate a point in time from which something has been happening (e.g., "He has been drinking since morning"). It does not fit the structure "drunk ______ to be compelled...".
Conclusion on Blank (1)
Based on the analysis of the options and the grammatical requirements of the sentence, "enough" is the only word that correctly completes the phrase "He had drunk ______ in the poet's company to be compelled...". It clearly indicates that the amount of drinking was sufficient to cause the student to feel compelled to describe his poem.
Therefore, the most appropriate option to fill blank no. 1 is "enough".
Revision Table: Key Vocabulary & Grammar
| Term/Phrase | Meaning/Usage in Context | Grammatical Point |
|---|---|---|
| drunk enough to... | Consumed a sufficient quantity of alcohol to cause a certain effect. | Common structure indicating quantity/degree leading to an action. |
| compelled to | Forced or strongly urged to do something. | Verb phrase indicating being made to act. |
| monologue | A long speech by one actor in a play or film, or as part of a theatrical or broadcast program; in this context, likely a self-contained description or thought process. | Noun. |
| euphuism(s) | An artificial, highly elaborate literary style involving excessive use of antithesis, alliteration, and simile, associated with the work of John Lyly (Euphues). | Noun. |
| symmetrical posies | Likely refers to elaborately arranged, balanced phrases or literary adornments, similar to a balanced bouquet of flowers. | Figurative language, noun phrase. |
Additional Information: Understanding "Enough to Do Something"
The structure "adjective/adverb + enough + to + infinitive" or "verb + enough + to + infinitive" is very common in English to express that a sufficient degree of a quality or action exists to allow or cause a particular result.
- Example 1: She is tall enough to reach the top shelf. (Her height is sufficient for reaching)
- Example 2: He ran fast enough to win the race. (His speed was sufficient for winning)
- Example 3: I ate enough to feel full. (The amount eaten was sufficient for feeling full)
In the passage, "He had drunk enough to be compelled..." follows this pattern, where the amount of drinking was sufficient to cause the compulsion.
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)?
