Introduction to the Passage

This question asks us to complete a passage by choosing the most suitable word for a specific blank. The passage discusses a new clothing company, 'New Trend', founded by Peter Dalton, and its plans for job creation both in its factory and across its stores nationwide.

Analyzing Blank Number 3

We need to focus on the sentence containing blank number 3:

"In 12 months' time, (3)_________ will be a further 200 jobs, as the company begins opening shops in towns in all parts of Britain."

This sentence describes the future availability of additional jobs. The structure "_________ will be a further 200 jobs" suggests we need a word that indicates the existence or presence of these jobs in the specified timeframe and locations (across Britain).

Evaluating Options for Blank 3

Let's examine the given options:

• 1. it: Using 'it' here doesn't create a grammatically correct or contextually meaningful sentence. "it will be a further 200 jobs" is awkward. 'It' usually refers back to something specific or acts as a dummy subject in impersonal constructions, which doesn't fit well here.
• 2. here: 'Here' refers to the current location. While the company might be based somewhere specific, the sentence talks about jobs becoming available "in towns in all parts of Britain," which is a broader scope than just 'here'.
• 3. there: 'There' is commonly used to indicate the existence or presence of something. The construction "there will be..." is standard for introducing the existence of something in the future. This fits perfectly with the context of 200 additional jobs becoming available across Britain.
• 4. they: 'They' is a plural pronoun typically used for people or things already mentioned. "they will be a further 200 jobs" is grammatically incorrect and doesn't make sense in this context.

Final Answer Explanation

The most appropriate word to fill in blank number 3 is there. The phrase "there will be a further 200 jobs" correctly expresses the future existence and availability of these employment opportunities in various locations across Britain, fitting the context of the passage.