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Question

In the given passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage intently and choose the most appropriate option to fill in each blank:

I was strolling through the park one night when I saw a man sitting by himself on a bench. He was dressed in frayed clothes, and his face was creased with (1)________. He looked lost in thought, gazing at the ground as if trying to find answers. I paused for a moment before going over to talk to him. When I said hello, he looked up and smiled weakly. He began talking to me about his life, including his triumphs and setbacks, love and grief. His stories were so enlightening, and his perspective (2)________. He got to his feet as the sun began to set and thanked me for the chance to hear about his experiences. "Sometimes, all we need is someone to hear us," he stated. His words lingered in my mind, bringing to mind the (3)________ of human connection. That night, I left the park humbled and (4)______. Life is full of unexpected encounters, each one with the power to (5)________ us in ways that we never thought possible.

What should come in the place of blank number 5?

This question was previously asked in
SSC CHSL 2025 Tier 1 Question Paper (21-Nov-2025) (Shift 1)
The correct answer is

Inspire

This is a cloze test: blank number 5 sits in the closing line, "Life is full of unexpected encounters, each one with the power to (5)________ us in ways that we never thought possible."

The sentence carries a positive, uplifting tone. The whole passage describes a chance meeting that leaves the narrator "humbled" and moved, so the missing verb must express a positive, transformative effect.

The phrase "in ways that we never thought possible" signals growth and change for the better, not harm or difficulty.

Inspire means to fill someone with the urge or ability to do something, especially something creative or positive. It fits the encouraging tone perfectly.

"Teach" is too neutral and instructional; the line is about emotional impact, not passing on information, so it is weaker here.

"Challenge" and "Overwhelm" both carry a difficult or negative shade, which clashes with the hopeful mood of the closing sentence.

Reading it back, "each one with the power to inspire us in ways that we never thought possible" is smooth and idiomatic.

Hence the word that best fills blank number 5 is Inspire.

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Similar Questions

  1. In the given passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage intently and choose the most appropriate option to fill in each blank:

    I was strolling through the park one night when I saw a man sitting by himself on a bench. He was dressed in frayed clothes, and his face was creased with (1)________. He looked lost in thought, gazing at the ground as if trying to find answers. I paused for a moment before going over to talk to him. When I said hello, he looked up and smiled weakly. He began talking to me about his life, including his triumphs and setbacks, love and grief. His stories were so enlightening, and his perspective (2)________. He got to his feet as the sun began to set and thanked me for the chance to hear about his experiences. "Sometimes, all we need is someone to hear us," he stated. His words lingered in my mind, bringing to mind the (3)________ of human connection. That night, I left the park humbled and (4)______. Life is full of unexpected encounters, each one with the power to (5)________ us in ways that we never thought possible.

    What should come in the place of blank number 1?

  2. In the given passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage intently and choose the most appropriate option to fill in each blank:

    I was strolling through the park one night when I saw a man sitting by himself on a bench. He was dressed in frayed clothes, and his face was creased with (1)________. He looked lost in thought, gazing at the ground as if trying to find answers. I paused for a moment before going over to talk to him. When I said hello, he looked up and smiled weakly. He began talking to me about his life, including his triumphs and setbacks, love and grief. His stories were so enlightening, and his perspective (2)________. He got to his feet as the sun began to set and thanked me for the chance to hear about his experiences. "Sometimes, all we need is someone to hear us," he stated. His words lingered in my mind, bringing to mind the (3)________ of human connection. That night, I left the park humbled and (4)______. Life is full of unexpected encounters, each one with the power to (5)________ us in ways that we never thought possible.

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  3. In the given passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage intently and choose the most appropriate option to fill in each blank:

    I was strolling through the park one night when I saw a man sitting by himself on a bench. He was dressed in frayed clothes, and his face was creased with (1)________. He looked lost in thought, gazing at the ground as if trying to find answers. I paused for a moment before going over to talk to him. When I said hello, he looked up and smiled weakly. He began talking to me about his life, including his triumphs and setbacks, love and grief. His stories were so enlightening, and his perspective (2)________. He got to his feet as the sun began to set and thanked me for the chance to hear about his experiences. "Sometimes, all we need is someone to hear us," he stated. His words lingered in my mind, bringing to mind the (3)________ of human connection. That night, I left the park humbled and (4)______. Life is full of unexpected encounters, each one with the power to (5)________ us in ways that we never thought possible.

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  4. In the given passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage intently and choose the most appropriate option to fill in each blank:

    I was strolling through the park one night when I saw a man sitting by himself on a bench. He was dressed in frayed clothes, and his face was creased with (1)________. He looked lost in thought, gazing at the ground as if trying to find answers. I paused for a moment before going over to talk to him. When I said hello, he looked up and smiled weakly. He began talking to me about his life, including his triumphs and setbacks, love and grief. His stories were so enlightening, and his perspective (2)________. He got to his feet as the sun began to set and thanked me for the chance to hear about his experiences. "Sometimes, all we need is someone to hear us," he stated. His words lingered in my mind, bringing to mind the (3)________ of human connection. That night, I left the park humbled and (4)________. Life is full of unexpected encounters, each one with the power to (5)________ us in ways that we never thought possible.

    What should come in the place of blank number 5?

  5. In the given passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage intently and choose the most appropriate option to fill in each blank:

    I was strolling through the park one night when I saw a man sitting by himself on a bench. He was dressed in frayed clothes, and his face was creased with (1)________. He looked lost in thought, gazing at the ground as if trying to find answers. I paused for a moment before going over to talk to him. When I said hello, he looked up and smiled weakly. He began talking to me about his life, including his triumphs and setbacks, love and grief. His stories were so enlightening, and his perspective (2)________. He got to his feet as the sun began to set and thanked me for the chance to hear about his experiences. "Sometimes, all we need is someone to hear us," he stated. His words lingered in my mind, bringing to mind the (3)________ of human connection. That night, I left the park humbled and (4)______. Life is full of unexpected encounters, each one with the power to (5)________ us in ways that we never thought possible.

    What should come in the place of blank number 4?

  6. In the given passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage intently and choose the most appropriate option to fill in each blank:

    I was strolling through the park one night when I saw a man sitting by himself on a bench. He was dressed in frayed clothes, and his face was creased with (1)________. He looked lost in thought, gazing at the ground as if trying to find answers. I paused for a moment before going over to talk to him. When I said hello, he looked up and smiled weakly. He began talking to me about his life, including his triumphs and setbacks, love and grief. His stories were so enlightening, and his perspective (2)________. He got to his feet as the sun began to set and thanked me for the chance to hear about his experiences. "Sometimes, all we need is someone to hear us," he stated. His words lingered in my mind, bringing to mind the (3)________ of human connection. That night, I left the park humbled and (4)______. Life is full of unexpected encounters, each one with the power to (5)________ us in ways that we never thought possible.

  7. What should come in the place of blank number 2?

  8. What should come in the place of blank number 1?

  9. What should come in the place of blank number 4?

  10. What should come in the place of blank number 3?


Important Questions from Cloze Test

  1. What would come in place of 1

  2. What would come in place of 2

  3. What would come in place of 3

  4. What would come in place of 4

  5. What would come in place of 5

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