Fill the blank (iv).

Directions: Some of the words have been left out. First read the passage over and try to understand what it is about. Then, fill in the blanks with the help of the alternatives given.

Human beings who get irritated by people or situations around them only ____(i) to make themselves angry unlike the oysters which _____(ii) the best kind of gem when they get irritated. Oysters, a kind of shellfish and found mostly at the ______(iii) of the sea, are of many kinds like clams, conchs, mussels, scallops and others. An oyster has a _____(iv) like an oval box with a lid and they keep the lid slightly open. Some are even considered a ______(v) as they are edible. The layer _____(vi) flesh that is the real oyster is called mantle and it really gets irritated if any _____(vii) enters it through the open space. That is how the formation of pearls also takes place. The pearl is a result of the irritation that the mantle ______(viii) to the object, as it makes layers and layers of shell around the intruder or unwanted object. This _____(ix) for years and finally the most beautiful and precious pearl is formed. This awesome gem comes in ______(x) shapes and colours.