English Language

Fill in the Blanks

13,781 Questions
All Contextual Vocabulary 2563 Prepositional Usage 2021 Tense and Aspect 1751 Determiners 1005 Phrasal Verbs 949 Confusable Vocabulary 908 Pronoun Antecedent 867 Subject-Verb Agreement 735 Collocations 654 Idiomatic Expressions 627 Conjunctions and Connectors 557 Modals 390

Fill in the Blanks Questions

Multiple choice

Choose the word most similar in meaning to the word 'endowed', as used in the passage.

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and select the most suitable answer according to the underlined word per corresponding number in the passage.

If the difference between life and death is a question of memory, could death's sting be parried by replacing the fragile human memory with an infallible computerized one? In his book Design for Dying completed earlier this year before he died from prostate cancer, psychologist and LSD guru Timothy Leary explored various strategies for achieving immortality. One of the most promising tactics, he suggested is to transfer an individual's consciousness into a supercomputer before death. This could be done by using multimedia technologies (video, audio, CDs) to record all your thoughts, feelings and experience onto a computer equipped with artificial intelligence. The result: a real life ghost in the machine. Endowed with all your memories, the new computerized you would be able to chat and interact with people just as you would-except it would be doing so long after you had died.

In his book, ‘Dancing on the Grave’, British anthropologist Nigel Barely describes a trip to Africa during which a group of tribal elders explain their idea of reincarnation by visiting a local brewery. “You could see returned bottles through a plate glass window", Barely writes “entering via one door, whirling from machine to machine being endlessly refilled with squirting beer relabelled and pushed out through another door.... life, death, spirit and body”. Now you have seen (the elders) said. Though it comes from Africa, this little episode is a fitting metaphor for Western attitudes towards death: the body is a machine and death is a spanner in the works. But you don't have to postulate the existence of an eternal soul to acknowledge that there may be some things in the universe, like death, that we just can't fix.

  1. Arranged

  2. Stored

  3. Created

  4. Supplied
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The phrase 'Endowed with all your memories' means that the computerized version has been provided, equipped, or supplied with the person's complete memories. 'Endowed' in this context means to be furnished or gifted with a particular quality or attribute. 'Arranged' (A) and 'Stored' (B) don't capture the sense of being provided with, while 'Created' (C) is incorrect - the computer isn't creating memories but receiving them. 'Supplied' best matches the meaning.

Multiple choice

Choose the word most similar in meaning to the word 'postulate', as used in the passage.

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and select the most suitable answer according to the underlined word per corresponding number in the passage.

If the difference between life and death is a question of memory, could death's sting be parried by replacing the fragile human memory with an infallible computerized one? In his book Design for Dying completed earlier this year before he died from prostate cancer, psychologist and LSD guru Timothy Leary explored various strategies for achieving immortality. One of the most promising tactics, he suggested is to transfer an individual's consciousness into a supercomputer before death. This could be done by using multimedia technologies (video, audio, CDs) to record all your thoughts, feelings and experience onto a computer equipped with artificial intelligence. The result: a real life ghost in the machine. Endowed with all your memories, the new computerized you would be able to chat and interact with people just as you would-except it would be doing so long after you had died.

In his book, ‘Dancing on the Grave’, British anthropologist Nigel Barely describes a trip to Africa during which a group of tribal elders explain their idea of reincarnation by visiting a local brewery. “You could see returned bottles through a plate glass window", Barely writes “entering via one door, whirling from machine to machine being endlessly refilled with squirting beer relabelled and pushed out through another door.... life, death, spirit and body”. Now you have seen (the elders) said. Though it comes from Africa, this little episode is a fitting metaphor for Western attitudes towards death: the body is a machine and death is a spanner in the works. But you don't have to postulate the existence of an eternal soul to acknowledge that there may be some things in the universe, like death, that we just can't fix.

  1. Assume

  2. Stress

  3. Notify

  4. Negate
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The phrase 'postulate the existence of an eternal soul' means to assume or accept as true that there is an eternal soul, without necessarily having proof. 'Postulate' means to assume something as a basis for reasoning or to put forward as a basic truth. 'Assume' matches this meaning perfectly - to accept something as true without certainty. 'Stress' means emphasize, 'notify' means inform, and 'negate' means to deny or make ineffective - none of which match postulate's meaning.

Multiple choice

Directions: Identify that correct idiom or phrase to complete the sentence.

We got through _________with our perseverance.

  1. little times

  2. lean times

  3. fat times

  4. strong times
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Lean times refers to periods of scarcity, difficulty, or financial hardship. The idiom 'lean times' correctly completes the sentence about persevering through hard times. Option B is correct. The other options don't form recognized idioms - 'fat times' would mean prosperous times, opposite of what perseverance suggests.

Multiple choice

Directions: Identify that correct idiom or phrase to complete the sentence.

Death of her grandfather left her___________.

  1. squaring a cloud

  2. in a cloud

  3. on cloud nine

  4. under a cloud
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

To be under a cloud means to be under suspicion, in trouble, or experiencing a period of sadness or difficulty. Option D correctly completes the sentence - the grandfather's death would leave her in a state of gloom or suspicion. The other cloud-related idioms (cloud nine, squaring a cloud) don't fit the context of bereavement.

Multiple choice

Directions: Identify that correct idiom or phrase to complete the sentence.

Your father will _________for your mistake.

  1. beat you alive

  2. skin you alive

  3. bake you alive

  4. berate you alive
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

To skin someone alive is a hyperbolic expression meaning to scold or punish someone severely and harshly. Option B correctly captures this idiomatic threat of severe punishment. The other options (beat, bake, berate) with 'alive' don't form recognized English idioms.

Multiple choice

Directions: Identify that correct idiom or phrase to complete the sentence.

Britney ________when she topped her high school exams.

  1. skipped a boat

  2. skipped a beat

  3. skimped a boat

  4. skimped a beat
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

To skip a beat refers to a moment of excited, suspended emotion when your heart seems to pause - often from surprise, joy, or shock. Option B correctly completes the sentence - topping exams would cause this reaction. The other options use incorrect words (skimped, skipped a boat) that don't form this idiom.

Multiple choice

Directions: Identify that correct idiom or phrase to complete the sentence.

Jennifer got herself _____________.

  1. a new pleasing life

  2. a new taste in life

  3. a new ease in life

  4. a new lease of life
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The idiom 'a new lease of life' means to get a fresh start or new opportunity, often after a difficult period. 'Lease' here refers to having renewed life or energy. The other options don't match this established English idiom.

Multiple choice

Directions: Fill in the blank.

The _________ of the apartment was unbelievable; it was difficult to realize that men could live in such filth.

  1. immaculateness

  2. impropriety

  3. condition

  4. squalor
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

 Immaculateness is not appropriate because the nature of the sentence is negative.Impropriety has to do with behavior.Condition could be used, but is too neutral and does not clearly express the negativeness that is expressed.Squalor is correct because it accurately defines the condition  of filth.

Multiple choice

Directions: Fill in the blank.

The doctor prescribed a medicine for the _________ imaginary disease.

  1. agorophobic

  2. intern

  3. hypochondriac

  4. psycho
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

A hypochondriac is someone who abnormally and persistently worries about suffering from a serious illness, despite medical reassurance to the contrary. The term 'imaginary disease' directly points to this psychological condition where the symptoms are psychosomatic rather than physically present.

Multiple choice

Directions: Fill in the blanks.

Strindberg's plays are marked by his ______; he felt modern woman needed to ______ man and invalidate his masculinity.

  1. humanity, comfort

  2. misogyny, dominate

  3. wit, reinvigorate

  4. philosophy, abstract
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

August Strindberg, the Swedish playwright, was notorious for his misogynistic views that permeated his dramatic works. He believed modern women were threatening male dominance and sought to undermine traditional masculinity.

Multiple choice

Directions: Select the option that fills in the blanks most suitably (in the same order).

This ________ balance of payment must be seen along with an equally ________ problem of deficits in the government's own budget.

  1. expanding, puny

  2. deteriorating, indisposed

  3. harrowing, understood

  4. adverse, serious

  5. pronounced, exuberant
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

‘Equally ________ problem’ means both the fillers need to represent words of intensity and seriousness. Option (4) contains very simple, but most appropriate words to fill the blanks.