CAT 2025 Lesson : Fill in the Blanks - Other Strategies

2. Other strategies

2.1 Context

Sometimes you have two or more sentences, and have to select the correct option based on the context and the information provided. You should understand the key message of the paragraph, and then select the appropriate option based on vocabulary (syntactical meaning) as well as logic. These can be FIBs with one or two blanks.

Example 20

The sentences below contain blank spaces, each indicating an omitted word or phrase. Beneath the sentence are four sets of words. Choose the set that best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

I somehow summoned the nerve to knock on his office door to ask if he might consider teaching an unofficial course in which he would meet once a week with undergraduates like us to answer questions about anything we might ask. The whole thing would be informal - no homework, no tests, no grades, and no course credit. I knew he was a/an ______________ with no patience for bureaucracy, and was hoping the__________ of structure would appeal to him.

(1) iconoclast, lack
(2) sceptic, mention
(3) maverick, arrear
(4) innovator, expression

Solution

We can solve this question by understanding its message. The author is requesting someone (possibly a professor) to hold an informal class once a week.

Based on this logic, we can easily infer that lack is the only choice suitable for the second blank. The only option similar in meaning is arrear, which is not grammatically suitable (typically arrear is used in plural).

Mention and expression do not convey the informal structure, and can be eliminated.

Iconoclast means a person who attacks or criticizes cherished beliefs or institutions. As such a person would have no patience with bureaucracy and would like the lack of structure being proposed.

Sceptic (meaning a person inclined to question or doubt accepted opinions) is similar in meaning.
Maverick (meaning an unorthodox or independent-minded person) is also suitable. However, we have already eliminated options (2) and (3).

Innovator can also be eliminated using the same reasoning. Therefore, option (1) is the correct choice.

Answer: (1) iconoclast, lack

Example 21

The question below contains a blank space. Beneath the sentence are four words. Choose the word that best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.
[FMS 2010]

New concerns about growing religious tension in Northern India were ________________ this week after at least fifty people were killed and hundreds injured or arrested in rioting between Hindus and Muslims.

(1) invalidated (2) restrained (3) fuelled (4) lessened

Solution

This question can be solved in two ways – we can either select fuelled outright if we know its idiomatic reference (meaning boosted, increased or stimulated).

We can also use logic to solve this. Fuelled is the only word which implies that the concerns are increasing. All the other options are reducing or nullifying – invalidated means nullified, whereas restrained and lessened both mean reduced. Since people were killed and injured, we can infer that the concerns of religious tension will increase and not decrease. Therefore, we can eliminate options (1), (2) and (4).

Answer: (3) fuelled

Example 22

Read the following paragraph and choose the correct alternative for the blanks:

An estimated 120 million cars will be equipped with voice-recognition systems next year. Within five years, the vast majority of new vehicles will have some form of voice recognition. That means more drivers will have access to technology that alerts them to a sale at a nearby store — via an audio __________ or an on-screen prompt — or ensures that their latte is ready when they swing by their local Starbucks. But manufacturers, marketers, and businesses may gain even more. Once artificial intelligence becomes better at understanding and __________ speech across a range of __________, accents, and colloquialisms, cars will be able to __________ even deeper insight into drivers’ behaviour and share that information with other companies.

(1) cue, interpreting, dialects, glean
(2) prompt, translating, languages, extract
(3) reminder, explaining, tones, draw
(4) signal, comprehending, voices, derive

Solution

In this paragraph, the author is talking about voice-recognition systems in cars, and how these will benefit customers as well as manufacturers, marketers, and businesses. Let us consider the blanks.

The first blank is describing a prompt through audio or on-screen. We can infer that the word filling in the blank should be similar in meaning to prompt. Therefore we can select either cue (meaning signal, prompt) or signal for this blank. Prompt itself is not suitable, because it would then be repeated – the correct usage would have been via an audio or on-screen prompt. Similarly, reminder is not preferable, as the system is informing drivers about a sale at a nearby store, not reminding them.

The second blank is about understanding speech – therefore, we can select from interpreting and comprehending. The voice-recognition program may not translate or explain speech, it only needs to act on the speech after understanding it. Therefore, we can eliminate options (2) and (3), since these words are not suitable for the first two blanks.

For the third blank, we can see that the author is trying to describe people talking differently – meaning the same thing but using different accents or words (colloquialism means using colloquial or informal language). Therefore, dialects (meaning form of language endemic to a particular group or region) is more suitable than voices for this blank. Dialect is similar in class to accents, and more suitable logically.

The fourth blank can be suitably filled with glean (meaning obtain information from different sources). Thus, option (1) is the correct choice.

Answer: (1) cue, interpreting, dialects, glean

2.2 Idioms and word pairs

Some sentences will have an idiomatic phrase, and you have to understand the meaning of the idiom to fill in the blanks correctly. This is an extension of vocabulary.

Idioms are covered in detail in the Analogies lesson.

Similarly, you might have words which are commonly used in pairs. You could be asked to fill in both these words, or just one. Some commonly used pairs are given here.

Word pair	Meaning
Back and forth	Backwards and forwards We have been going back and forth for hours, let us make a decision now.
Beck and call	To always be ready to obey Meera keeps her maid at her beck and call all the time.
Black and white	Straight-forward right and wrong (no grey areas) I cannot see this situation in black and white, there is something for both sides.
Body and soul	(of a person) Completely Gandhi dedicated himself to India’s Independence body and soul.
Brick and mortar	Physical business (unlike an online business) The rise of Amazon is a threat to brick and mortar stores.
Chalk and cheese	Completely different They may be sisters, but they are as different as chalk and cheese.
Cloak and dagger	Mysterious, espionage The movie Argo shows how the CIA rescued six Embassy officials from Iran in a cloak and dagger operation.
Cut and dried	Definite, completely clear The contract is cut and dried, there is no ambiguity.
Dead or alive	Either dead or alive We must catch the spy dead or alive.
Down and out	Completely destitute (no money, no place to live, no prospects) There are many successful people who were down and out earlier.
Flesh and blood	Member of one’s family I could not give the police his location, after all, he is my flesh and blood.
Give and take	Compromise All negotiations require give and take to be successful.
Word pair	Meaning
Hammer and tongs	Enthusiastically, aggressively The neighbour’s children are fighting hammer and tongs.
Hem and haw	Indecisive, hesitating, evading After a lot of hemming and hawing, she admitted to breaking the window.
High and dry	Stranded in a difficult situation You left me high and dry when you ran off.
Ins and outs	Intricate details As a newcomer to the firm, it took me some time to learn the ins and outs.
Law and order	Situation where the rules are obeyed The military established law and order in the rioting city.
Life and death	Vitally important The success of this company is a matter of life and death for me.
More or less	Somewhat This tree is more or less 500 years old.
Nice and easy	Slowly, carefully, gently Set the glass bowl down nice and easy.
Null and void	Cancelled or invalid The agreement became null and void the moment it was proved that you forged her signature.
Peaches and cream	Nice complexion, easy process Getting a job will be peaches and cream for you as a war hero.
Pros and cons	Advantages and disadvantages She never makes a decision without analysing the pros and cons.
Rain or shine	Irrespective of the weather I go for a run every morning, come rain or shine.
Rhyme or reason	No reason, no reasonable explanation He was imprisoned for no rhyme or reason.
Safe and sound	Safe My missing sister turned up safe and sound in her friend’s house.
Short and sweet	Brief, but pleasant and relevant Keep your speech short and sweet.
Sooner or later	Eventually You will have to make up for your mistakes sooner or later.
Spick and span	Extremely neat and clean She keeps her apartment spick and span.
Stars and stripes	The US flag Patriotism is popular now, and celebrities are wearing the Stars and Stripes.
To and fro	Backwards and forwards He has been walking to and fro for the last hour.
Touch and go	Uncertain The success of grandfather’s surgery is touch and go.
Trials and tribulations	Tests of one’s patience and endurance I suffered the trials and tribulations of military training to become an officer.

Example 23

The question below contains a blank space. Beneath the sentence are four words. Choose the word that best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

It is one of those gratuitous incidents without__________ or reason; it is entirely odd and there is no reason why it should be funny.

(1) cause (2) rhyme (3) logic (4) emotion

Solution

As we have learnt, no rhyme or reason means no reasonable explanation, and therefore, we can immediately select option (2) as the correct choice.

Logic is also a suitable option for this blank, but rhyme is more suitable as it is a commonly used phrase.

Answer: (2) rhyme

Example 24

The question below contains a blank space. Beneath the sentence are four words. Choose the word that best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

Workplace bullying and harassment has many guises. Sometimes, it is gendered. Sometimes it is racist. For women of colour, it’s often both. We have no idea of the trials and ___________ that many employees face.

(1) disadvantage
(2) issues
(3) tribulations
(4) harassment

Solution

Trials and tribulations is a commonly used expression, which means difficult experiences, problems. Therefore, option (3) should be the correct choice.

All the other words are suitable in meaning for the blank, and we need to know this usage to get the correct answer.

Answer: (3) tribulations

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