Vocabulary – Choose the option that best expresses the meaning of the highlighted word in the sentence. Sentence: The attitude of Western countries towards the Third-World countries is rather “callous,” to say the least.

Introduction / Context:
“Callous” describes a person or policy that is emotionally hardened and shows no sympathy. In international-relations commentary, labeling an attitude as callous criticizes its lack of compassion toward suffering in poorer nations. We must pick the closest meaning among the options.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Target word: callous.
• Context: moral evaluation of national attitudes/policies.
• Options range from neutral stance (passive) to moral qualities (unkind, unfeeling).

Concept / Approach:
The best single-word synonym is “unfeeling,” which directly captures emotional hardness. “Unkind” is broader and can include active cruelty; “passive” refers to inactivity, not lack of feeling; “cursed” is irrelevant and archaic in this context.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Paraphrase: “their attitude is unfeeling” reads naturally and preserves the evaluative thrust.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• passive: About action level, not emotional sensitivity.
• unkind: Might fit partially but lacks the “insensate” nuance.
• cursed: Not semantically related to empathy.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing inactivity with insensitivity. Policies can be actively harmful yet “unfeeling”; conversely, passivity might be empathetic but ineffective.

Final Answer:
unfeeling