In the following passage, some of the words have been left out. Read the passage carefully and then select the option that best fills the blank: It is a _____ that binds together all people in one common bond no matter what their religion, caste, language or history may be.

Introduction / Context:
This sentence continues the same passage on national integration. After defining national integration as combining all the people into a single whole, the passage explains what exactly performs this act of binding people together. The blank requires a noun that describes an emotional or psychological force connecting people beyond differences of religion, caste, language and history.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Sentence fragment: “It is a _____ that binds together all people in one common bond no matter what their religion, caste, language or history may be.”
• Options: sentiment, resources, essentials, finances.
• The pronoun “It” refers back to national integration.
• The sentence emphasises emotional unity across different backgrounds.

Concept / Approach:
A sentiment is a feeling or attitude shared by many people, such as patriotic sentiment or national sentiment. National integration is often described as a strong national sentiment that emotionally binds citizens together. Resources, essentials and finances are material or practical things, not feelings, so they do not fit the idea of an invisible bond across social differences.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Notice that the sentence emphasises binding people together irrespective of religion, caste, language or history.Such a binding force must be something internal, like feeling, emotion or shared identity.Option Resources: refers to materials or assets, like natural resources, which do not directly “bind” people emotionally.Option Essentials: refers to necessary things, but this is too vague and does not suggest an emotional bond.Option Finances: refers to money and economic matters, not a unifying feeling.Option Sentiment: describes a feeling or emotional attitude, which fits perfectly as the binding force of national integration.

Verification / Alternative check:
Read the completed sentence: “It is a sentiment that binds together all people in one common bond no matter what their religion, caste, language or history may be.” This clearly describes national integration as a shared national feeling or spirit. Replacing sentiment with resources or finances makes the sentence unnatural: material things do not automatically erase religious or caste differences, but shared sentiment can.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Resources are physical or economic assets like land, minerals or skilled people. Essentials usually mean basic necessary items (food, shelter, etc.). Finances relate to money and budgets. None of these words refers to an emotional unity across diverse groups. The passage emphasises a kind of feeling that makes people identify as members of the same nation, and sentiment is the only option that conveys this idea.

Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates may overthink and choose resources or finances because they often see these words in discussions about national development. However, the key phrase is “binds together all people in one common bond,” which is about emotional integration, not economic development. In passages about unity and identity, look for words like sentiment, feeling, spirit or bond as likely correct answers.

Final Answer:
The blank should be filled with sentiment, giving: “It is a sentiment that binds together all people in one common bond…”