In the same historical passage, choose the correct word to fill the blank: “Under the Defense of India Act, it gave more power to the police to arrest persons to stop processions with ____________ movements and actions.”

Introduction:
This cloze question asks you to select a word that describes the type of movements and actions in processions that the British government wanted to stop under the Defense of India Act. The context is political unrest and the authorities granting more powers to the police. The correct word must capture how officials viewed these processions, justifying arrest and control in their eyes, even if those views were unfair or harsh.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- Sentence fragment: to stop processions with ____________ movements and actions. - Options: out of the ordinary, suspicious, cautious, skeptical. - The passage mentions increased police powers and repressive measures. - The blank refers to how authorities judged the behaviour in these processions.

Concept / Approach:
In security and political contexts, suspicious is the usual adjective used to describe behaviour that is considered potentially dangerous or subversive by authorities. It suggests that the movements and actions raised doubts or fears of trouble. Out of the ordinary is a phrase, not a single adjective, and is less precise for legal or official language. Cautious describes careful behaviour, which would reduce risk, not increase it. Skeptical is about doubt in thinking, not about physical movement or actions. Therefore, suspicious is the best fit.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Imagine how a government document or official might describe processions that they want to control or ban. Step 2: Recall common terms such as suspicious behaviour, suspicious activity, or suspicious movements, all used in law and order contexts. Step 3: Insert suspicious into the sentence: to stop processions with suspicious movements and actions, and notice that it sounds natural and formal. Step 4: Test out of the ordinary, cautious, and skeptical in the same place and see that they are either wordy or semantically inappropriate. Step 5: Confirm that suspicious is the only choice that aligns with the overall tone of policing and repression in the passage.

Verification / Alternative check:
Compare with real world usage: Security forces monitor crowds for suspicious movements and actions or The law allows detention on grounds of suspicious activity. These examples show the direct link between suspicious and actions that authorities consider threatening. Out of the ordinary is more informal and would not normally appear in formal legislative language. Cautious movements would imply careful, non threatening behaviour, and skeptical movements has no clear meaning at all.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Out of the ordinary is a multi word expression and, while it can mean unusual, it lacks the strong negative connotation that justifies arrests in a political context. Cautious suggests that people are being careful, which would not be a reason to arrest them. Skeptical describes an attitude of doubt, usually about ideas, and does not describe physical actions or movements. None of these options provides the precise, security related nuance conveyed by suspicious.

Common Pitfalls:
Some learners may choose out of the ordinary because they focus only on the idea of unusual behaviour. However, cloze passages often require you to pick words that fit typical collocations, such as suspicious movement or suspicious activity, especially in legal or political narratives. Learning these common combinations and paying attention to tone and context will help you avoid such traps.

Final Answer:
suspicious is the correct word to complete the phrase processions with suspicious movements and actions.