Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: important
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This cloze test question continues the passage on energy in India. The sentence describes the main sources of energy used today, such as coal, natural gas, hydro electricity, and nuclear power. Your task is to choose the adjective that best describes these sources in a neutral informational passage, keeping both meaning and tone in mind.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
Coal, natural gas, hydro electricity, and nuclear power are the primary commercial energy sources in many countries, including India. In a neutral academic or exam passage, they are usually described as important sources of energy. The word vital is also strong and could be used, but important is more common in standard textbook style. Insignificant is directly opposite to the intended meaning, and expensive refers to cost, not to importance as sources.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Verification / Alternative check:
Look at typical sentences from school level geography or economics books: The most important sources of commercial energy are coal, petroleum, and natural gas. This exact phrasing is very common and fits the pattern used in competitive exams. While vital is also positive, exam cloze tests usually favour the most standard textbook collocation. Important also agrees with the neutral tone of the rest of the passage, which simply explains and classifies energy sources.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates pick vital because it feels stronger than important. However, cloze tests are often based on very standard textbook sentences, where important is more typical. Another error is to focus only on grammar and ignore meaning, which might lead someone to pick any grammatically possible adjective. Always consider both how natural the phrase sounds and how well it matches the factual context of the passage.
Final Answer:
The correct word for the second blank is important.
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