In the same passage, the next sentence reads: "If so, English is perhaps the most _____ lens through which to see animals." Select the option that best fills the blank to capture the author's critical view of English.

Introduction / Context:
This question continues the metaphor introduced earlier in the passage, where language is compared to a lens through which humans perceive the world. The author specifically comments on English as a lens for seeing animals and clearly holds a critical view, suggesting that the language misrepresents them. The word you choose for the blank must express this critical attitude and match the negative tone developed in the rest of the passage.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Sentence: If so, English is perhaps the most _____ lens through which to see animals.
• Options: distorting, disturbing, popular, useful.
• Later lines in the passage mention that English has perpetuated a cross eyed view of birds, beasts, fish and fowl, and that the word "animal" can suggest baseness and vulgarity.
• The passage criticises how English shapes our view of animals, not praises it.

Concept / Approach:
The key idea is that English produces a wrong or biased image of animals, not simply that it is widely used or that it causes emotional disturbance. A lens that produces a wrong image is described as distorting. By calling English the most distorting lens, the author emphasises that English words and expressions twist or misrepresent animals. Disturbing relates to causing emotional upset, popular refers to being widely liked, and useful suggests helpfulness. None of those capture the precise notion of altering the image itself, which is central to the lens metaphor.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Note the metaphor: English is a lens through which we see animals. We need an adjective that describes a negative quality of a lens. Step 2: Consider distorting. A distorting lens bends light or changes shapes, making objects appear different from what they really are. This fits perfectly with the idea that English gives a cross eyed view of animals. Step 3: Consider disturbing. Disturbing describes something that upsets or worries us, but a disturbing lens is not a standard expression and does not directly address misrepresentation. Step 4: Consider popular. Popular lens would simply mean widely used, which is neutral or positive, not critical. The passage clearly criticises the way English labels animals. Step 5: Consider useful. Useful lens suggests helpfulness, again contradicting the negative description that follows about animal meanings implying vulgarity. Step 6: Distorting therefore is the only option that joins naturally with lens and supports the claim that English has perpetuated a cross eyed view of animals.

Verification / Alternative check:
Read the surrounding sentences with distorting: Language, they say, is the lens through which human beings perceive the world. If so, English is perhaps the most distorting lens through which to see animals. It has perpetuated a cross eyed view of birds, beasts, fish and fowl. The flow is smooth and the criticism consistent. Replacing distorting with popular or useful would make the second sentence positive, while the third sentence remains negative, causing a clash in tone. This internal consistency check confirms that distorting is the intended word.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Disturbing focuses on emotional reaction and does not sit naturally in the phrase disturbing lens; we usually speak of disturbing images or disturbing news, not disturbing lenses.
Popular and useful both carry favourable or at least neutral meanings and would not match an argument that accuses English of shaping a biased and low view of animals, especially when animal related terms are said to imply baseness and vulgarity.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to ignore the metaphor and the specific noun lens, and simply pick a word that seems negative, such as disturbing. However, cloze test blanks must fit both the literal combination (adjective plus noun) and the wider passage meaning. Distorting is frequently used with lens or mirror in physics and everyday language, so it collocates well. Training yourself to notice collocations and extended metaphors will greatly improve your accuracy in such questions.

Final Answer:
The correct word to fill the blank is distorting, giving: English is perhaps the most distorting lens through which to see animals.