Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: understanding
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question is taken from a short passage that describes how rapid developments in science and technology have transformed the modern world. The specific sentence we must complete states that these developments have given human beings a deeper blank of nature. The task is to choose the most appropriate word that expresses what science really gives us in relation to nature. Cloze tests like this check vocabulary, sense of collocation, and understanding of how ideas fit together in a paragraph about scientific progress.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
To solve this type of English passage question, we must focus on meaning and collocation. The key idea is what science provides in relation to nature. Science lets us know how nature works, so the phrase deeper understanding of nature is a very common and natural collocation in English. We compare each option with the sentence and see which one expresses the intended meaning in a grammatically correct and idiomatic way while remaining consistent with the positive tone of the passage.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Read the whole sentence mentally: This has given man a deeper _____ of nature.
Step 2: Try option understanding: deeper understanding of nature sounds natural and expresses increased knowledge.
Step 3: Try option control: deeper control of nature sounds awkward because control is not usually described as deeper.
Step 4: Try option management: deeper management of nature is not an idiomatic phrase and sounds forced.
Step 5: Try option questioning: deeper questioning of nature changes the meaning from knowledge to doubt, which does not fit the passage tone.
Step 6: Try option suspicion: deeper suspicion of nature makes no sense in a context praising scientific progress.
Step 7: Conclude that understanding is the only option that fits both meaning and natural English usage.
Verification / Alternative check:
We can verify the choice by recalling common academic and scientific phrases. Textbooks and articles frequently talk about gaining a better or deeper understanding of nature, of the universe, or of physical laws. The phrase deeper understanding of nature is therefore not only grammatically correct but also very common. If we replaced it with deeper control of nature, the sentence would sound strange and heavy, which confirms that our original choice matches standard usage in educated English writing.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Control: The phrase deeper control of nature is not standard. One can say greater control over nature, but the preposition and usual wording are different, and the focus of the passage is knowledge, not power. Management: Management usually refers to handling resources or organizations, not to fundamental knowledge of nature, so the meaning is off. Questioning: Deeper questioning of nature would suggest doubt or inquiry, whereas the passage focuses on results of science, namely knowledge already obtained. Suspicion: Suspicion is a negative emotion related to distrust, which completely clashes with the positive tone about scientific development.
Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to choose control because science sometimes appears to give human beings power over natural forces. However, the wording deeper control is unusual, and the sentence is clearly focused on intellectual gain. Another pitfall is to focus only on the individual word and not on the whole phrase. Students may feel that several words could fit, but when read as a full phrase, only one option sounds natural in educated English. Paying attention to collocations and typical patterns of usage is essential to avoid such errors.
Final Answer:
The correct word to complete the sentence is understanding, giving the phrase deeper understanding of nature.
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