Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: mbabm
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This letter pattern question presents a string with several blanks and repeated blocks such as bam and amb. You must choose the group of letters that, when inserted into the blanks in order, yields a smooth repetition of a short pattern. These questions test the ability to see cyclic structures in letter sequences.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
We substitute each candidate string into the blanks, then inspect the resulting word like sequence. The correct completion will show a consistent cyclic motif where shorter units like bam or amb recur in a organised pattern. Incorrect choices will create awkward or broken combinations that do not repeat neatly.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Focus on the visible fixed segments bam, amb, and the ending bam. These suggest that the pattern may revolve around the repetition and interleaving of bam and amb.
Step 2: Consider option A, mbabm, and fill each underscore in order.
Step 3: After substitution, the long string aligns into overlapping segments like mbam, bamb, ambm, mbam, and so on, forming a visually consistent pattern.
Step 4: The repeated appearance of bam and amb structures makes the entire sequence look deliberate and symmetrical.
Verification / Alternative check:
When other options such as abmab, mabma, or ambbm are inserted, the resulting strings contain irregular sequences like abma, bmab, or ambb, which do not match a tidy cyclic arrangement. They create mismatched groupings of a, b, and m, indicating that the underlying pattern is broken. In contrast, option A maintains the repetition of the small units bam and amb with a balanced distribution of letters, which is characteristic of the intended design in such puzzles.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Each alternative option leads to letter clusters that do not recur systematically. For example, using abmab produces overlapping fragments that are not recognisable as cycles of bam or amb. Similarly, mabma and ambbm yield unsymmetrical and awkward compositions. Because the question aims at a regular repeating structure, any completion that lacks that structure must be incorrect.
Common Pitfalls:
Test takers sometimes focus too strongly on trying to read real words from these strings. In many competitive exams, the goal is not to form meaningful dictionary words but to build consistent repeating patterns of letters. Another mistake is to check only the beginning of the pattern and ignore the impact of later letters when the sequence wraps around.
Final Answer:
The five letter string that best completes the pattern is mbabm.
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