In this moral passage about life, choose the most appropriate word to complete the sentence "while others are full of ______ and pain."

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: pathos

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This question tests vocabulary and reading comprehension in a cloze passage that contrasts joyful events with painful ones. The sentence to complete is "Some experiences are pleasant and joyful while others are full of ______ and pain." The blank needs a literary or emotional word that naturally pairs with "pain" so that the whole phrase expresses intense sadness and suffering.


Given Data / Assumptions:

    The passage is about the variety of human experiences, some happy and some sad.
    The specific sentence describes experiences that are "full of ______ and pain".
    The options are abstract nouns with slightly literary or philosophical meanings.
    We assume the exam aims to test knowledge of higher level vocabulary commonly used in English literature and moral essays.


Concept / Approach:
The key concept here is the meaning of the word "pathos". In literature and everyday usage, "pathos" refers to a quality that evokes pity, deep sadness, or sorrow in a reader or observer. A classic phrase is "full of pathos and pain" to describe a moving and tragic situation. Therefore, the approach is to understand the meanings of each option and then choose the one that collocates naturally with "pain" and fits the emotional tone of the passage about human suffering.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Read the complete sentence with the blank: "Some experiences are pleasant and joyful while others are full of ______ and pain." Step 2: Identify the required meaning. The word must suggest sadness or deep emotional suffering. Step 3: Recall that "pathos" is a literary term describing a quality that arouses pity or sorrow. It is often used in contexts involving tragedy and intense emotion. Step 4: Insert each option and check the phrase: "full of ethos and pain", "full of mythos and pain", "full of echoes and pain", "full of pathos and pain", and "full of sorrows and pain". Only "full of pathos and pain" is a standard and elegant expression in English. Step 5: Confirm that "pathos" completes the contrast between pleasant, joyful experiences and sad, painful ones in a stylistically appropriate way.


Verification / Alternative check:
We can verify our answer by thinking of typical combinations seen in literature and moral essays. Writers frequently talk about "scenes full of pathos" or "a story full of pathos and pain", especially when describing tragic events. The passage is clearly philosophical and reflective, so a literary term is suitable. Also, other options do not convey the correct emotional content. Therefore, "pathos" is confirmed as the best fit for the blank.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:

    "ethos": Ethos refers to the characteristic spirit, moral values, or credibility of a culture or speaker. It does not mean sadness or suffering, so it does not match the phrase with "pain".
    "mythos": Mythos refers to a set of beliefs or myths, especially in literature or culture. It is not used to describe emotional suffering in this way.
    "echoes": While "echoes" can be poetic, the phrase "full of echoes and pain" is not a standard collocation and does not match the earlier idea of different types of experiences as well as "pathos" does.
    "sorrows": The phrase "full of sorrows and pain" is understandable but slightly redundant, since "sorrows" and "pain" overlap in meaning. Examination cloze passages often aim at a particular textbook collocation, and here that collocation is "pathos and pain".


Common Pitfalls:
Learners who are unfamiliar with the word "pathos" may be tempted by "sorrows" because it looks simpler and clearly relates to sadness. Another pitfall is confusing "ethos", "mythos", and "pathos", which are often taught together in rhetoric. Remember that ethos relates to character or credibility, mythos to myths or stories, and pathos to emotion and pity. In moral and narrative passages that describe tragic situations, "pathos" is the preferred term.


Final Answer:
The correct word to complete the sentence is "pathos".

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