In the same passage, choose the correct word to fill the blank: “Men, in all _____ may have been prone to this disease; and indeed, we in India may not have been infected by it to the same extent as people in western countries.”

Introduction / Context:
The blank here appears in a reflective sentence about human nature. The writer is stating that people in different periods of history may have shown the same tendency towards a certain unhealthy lifestyle or attitude. Therefore, the missing word must indicate time periods rather than physical places or fields of study.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- Passage fragment: “Men, in all _____ may have been prone to this disease; and indeed, we in India may not have been infected by it to the same extent...”
- Options: spheres, streams, areas, ages, regions.
- Context: the word “all” before the blank suggests a general phrase about historical time, not geography or subject matter.

Concept / Approach:
The common English phrase is “in all ages”, meaning at all times in history. In contrast, “in all spheres” or “in all regions” would refer to different fields or places, which does not fit the idea of historical periods. Our goal is to recognise this familiar idiom and choose the word that correctly completes it.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Examine the structure “Men, in all ____ may have been prone to this disease”. The phrase seems to be talking about human beings across time. Step 2: Substitute “ages”: “Men, in all ages may have been prone to this disease.” This reads very naturally and matches a standard expression meaning “in all periods of history”. Step 3: Try “spheres”: “Men, in all spheres may have been prone...” This would suggest different fields such as politics or science, which is not what the writer appears to be emphasising. Step 4: Try “streams” or “areas”: these collocate more with streams of study or areas of work and sound odd in this general philosophical sentence. Step 5: Try “regions”: that would make the phrase about different geographical regions, which again does not match the idea of a tendency present throughout history. Step 6: Therefore, “ages” is clearly the most appropriate and idiomatic choice.

Verification / Alternative check:
If we consider standard essay writing in English, the expression “men in all ages have suffered from...” or “men in all ages have believed...” is frequent. This pattern strongly supports “ages” as the correct answer. Additionally, the rest of the sentence contrasts people in India with those in western countries, which further confirms that the first clause is about all time, not all places, because places are discussed later separately.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- Spheres: would suggest different domains or professions, not time periods.
- Streams: often relates to streams of education or currents of thought, not holistic historical time.
- Areas: indicates places or fields, which are not the intended meaning here.
- Regions: specifically geographical areas; using this would confuse the contrast that comes later in the sentence between India and western countries.

Common Pitfalls:
Students may be drawn to words like “spheres” because they sound formal and literary. However, successful exam performance requires recognising standard idioms such as “in all ages”. When more than one option seems plausible, always read the entire sentence and think about whether it discusses time, place or field of activity. That reflection usually points clearly to the correct choice.

Final Answer:
The blank should be filled with ages, yielding the phrase “Men, in all ages may have been prone to this disease.”