Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: time
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This blank is part of the same passage about the stressful life of modern human beings. After stating that life is full of care and anxiety, the author adds that the person has almost no freedom for anything except work and earning. The gap must be filled with a noun that expresses what modern individuals lack because their days are dominated by duties and their occupation.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- Passage fragment: “He does not have _____ for anything but his duties and occupation for making money.”
- Options: resources, time, material, money, energy.
- Context: modern life is over-scheduled and over-burdened, suggesting a shortage of free time.
Concept / Approach:
The structure “does not have _____ for anything but ...” commonly takes words like “time”, “energy” or “patience”. Here the context emphasises a busy time-table and routine. Therefore, “time” is the most natural and idiomatic noun to use. The other options either do not fit the idiom or change the overall meaning in an unconvincing way.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Think about what modern individuals usually complain about when their schedules are full: they say they do not have time for hobbies, family or rest.
Step 2: Insert “time” into the sentence: “He does not have time for anything but his duties and occupation for making money.” This sounds natural and accurately expresses the problem described by the writer.
Step 3: Check option A: “resources”. The phrase “does not have resources for anything but his duties” feels awkward, and resources usually refer to money, materials or assets, not the daily schedule.
Step 4: Check option C: “material”. “Material for anything” does not make sense in this context and does not relate to time-tables.
Step 5: Check option D: “money”. Saying he does not have money for anything but his duties is illogical, because duties and occupation are usually how he earns money in the first place.
Step 6: Check option E: “energy”. While people do say “I do not have energy for anything else”, the main theme here is being imprisoned by time-table and routine, so “time” matches more directly.
Step 7: Conclude that “time” is the most appropriate word for the blank.
Verification / Alternative check:
Reading the completed sentence with “time” naturally links with the earlier description of being imprisoned by routine. The passage is criticising the way time is fully occupied by earning activities, leaving no time for leisure, contemplation or social life. Other words fail to capture this central idea. Therefore, the choice of “time” is fully justified both grammatically and thematically.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- Resources: too broad and vague; does not echo the time-table theme.
- Material: semantically unrelated to time or schedule in this sentence.
- Money: would be contradictory, because his occupation is exactly for money; he is not short of money but short of time.
- Energy: close in concept but less accurate than “time” given the explicit focus on routine and timetables.
Common Pitfalls:
Candidates sometimes pick “money” because it appears later in the sentence and they associate modern life with money problems. However, the structure “does not have time for anything but...” is a very common English expression that should be recognised instantly. Paying attention to such fixed patterns makes this type of question straightforward.
Final Answer:
The correct word to complete the sentence is time, giving “He does not have time for anything but his duties and occupation for making money.”
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