Read the passage about modern life and choose the correct word to fill the blank: “Modern man is imprisoned by his time-table and his routine. His life is all care and _____.”

Introduction / Context:
This question is a vocabulary based fill-in-the-blank item within a larger passage about modern life. The sentence describes how modern human life is dominated by schedules and routine. The phrase “His life is all care and _____” requires a noun that collocates naturally with “care” to express emotional stress or mental tension. Understanding typical word combinations in English is essential for choosing the correct option.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- Passage fragment: “Modern man is imprisoned by his time-table and his routine. His life is all care and _____.”
- Options: wisdom, success, worry, anxiety, fatigue.
- Context: the writer is criticising the tense and pressured nature of modern existence, not praising it.

Concept / Approach:
In English, the phrase “care and anxiety” or “care and worry” are common collocations, especially in older, formal writing. The surrounding lines speak of imprisonment by routine, suggesting mental strain rather than positive qualities like wisdom or success. We therefore look for a word that pairs naturally with “care” to express emotional burden. Among the options, “anxiety” is both semantically appropriate and part of a well-known phrase “care and anxiety”.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the emotional tone of the sentence. Words like “imprisoned”, “time-table” and “routine” suggest stress and lack of freedom, not joy or achievement. Step 2: Evaluate option A: “wisdom”. “Care and wisdom” is not a standard pairing, and wisdom is positive, which clashes with the overall negative tone. Step 3: Evaluate option B: “success”. The phrase “care and success” is unusual, and success would contradict the complaint about imprisonment. Step 4: Evaluate option C: “worry”. This word does fit the idea of mental strain. However, the more formal and traditional phrase seen in essays is “care and anxiety”. Step 5: Evaluate option D: “anxiety”. It expresses persistent nervousness and stress, fully matching the context. The collocation “care and anxiety” is idiomatic. Step 6: Evaluate option E: “fatigue”. While fatigue does convey tiredness, the phrase “care and fatigue” is less standard than “care and anxiety”. The passage emphasises emotional tension more than physical tiredness. Step 7: Based on meaning and collocation, “anxiety” is the best fit for the blank.

Verification / Alternative check:
If we insert each option into the sentence, only “anxiety” produces a smooth, natural, literary-sounding expression: “His life is all care and anxiety.” This phrase clearly conveys the constant worry and mental pressure experienced by modern individuals. “Care and worry” is possible, but less elevated in tone and not as frequently found in similar texts. Thus, option D aligns best with both style and meaning.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- Wisdom: positive mental quality, not a burden; does not match the negative context.
- Success: suggests achievement; again not a source of imprisonment in this passage.
- Worry: close in meaning but not the classic collocation expected in such literary passages.
- Fatigue: refers mainly to physical tiredness rather than the mental pressure suggested by “care”.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes over-focus on meaning alone and choose “worry” because it seems obviously related. However, high-quality exam passages often rely on fixed phrases that appear in essays and literature. Recognising such collocations (care and anxiety, hopes and fears, aches and pains) improves accuracy in such questions, especially when two options seem semantically similar.

Final Answer:
The appropriate word to complete the sentence is anxiety, giving the phrase “His life is all care and anxiety.”