In the following passage, some words have been left out. Read the passage carefully and select the correct answer for the blank. The promise of nuclear power has so far outweighed all of these concerns, and India has reason to be proud of its technology and determination to look for non fossil _____ in its energy planning.

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: alternatives

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This cloze passage is about energy planning and the search for cleaner options. The sentence focuses on India looking beyond fossil fuels and searching for other options in its energy strategy. You need to find the noun that best describes those other options in a natural and precise way. Understanding common collocations in environmental and policy related English is very important here.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Sentence fragment: determination to look for non fossil _____ in its energy planning.
  • Context: nuclear power, concerns, technology, and energy planning.
  • Options: compulsions, obligations, alternatives, constraints.
  • Non fossil clearly refers to non fossil fuel based possibilities.


Concept / Approach:
In energy and environmental discussions, the phrase non fossil alternatives is widely used to describe energy sources that do not rely on coal, oil or natural gas. Alternatives are things that can be chosen instead of something else. The other options, such as compulsions or obligations, describe pressures or duties and do not fit with the verb look for in this context. The word constraints refers to limitations rather than options. Therefore, we should select the noun that expresses the idea of substitute energy sources.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify that the sentence is about India searching for something in its energy planning.Step 2: The phrase non fossil signals that these are options that do not involve fossil fuels.Step 3: Recognise that the natural phrase in policy writing is non fossil alternatives, meaning different kinds of energy such as solar, wind, hydro and nuclear.Step 4: Insert alternatives into the sentence: look for non fossil alternatives in its energy planning.Step 5: Check that this fits the verb look for and expresses the idea of choosing different energy sources.Step 6: Compare with other options and verify that they do not match the meaning and collocation as well as alternatives does.


Verification / Alternative check:
Read the entire part of the passage with the chosen word: The promise of nuclear power has so far outweighed all of these concerns, and India has reason to be proud of its technology and determination to look for non fossil alternatives in its energy planning. This flows naturally and makes sense in discussions about sustainable energy. If we list examples, these alternatives include wind power, solar power and other renewable sources, which are indeed non fossil alternatives. The grammar and meaning remain clear and correct with this choice.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Compulsions: This word refers to pressures or forces that make someone act in a particular way. Looking for non fossil compulsions does not make sense in energy planning. Obligations: Obligations are duties or responsibilities, not options. The phrase non fossil obligations would be confusing and is not used in policy language. Constraints: Constraints are limits or restrictions. While energy planning certainly deals with constraints, the verb look for does not take constraints in this context when describing positive energy choices. None of these words describe alternative energy sources.


Common Pitfalls:
One common error in cloze tests is to ignore the preposition and verb combination around the blank. The combination look for normally takes words like alternatives, solutions, answers or opportunities, not compulsions or constraints. Another mistake is to focus only on the single word non fossil and think any serious sounding noun will work. To avoid such errors, always think about the whole phrase that would be used in real discussions. In environmental and energy planning texts, non fossil alternatives is a very standard collocation that you should recognise quickly.


Final Answer:
The noun that correctly completes the phrase is alternatives, giving the expression look for non fossil alternatives in its energy planning.

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