Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: activity
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This cloze test item checks whether you can choose the most natural noun to complete a common economic expression. The phrase 'kick-start economic ________ to increase employment' clearly points to the idea of restarting or stimulating overall economic functioning. You must identify the noun that collocates well with 'economic' and 'kick-start' in formal economic and journalistic writing.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
In economics and public policy discussions, the usual phrase is 'economic activity' to refer to the total level of production, trade, and services in an economy. Governments often aim to 'stimulate economic activity' or 'kick-start economic activity' after a slowdown. 'Happening' is informal and refers to an event, not a broad macroeconomic concept. 'Performance' can be used with 'economic', as in 'economic performance', but the phrase 'kick-start economic performance' is not standard. 'Acts' refers to individual actions or pieces of legislation, which does not fit the broad idea of overall economic functioning. Therefore, 'activity' is the natural, idiomatic choice.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the core idea: the government wants to kick-start the economy so that more people get employment.
Step 2: Recall common phrases: economists talk about 'economic activity', 'economic growth', and 'economic output'.
Step 3: Test 'activity': 'kick-start economic activity to increase employment' clearly and naturally expresses the idea of restarting the economy's functioning.
Step 4: Test 'happening': 'kick-start economic happening' is not a recognised expression and sounds incorrect.
Step 5: Test 'performance': while 'economic performance' is a valid phrase, 'kick-start economic performance' is awkward; performance is usually assessed, not kick-started.
Step 6: Test 'acts': 'kick-start economic acts' is ungrammatical and has no established meaning in economics.
Step 7: Conclude that 'activity' is the correct noun.
Verification / Alternative check:
Verify by reading the full sentence: '…to mitigate people's material distress or to kick-start economic activity to increase employment.' This is exactly how economists and policymakers talk about using public spending to boost jobs. Replace 'activity' with the other options and the phrase either becomes ungrammatical or loses its natural flow. For instance, 'kick-start economic happening' or 'kick-start economic acts' would never appear in a serious article, and 'kick-start economic performance' is not a standard collocation.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
'Happening' is too informal and typically used for single events, not aggregate economic processes. 'Performance' refers to how well something functions, but it is not normally 'kick-started'; instead, one might 'improve economic performance'. 'Acts' suggests discrete actions or laws, which does not match the idea of broad, ongoing economic operations. Only 'activity' captures the sense of continuous production, trade, and business operations that governments aim to stimulate.
Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates may be tempted by 'performance' because 'economic performance' is a familiar phrase. However, careful reading shows that the verb 'kick-start' requires something that can realistically be 'started' or 'restarted', which fits 'activity' much better. Another pitfall is selecting 'happening' due to its everyday feel, but exam passages on economics typically use more formal, technical vocabulary. Always consider both meaning and common collocations when answering cloze questions.
Final Answer:
The correct word is 'activity', giving the phrase 'kick-start economic activity'.
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