In the passage, choose the verb that best completes the sentence: ethical thinking which ___________________ new experiments with the idea of truth and healing in India.

Introduction / Context:

This cloze passage blank focuses on the verb that describes what ethical thinking does in relation to new experiments with truth and healing. The passage is philosophical and formal in style, and the verb needs to match both this tone and the grammatical structure of the sentence. Your job is to pick the word that naturally expresses a strong requirement for such experiments.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Sentence fragment: ethical thinking which ___________________ new experiments with the idea of truth and healing in India.
• Options: necessitate, ask, take, oblige.
• Ethical thinking is the subject of the clause introduced by which.
• We assume that the passage is arguing that serious ethical reflection demands or requires experimentation with new ideas of truth and healing.

Concept / Approach:

In formal academic English, when we want to say that one thing makes another thing necessary, we often use the verb necessitate. For example, social change necessitates legal reform. The other options either do not fit grammatically (ask without an object or for) or do not collocate naturally in this structure. We must choose the verb that clearly and powerfully indicates requirement.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

Consider similar constructions: Changing social conditions necessitate new laws, or Modern technology necessitates new approaches to education. In each case, the verb necessitate naturally links a cause with its required effect. Replacing it with ask, take, or oblige would produce sentences that either require more words or change the meaning. This pattern shows that necessitate is the best choice in the passage.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Ask is wrong because it needs a preposition and often a human subject or object, and ask new experiments sounds incomplete.

Take is wrong since ethical thinking does not take new experiments; rather, it demands or requires them.

Oblige is wrong because it is usually used in the pattern oblige someone to do something, which does not match the noun phrase new experiments as a direct object.

Common Pitfalls:

One pitfall is ignoring subject verb agreement and collocation, and choosing a word that vaguely fits the context but creates an awkward sentence. Another common problem is not recognising formal vocabulary like necessitate and preferring more familiar but less precise verbs. Building a strong bank of formal verbs helps significantly in cloze tests based on editorial style passages.

Final Answer:

The correct verb is necessitate, giving ethical thinking which necessitates new experiments with the idea of truth and healing in India.