Vocabulary in context: in the passage about the power of thought, choose the noun that best completes the clause "That is why we give so much importance to ______, seeking divine blessings before embarking on any project."

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: invocation

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
The passage argues that thought is powerful and that we therefore attach great value to mental and spiritual preparation before starting any project. The sentence with the blank states, "That is why we give so much importance to ______, seeking divine blessings before embarking on any project as we know that positive thinking is a strong force that can be harnessed for the welfare and success of all." The missing noun must name the act associated with seeking divine blessings.


Given Data / Assumptions:
The act in question is directly followed by the phrase seeking divine blessings.
The context is spiritual or religious preparation rather than technical or emotional activity.
Options include fiction, affection, invocation, construction and reflection.
The rest of the passage highlights positive thinking and mental focus for success.


Concept / Approach:
Invocation is the noun for the act of calling upon a deity, spirit or higher power, especially at the beginning of a ceremony or undertaking. In many cultures, people invoke divine blessings before a project. Fiction refers to imaginative literature, affection refers to feelings of love, construction refers to building, and reflection refers to thoughtful consideration. Only invocation fits the pattern of seeking divine blessings as a religious or spiritual call.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Observe that the blank is directly linked with seeking divine blessings, so it must be a practice related to prayer or calling on a higher power. Step 2: Recall that the standard English term for calling upon God or a deity is invocation. Step 3: Test invocation: we give so much importance to invocation, seeking divine blessings before embarking on any project. This is consistent and natural. Step 4: Test fiction, affection, construction and reflection and recognise that none of them describes a ritual of seeking divine blessings. Step 5: Choose invocation as the only semantically appropriate option.


Verification / Alternative check:
When invocation is used, the sentence mirrors many common expressions such as invocation of divine grace or opening invocation at a ceremony. The paragraph then reads smoothly: thought is powerful, we think success into being, and therefore we begin with invocation to align our thoughts positively. Using reflection would change the focus from prayer to introspection, and the phrase seeking divine blessings would then seem partly redundant or misaligned.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Fiction refers to stories and is irrelevant to the idea of seeking blessings. Affection is about love and emotional warmth, which, while positive, is not specifically a ritual practice. Construction is a physical building activity, not a spiritual one. Reflection is closer in tone, since it is mental activity, but the collocation importance to reflection, seeking divine blessings is awkward and does not capture the act of prayer or ritual invocation indicated by the rest of the sentence.


Common Pitfalls:
Learners may be tempted by reflection because they connect positive thinking with reflective thought. However, the explicit mention of divine blessings tilts the meaning strongly toward a religious or spiritual act, which is better captured by invocation. The question encourages careful attention to collocations and to the semantic field of each option rather than relying purely on general positivity.


Final Answer:
The noun that correctly completes the sentence is invocation, so option invocation is correct.

More Questions from English

Discussion & Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to comment!
Join Discussion