In the following passage, some of the words have been left out. Read the passage carefully and select the correct answer for the given blank out of the four alternatives. Technical skill ____________ to the ability and knowledge to use the pedagogy, tools and techniques involved in the teaching and research of a specific subject. Ability in programming or software designing and operating a computer is, ___________ instance, a technical skill. There are two things a teacher should understand __________ transformational technical skills. In the first place, he must know __________ skill and what level of skill should be applied on a particular student. He should be ____________ enough with their potential to ask discerning questions. Secondly, a teacher must understand the role of each event organised and the transformational skill applied, and the inter relationships between the events and skills. understand __________ transformational technical skills.

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: about

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This cloze question deals with preposition use in a sentence about teaching and technical skills. The specific blank appears in the phrase There are two things a teacher should understand __________ transformational technical skills. You must choose the preposition that links understand with the object transformational technical skills in a natural and idiomatic way.


Given Data / Assumptions:
The subject is a teacher, and the verb is understand. The object is transformational technical skills, a phrase describing a category of skills that change students. The sentence is listing two things that a teacher should grasp in relation to these skills. Thus the preposition should connect understand with a topic or subject matter.


Concept / Approach:
In standard English, when we talk about the subject or topic that someone understands, we frequently use the preposition about. For example, we say understand about finance or understand about computers. Therefore, understand about transformational technical skills is the most natural and grammatically correct choice. Other prepositions like at, among, upon, or over do not form a standard collocation with understand in this context.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Read the phrase a teacher should understand blank transformational technical skills.Step 2: Note that we are talking about understanding a topic or area of knowledge.Step 3: Recall that common patterns are understand about a subject, know about a subject, and learn about a subject.Step 4: Insert about into the blank to get understand about transformational technical skills.Step 5: Test the sentence for naturalness and confirm that it flows well.


Verification / Alternative check:
Try replacing about with each of the other options. Understand at transformational technical skills is ungrammatical. Understand among transformational technical skills suggests being surrounded by skills rather than understanding them, which is illogical here. Understand upon and understand over do not form idiomatic combinations in this sense. Only understand about expresses the idea of having knowledge regarding a subject or domain.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
at is mainly used for places or points in time. among indicates being surrounded by a group or being included in a set. upon is a more formal version of on but is not linked with understand in this way. over can indicate control or position above something, as in control over, but not understanding about. Therefore, these prepositions do not correctly connect the verb understand with the object of knowledge in this sentence.


Common Pitfalls:
Some learners mistakenly focus on transformational and try to connect it with among or over because those words sometimes appear with groups or control. However, the governing word here is understand, and you must choose the preposition that forms a natural phrase with it. Always identify which word the preposition truly depends on before making your choice in a cloze test.


Final Answer:
The correct preposition is about, so the sentence reads There are two things a teacher should understand about transformational technical skills.

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