Question

Choose the best option to complete the sentence:
The government is planning to kill more than 1500 kangaroos as they have a ________ effect on the environment.
a) Decreasing
b) Devastating
c) Deriding
d) Defying

Answer 1

Hint: The sentence hints at a negative impact caused by the kangaroos. We have to choose the word that shares the nearest meaning to destruction.

Complete answer:
The given sentence becomes complete if we add the right word that suits the context. The given statement suggests a significant move by the government – killing over 1500 kangaroos. Such a major move must be due to the huge menace or destruction created by the animal.
Then, ‘decreasing’ given as option a cannot be the right answer as it refers to the lessening of quantity or degree of something.
'Devastating' in option b means something highly destructive or damaging. This very well sounds appropriate to the given statement. The kangaroos are killed by the government for its devastating effect. Option b, therefore, becomes the right answer.
Option c is also wrong. Deriding is used as both noun and adjective to describe contempt or ridicule over something. This cannot be connected with the given statement and hence wrong.

Similarly, option d is also wrong as ‘defying’ refers to the act of refusing or resisting to obey something.

Note: As a verb, ‘devastated’ also describes the sudden, severe shock someone has on hearing the shocking news. Example: He was devastated by the sudden death news of his brother.