Question

Choose the word(s) which has the same meaning and can be used in the same context as the italicised word/phrase in both the given sentences.
I. These trees yield commercially valuable varieties of wood.
II. The man who desires for many things at a time gets none.
a. barks
b. pines
c. trunks
d. yearns

Answer 1

Hint: The two italicised words are being used in a certain way. All you have to do is try to substitute both those words with one word from the options. This will lead you to the correct options.

Complete answer: There is a phenomenon in the English language called ‘polysemy’. This word refers to ‘the coexistence of many possible meanings for a word or phrase’. This means that one word itself can be used in multiple ways and will mean different things when used in different contexts. For example, the word ‘get’ refers to ‘understand’ and ‘receive’.
The word used in the first sentence is trees, which means our answer has to be a kind of tree. The word used in the second sentence is desires, which means our answer also has to mean ‘wishes/go after’.

We know that the two words are ‘trees’ and ‘pines’. Let’s find out their synonym:
a. barks - The word ‘barks’ refers to ‘(of a dog, fox, or seal) give a bark’ or ‘utter (a command or question) abruptly or aggressively’. This does not have the meaning that we require. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
b. pines - The word ‘pines’ refers to ‘an evergreen coniferous tree' or ‘to yearn intensely and persistently especially for something unattainable’. This has the exact meaning that we require. This is the required answer. So, this is the correct option.
c. trunks - The word ‘trunks’ refers to ‘the main woody stem of a tree’ or a person's or animal's body apart from the limbs and head’. This does not have the meaning that we require. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
d. yearns - The word ‘yearns’ refers to ‘have an intense feeling of longing for something, typically something that one has lost or been separated from’. This does not have the meaning that we require. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.

Note: Try to find the similarities and differences between each of the words in the options. Note those down, and appropriately choose the required option.