Question

Fill in the blank with the right choice of word.
Bullock carts and hand pumps seem ______ in a village whose skyline is dominated by telephone cables and satellite dishes.
a) anachronisms
b) exigencies
c) diversions
d) provocations
e) portents

Answer 1

Hint: The sentence is trying to say that the outdated things such as ‘bullock carts’ and ‘hand pumps’ do not seem to fit into a village that is able to have telephone cables and satellite TV.

Complete answer:
A noun is a word that names something: either a person, place, or thing. In a sentence, nouns can play the role of subject, direct object, indirect object, subject complement, object complement, appositive, or adjective.
In the given sentence, the kind of sentence is assertive. It is simply stating a fact. It is trying to tell us that the landscape of the village seems out of order because modern things and ancient things are used together. This means that we need to find a word that describes the old things that do not fit into the village.

Now, we know what we are looking for. Let’s look at the given options-
a) anachronisms - The word ‘anachronisms’ refers to ‘a thing belonging or appropriate to a period other than that in which it exists, especially a thing that is conspicuously old-fashioned'. This retains the meaning of the sentence. This is the required answer. So, this is the correct option.
b) exigencies - The word ‘exigencies’ refers to ‘an urgent need or demand'. This makes the meaning of the sentence different. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
c) diversions - The word ‘divergencies’ refers to ‘conditions of being unlike or dissimilar'. This makes the meaning of the sentence different. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
d) provocations - The word ‘provocations’ refers to ‘action or speech that makes someone angry, especially deliberately'. This makes the meaning of the sentence different. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
e) portents - The word ‘portents’ refers to ‘a sign or warning that a momentous or calamitous event is likely to happen’. This makes the meaning of the sentence different. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.

Note:
 Try to identify the word that is appropriate for the given blank. Then, proceed to fill the blank with the required word, try to find a suitable answer. Make sure it is grammatically correct. Then, choose the correct option.