Question

Comprehension: In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank. The newspaper is one of the significant signs of (1) ________ civilisation. It is the most popular form of reading in the (2) ________ times because it interests all sorts of people. It is full of political news, sports and commercial news, as well as articles by well-known writers. A newspaper keeps us (3) ______ entertained and informed. In these days of democracy, public opinion rules everywhere. (4) ________ government can long withstand the pressure of a strong public opinion. It is, therefore, quite clear that the press controls public opinion, and public opinion, in turn, controls the government. Ultimately, the press controls the government. It acts as an interpreter between the government and the people and brings the rulers and the ruled (5) ________. Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank number 2.

• A. future
• B. dark
• C. present
• D. past

Answer 1

Answer:

C. present

• Tense Consistency: The passage uses present tense verbs throughout ("The newspaper is...", "It interests...", "A newspaper keeps us..."). Therefore, the adjective describing the "times" must also refer to the current period. Contextual Logic: The passage refers to "these days of democracy." Democracy and mass-media newspapers are current realities. We are talking about why people read newspapers now. Logical Pair: "Present times" is a common phrase used to describe the era we are currently living in, which aligns with the previous blank where we identified the civilization as "modern."