Complete the cloze passage by filling in the blanks with the most appropriate words.
It was a rainy evening when Rohan ____ A __ a crowded city bus. He had just finished his tuition classes and was eager to reach home. As he searched for his ticket, he __ B __ realized his wallet was missing. His heart began to race. Had he dropped it, or had someone stolen it?
"Don't panic, think carefully," he told himself. He remembered using the wallet __ C __ a small tea stall near the bus stop. Could it still be there? What if someone else had already picked it up?
When the bus stopped at the next signal, Rohan quickly got down. "Please hurry, I must go back!" he whispered under his breath. He ran in the rain, splashing through puddles, his mind full of fear and hope.
To his surprise, the tea vendor smiled and said, "Young man, you left this behind." He held out the wet but safe wallet. What a __ D __ (relief) it was! Rohan almost shouted with joy. He thanked the vendor again and again.
This small __ E ____ (incident) taught Rohan a big lesson. He realized that not everyone in the world is dishonest, and kindness often appears when least expected. As he walked home in the rain, he thought, "I will never be careless with my belongings again!"
What is the meaning of the word in (E): (incident)?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
Correct Answer
(b) A small event or occurrence
Explanation
The word "incident" refers to an individual event, happening, or occurrence, especially one that is minor or secondary in nature. In the context of the story, the phrase "This small incident" refers directly to the sequence of events where Rohan lost his wallet, ran back to the tea stall, and had it returned by the honest vendor. This entire situation stands as a distinct, brief occurrence in his day, perfectly matching the definition of a small event.
The other choices inaccurately define the term or mismatch the context of the story. Option (a) is incorrect because an accident implies severe mishap or physical crash, whereas this situation concluded happily without harm. Option (c) is incorrect because the wallet loss was a one-time mishap rather than a repeated habit. Option (d) is incorrect because losing the wallet was completely accidental and unintentional, not a planned action.
Key Point
Contextual vocabulary questions rely on identifying how an event impacts the overall narrative arc. Because the text explicitly labels the event as a "small" happening that taught Rohan a temporary lesson about life, the word incident serves cleanly as a synonym for an event or occurrence.