Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank no. 2.

In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank.

Erosion of America's farmland by wind and water (1)._________ a problem since settlers first put the prairies and grasslands (2) __________ the plow in the 19^th century. By the 1930s, more than 282 million acres of farmland were (3) ____________ by erosion. After 40 years of conservation efforts, soil erosion has (4) ________________ due to new demands placed (5) _____________ the land by heavy crop production.

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A

Explanation

The correct answer is option 1 i.e. under.

Context:
The phrase “put the prairies and grasslands ______ the plow” means the settlers started ploughing or cultivating the land. The correct preposition here is “under”, which means “brought under cultivation.”

Meaning of the words:

Under: used to show being affected by something or brought into a particular condition.
Besides: means “in addition to.”
Above: means “at a higher level.”
On top: means “over” something.

Correct word:
The common phrase in English is “to put land under the plow,” which means to start using the land for farming.

Reason:
“Under the plow” is an idiomatic expression meaning to bring the land into cultivation. Other options do not make sense in this context.

Final Sentence:
Settlers first put the prairies and grasslands under the plow in the 19th century.

Hence, the chosen option is correct.

SSC GD 2025 PYQ — Question 4