SarkariPYQ

SSC CPO 2021 PYQ — Question 199

SSC CPO Tier II - 8 Nov 2021 • English • Q199

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In the following passage some words have been deleted. Fill in the blanks with the help of the alternatives given. Select the most appropriate option for each number.

Despite all the research every one of us catches cold and most of us catch (1) ______ frequently. Our failure to control one of (2) ______ commonest of all ailments sometimes seems ridiculous. (3) ______ science regularly practises transplant surgery and (4) ______ rid whole countries of such killing (5) ______ as Typhus and the Plague. But the (6) ______ of common cold is unusually difficult and (7) ______ is yet to be done to solve it. It is known that a cold (8) ______ caused by one of the number (9) ______ viral infections that affect the lining of the (10) ______ and the other passages leading to the lungs but the confusing variety of viruses makes study and remedy very difficult.

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

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A

Explanation

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

  • The phrase is referring to the commonness of the ailment (the common cold).
  • We need a determiner that can specify "commonest" in a general way.
  • "The" definite article is used to refer to a specific group that is known to both the speaker and the listener. In this case, it specifies "one of the commonest ailments," which makes sense because we're talking about a specific category (the common cold) within a broader context.