Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank no. 5.

In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank.
In 1981, the US Surgeon General issued a public health warning that alcohol use by women (1)______________________ pregnancy was the cause of physical and mental birth (2)__________________ in children.This warning came in (3)___________________ to growing recognition that a group of (4)__________________ physical and mental impairments in children, now commonly known as foetal alcohol syndrome, were correlated with maternal alcohol use during pregnancy.Today, doctors and scientists (5)___________________ that as many as 1 in 20 US school children may exhibit some form of foetal alcohol spectrum disorders, many of which cause lifelong challenges for those affected

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C

Explanation

The correct answer is option 3 i.e. recognise.

Context: The sentence is about doctors and scientists understanding or acknowledging the seriousness of foetal alcohol spectrum disorders. The missing word must mean to accept or acknowledge as true.

Meaning of the words:

Subsidise = to support financially (not related here).
Normalise = to make something normal or acceptable (doesn’t fit in context).
Recognise = to accept, admit, or acknowledge something as true (correct here).
Vaporise = to change into vapour (completely irrelevant).

Correct word: The correct word is recognise.

Reason: Doctors and scientists are not funding, normalising, or evaporating anything. They are acknowledging that foetal alcohol spectrum disorders exist and affect many children. Hence, “recognise” is the accurate fit.

Final Sentence: “Today, doctors and scientists recognise that as many as 1 in 20 US school children may exhibit some form of foetal alcohol spectrum disorders, many of which cause lifelong challenges for those affected.”

Hence, the chosen option will be correct.

SSC GD 2025 PYQ — Question 1