SarkariPYQ

SSC Selection Post 2022 PYQ — Question 6

SSC Selection Post - Higher Secondary Level 2022 - 11 Feb 2022 - Shift 1 • English • Q6

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

Oxygen fuels our living processes. It contracts our muscles, helps our cells to work, grow and regenerate, (1)______ our brains, calms our nerves, helps the heart to pump, fights infection and (2)______ immunity," says Dr Narendra Nath Jena, Director, Institute of Emergency Medicine, MMH R Centre, Madurai. Once air enters the nose or mouth, it gets humidified and reaches (3)______ alveoli. The alveoli are tiny air sacs that help to (4)______ oxygen and transfer it into the blood stream and also to pull out the carbon dioxide and push it out of the lungs. COVID-19 destroys (5)______ alveoli by thickening the walls so gas exchange becomes difficult.

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

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D

Explanation

The correct answer is option 1, i.e. these.

Context: The sentence is talking about how COVID-19 affects the alveoli — which were mentioned earlier in the passage as a plural noun (“The alveoli are tiny air sacs…”).

Meaning of the words:

  • Those – used to refer to specific plural nouns mentioned earlier.

  • That – refers to a singular noun.

  • This – used to indicate a singular noun that is near in time or space.

  • These – refers to plural nouns that are near, usually in immediate context.

Correct word: Since “alveoli” is plural and already introduced, the correct demonstrative word to refer back to them is “these”.

Reason: The word “these” correctly refers back to the previously mentioned plural noun “alveoli”, and is commonly used when talking about things already known or mentioned but now being affected or modified — like in this sentence about damage caused by COVID-19.

Final Sentence: COVID-19 destroys these alveoli by thickening the walls so gas exchange becomes difficult.

Hence, the chosen option is correct.