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.

Scholars have long noted that International Monetary Fund (IMF) restructuring programmes (1)____________________ winners and losers, but always in (2)________________ to different sectors of the economy. For example, the fact that programmes (3)________________ to strengthen exports has been shown to favour farmers and business owners over urban middle class state employees like civil servants.The problem with purely (4)___________________ sectors is highlighted when you look at citizens’ experiences. One (5)_____________________ of the survey data, covering nine countries in Africa, showed that three out of ten civil servants actually thought IMF reforms made their lives better.

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C

Explanation

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

Context:
The sentence is about survey data which is divided into parts or sections. The blank needs a word that means a part/section of data.

Meaning of the words:

Ligament – a tissue connecting bones in the body (not suitable here).
Payment – money given for something (not related to data).
Segment – a part or section of something (correct word for data division).
Fragment – a broken piece of something (not the right word for survey data).

Correct word:
The correct word is segment, because we often say a segment of data, segment of population, etc.

Reason:
Here, the sentence is saying one segment of the survey data (meaning one part of the survey data) showed a particular result. Hence, segment fits logically and grammatically.

Final Sentence:
One segment of the survey data, covering nine countries in Africa, showed that three out of ten civil servants actually thought IMF reforms made their lives better.

Hence, the chosen option is correct.

SSC GD 2025 PYQ — Question 1