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SSC MTS 2024 PYQ — Question 87

SSC MTS - 07/10/2024 - (4:00 PM - 5:30 PM) • English • Q87

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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.

Dolphins 1_________ regarded as the friendliest creatures in the sea, and stories of them helping drowning sailors have been common since Roman times. The more we 2____________ about dolphins, the more we realise that their society is more complex 3__________ people previously imagined. They look 4____________ other dolphins when they are ill, care for pregnant 5___________ and protect the weakest in the community, as we do.

Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank number 2.

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A

Explanation

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

Context: The sentence compares increasing understanding over time, so it uses the construction “the more we learn.”

Meaning of the words:

Learns: Third-person singular; incorrect for “we.”
Learning: Present participle; doesn’t fit grammatically here.
Learned: Past tense; the sentence is present tense.
Learn: Base form; matches with “we” in present simple tense.

Correct word: Learn

Reason: The subject “we” takes the base verb “learn” in the simple present tense, and this structure is standard in “the more we X, the more Y” comparisons.

Final Sentence: The more we learn about dolphins, the more we realise that their society is more complex…

Hence the chosen option is correct.