SarkariPYQ

SSC CHSL 2023 PYQ — Question 25

SSC CHSL 2023 - 03 Aug 2023 - Shift 4 • English • Q25

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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.

The Grim Reaper seems to have (1)_______ in Europe during the 14th century. It was during this time that Europe was dealing with what was then the world’s (2)_______ pandemic, the Black Death, believed to be the result of the plague. It is estimated that about one-third of Europe’s entire population (3)_________ as a result of the pandemic, with some areas of the continent suffering far greater losses than others. The original outbreak of the plague occurred during 1347–51, and outbreaks then (4)________ several other times after that. So, clearly, death was something that the surviving Europeans had on their mind, and it is not surprising that they (5)_______ an image to represent it.

Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank number 5.

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B

Explanation

The correct answer is option 2 i.e. conjured.

In this context, "conjured" is used metaphorically to imply that the Europeans created or imagined an image to represent death. 

The term "conjure" often refers to summoning something into existence through magic or imagination. Here, it's used figuratively to express the idea that the Europeans, faced with the pervasive presence of death during the Black Death pandemic, mentally created an image or concept to represent this phenomenon.

Therefore, by using "conjured," the sentence suggests that the image of the Grim Reaper or similar representations of death were not merely observed or encountered but were actively created or imagined by people trying to make sense of and cope with the realities of widespread mortality.

So, the completed sentence would be: "So, clearly, death was something that the surviving Europeans had on their mind, and it is not surprising that they conjured an image to represent it."