NDA (II) 2023 General Ability Test · Question 5 of 146

Correct — D, 'explores'. The blank shares its subject and its object with 'examines', so the two verbs have to pull in the same direction, and to explore a subject is to investigate it — a natural partner for examining it. An essay is a piece of enquiry, so an enquiry verb is what it takes.

• (a)confuses — It would say the essay muddles the systems it discusses, which contradicts the careful examination in the same sentence.
• (b)enhances — To enhance is to improve something, and an essay describing water systems does not improve them.
• (c)controls — An essay has no power over farming practices in Rajasthan. It can only study them.

Two verbs joined by 'and' share one object here, so the missing verb must belong to the same family of meaning as 'examines'.

Paired verbs in a cloze are a gift to the candidate. Read the verb you are given, then ask which option could stand beside it without the sentence contradicting itself.

• 'Explore' and 'examine' are both verbs of investigation and are routinely paired in academic prose.

• Judging the blank on its own instead of reading it against 'examines'.
• Choosing a verb that gives the essay powers a piece of writing does not have.

Asked as a fill-in-the-blank item — choose the word that completes the sentence.

No directly related past PYQ was found.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Choose the word that best completes the sentence. The report __________ and compares three models of rainwater harvesting.

  • (a)controls
  • (b)confuses
  • (c)explores
  • (d)enhances

  Answer(c) explores — it pairs with 'compares' as another verb of enquiry.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Good lighting __________ the appearance of the painting.

  • (a)explores
  • (b)enhances
  • (c)examines
  • (d)confuses

  Answer(b) enhances — to enhance is to improve or heighten something.