These gases are known as greenhouse gases because they trap heat and ______ air temperatures.
- (a)raise
- (b)hike
- (c)rise
- (d)balance
Correct — A, raise. The blank needs a transitive verb to take the object 'air temperatures', and 'raise' (raise, raised, raised) always takes a direct object, whereas 'rise' is intransitive and cannot take one. 'Hike' is informal and usually applied to prices or rates, and 'balance' contradicts the sense of greenhouse gases pushing temperatures upward.
- (b)hike — Informal and collocates with prices or rates, not with 'air temperatures'.
- (c)rise — Intransitive, so it cannot take the direct object 'air temperatures'.
- (d)balance — Means to keep steady or equal, contradicting the sense of temperatures being pushed upward.
A cloze item on the transitive verb 'raise' versus the intransitive 'rise'.
No directly related past PYQ was found.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The government plans to ______ taxes next year.
- (a)rise
- (b)raise
- (c)arise
- (d)rose
Answer(b) raise — a transitive verb taking the object 'taxes'.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Prices are expected to ______ steadily over the decade.
- (a)raise
- (b)lift
- (c)rise
- (d)raised
Answer(c) rise — intransitive, used here with no object.