In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank. As a result of Covid-19, the quick (1) ______ to digital training has exposed the hazards of student disengagement and the resulting consequences of lower student performance across (2) ______ courses. The latest (3) ______ has altered the education of millions of people around the world. New approaches and improvements in the school system are urgently required. Considering the increasing digital divide, the strategy may exacerbate existing inequality disparities. More than 500 million students, at various levels, around the world were forced to (4) _______ their studies. These changes have caused and will continue to cause some inconvenience, but they will also foster innovation and future reforms inside this education system. During a global Covid-19 pandemic, the 'pile-on effect' of the coronavirus can have long-term consequences for schooling, notably for the most vulnerable. Children, (5) ________ basic, core learning (reading, math, languages, etc.) was weak to begin with, face a significant risk of regression. During Covid-19, millions of children whose right to education has already been violated, particularly girls, are exposed to greater health and well-being hazards (both psychosocial and physical).
Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank number 3.
- (a)epidemic
- (b)local
- (c)endemic
- (d)pandemic
Answer
Why
Correct — D. The clause says the outbreak has altered education for millions around the world, and the word for a disease event on that scale is pandemic.
The passage settles it in its own words further down: "During a global Covid-19 pandemic, the 'pile-on effect' of the coronavirus can have long-term consequences for schooling."
The writer has already named the event, so option (d) fills the blank with the passage's own vocabulary.
Why the others are wrong
- (a)epidemic — epidemic is an outbreak spreading within one community or region. The sentence stretches to millions 'around the world', which is a size epidemic does not cover.
- (b)local — local is an adjective and contradicts 'around the world'. After 'The latest' it also leaves the sentence with no noun for the verb 'has altered'.
- (c)endemic — endemic describes a disease constantly present in a population or area. It names a steady background condition, not the sudden global event the passage is about.
Concept
Epidemic, pandemic and endemic form a scale ladder in public-health English, and SSC tests the rungs.
An epidemic is an outbreak spreading in a particular community or region. A pandemic is an epidemic that has crossed countries or continents. Endemic describes a disease regularly found in a population.
The blank is decided by the phrase 'around the world' in the same sentence, and confirmed by the writer's own later phrase 'a global Covid-19 pandemic'.
The three words are not synonyms at different strengths — endemic is a different idea altogether, describing constant presence rather than an outbreak.
Key facts
- An epidemic is an outbreak spreading in a particular community or region.
- A pandemic is an epidemic that has spread across countries or continents.
- Endemic describes a disease regularly found in a given population or area.
- This passage itself uses the phrase 'a global Covid-19 pandemic'.
Study next
Common traps
- Choosing epidemic because it is the more familiar word.
- Choosing 'local' without checking that 'The latest local' leaves the noun missing.
SSC frequently plants the answer to a cloze blank elsewhere in the same passage, so scan for the word before you weigh the options.
This blank is number 3 of the five asked at 10 Sep 2024, 16:00, English Q.21 to Q.25.
Related PYQs
No directly related past PYQ was found.