Question

Directions: Fill in the blanks with the words that best fit the meaning of the sentence as a whole.
The school headmaster maintained that he could _______ minor lies but could not pardon such _______ lie.

• A. Not forgive … a blatant
• B. Defend … a negligible
• C. Shield … simple
• D. Justify … trifling
• E. Excuse … a shocking

Answer 1

Answer: (E)

To solve this question, we need to find the pair of words that best fit the context of the sentence: "The school headmaster maintained that he could _______ minor lies but could not pardon such _______ lie."

1. The first blank requires a word that implies the school headmaster is willing to overlook or tolerate minor lies. The word "Excuse" fits well here, as it means to forgive or overlook minor faults or mistakes.
2. For the second blank, we need a word that emphasizes the severity of the lie that cannot be pardoned. The word "shocking" describes something surprising or appalling, indicating a significant or severe lie.

The correct sentence with the chosen words is: "The school headmaster maintained that he could excuse minor lies but could not pardon such a shocking lie."

Let's examine why the other options are not suitable:

• "Not forgive … a blatant": While the phrase could work, "not forgive" doesn't directly indicate allowing minor lies, and "pardon" and "blatant" rather have meanings related to obviousness and forgiveness, which do not perfectly fit the sentence structure.
• "Defend … a negligible": "Defend" doesn't fit the context of tolerating lies, and "negligible" refers to something small or unimportant, which is not as strong as "shocking."
• "Shield … simple": "Shield" suggests protection, not just overlooking, and "simple" lie doesn't capture the seriousness the sentence implies.
• "Justify … trifling": Similar to shielding, "Justify" doesn't reflect mere overlooking, and "trifling" indicates something trivial, not serious.

Thus, the pair "Excuse … a shocking" best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.