Read the following excerpt carefully.
When we encounter new situations, concepts, or problems, we make ____________ of them by ___________ them onto older experience and structures. Far from being a ___________ mental shortcut, analogy is a process by which humans generalize, adapt, and grow in ___________.
Which of the following options BEST fills up the blanks in the above excerpt?
When we encounter new situations, concepts, or problems, we make ____________ of them by ___________ them onto older experience and structures. Far from being a ___________ mental shortcut, analogy is a process by which humans generalize, adapt, and grow in ___________.
Which of the following options BEST fills up the blanks in the above excerpt?
Show Hint
- fun, connecting, serious, skills
- most, relating, comprehensive, experiences
- sense, mapping, minor, understanding
- use, engaging, quick, confidence
- meaning, linking, inconsequential, life
The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
The passage talks about the process of generalization, adaptation, and growth. It highlights how new situations or problems are connected to older experiences, and the mental shortcuts (analogies) used in this process. The excerpt suggests that analogy is not a mere shortcut but an important cognitive tool for growth and learning.
Step 2: Evaluating the options.
- (A) fun, connecting, serious, skills: This option fits well because "fun" and "connecting" align with the idea of learning and linking new concepts, while "serious" and "skills" match the growth and adaptation described. The phrase "mental shortcut" makes sense when paired with "skills."
- (B) most, relating, comprehensive, experiences: This choice feels too vague. "Most" and "relating" are not specific enough, and "comprehensive" is not the best word to fit with the context of analogy.
- (C) sense, mapping, minor, understanding: While "mapping" works with the idea of analogy, "minor" does not fit with the context of cognitive growth, and "understanding" does not fully reflect the depth of the passage.
- (D) use, engaging, quick, confidence: "Use" and "quick" do not match the description of mental processes and growth in the passage, while "engaging" and "confidence" are not as closely tied to analogy.
- (E) meaning, linking, inconsequential, life: "Inconsequential" directly contradicts the important role analogy plays in mental growth. "Life" does not fit well with the mental processes described in the excerpt.
Step 3: Conclusion.
Option (A) is the most appropriate because it clearly fits with the context of analogy as a mental tool for learning and adaptation.
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