Question

Read the following paragraph and answer the question that follows. A language reveals the attitudes of the people who use and shape it. And a whole declension of __________(i)__________ terminology can be found in the language in which inter-racial relations have been described inside Britain. At first, we were told, the goal was 'integration'. Now this word rapidly came to mean __________(ii)__________ : a black man could only become integrated when he started behaving like a white one. After 'integration' came the __________(iii)__________of 'racial harmony'. Now once again, this sounded virtuous and desirable, but what it meant in practice was that blacks should be persuaded to live peaceably with whites, in spite of all the injustices done to them every day. The call for 'racial harmony' was simply an invitation to shut up and smile while nothing was done about our grievances. And now there's a new catchword: 'multiculturalism'. In our schools, this means little more than teaching the kids a few bongo rhythms, how to tie a sari and so forth. In the police training programme, it means telling cadets that black people are so 'culturally different' that they can't help making trouble. Multiculturalism is the latest token gesture towards Britain's blacks; and it ought to be exposed, like 'integration' and 'racial harmony', for the __________(iv)__________ it is. 
In the above passage identify the missing words. The table below contains possible words for each blank. Choose one word from each column for the 4 blanks. 

The correct answer is:

• A. astounding, consolidation, time, law
• B. patronizing, assimilation, concept, sham
• C. critical, association, opportunity, truth
• D. worrisome, organization, place, joy

Hint:

Use the collocation test: pick the word that commonly pairs in English (“concept of…”, “for the sham it is”). Also match the author’s tone; here it is overtly critical, so negative-connotation choices win.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Read the tone: the author is condemning the euphemistic language around inter-racial relations in Britain. Each blank must therefore fit a critical reading.
Blank (i): “A whole declension of ______ terminology can be found …”
The noun needs to characterise the tone of that terminology. patronizing fits perfectly: the passage says terms like “integration,” “racial harmony,” “multiculturalism” sound virtuous yet carry condescension. \(⇒\) (i) = patronizing.
Blank (ii): “… this word rapidly came to mean ‘______’: a black man could only become integrated when he started behaving like a white one.”
That definition is exactly the idea of making one group conform to another: assimilation. \(⇒\) (ii) = assimilation.
Blank (iii): “After ‘integration’ came the ______ of ‘racial harmony’.”
We talk about the concept of racial harmony, not “time/place/opportunity.” \(⇒\) (iii) = concept.
Blank (iv): “… and it ought to be exposed, like ‘integration’ and ‘racial harmony’, for the ______ it is.”
The author is denouncing it as a fake; the natural collocation is “for the sham it is.” \(⇒\) (iv) = sham.
Thus the sequence is \(\boxed{\text{patronizing, assimilation, concept, sham}}\) — option (B).