Quiz: Fill in blanks
**Sentence:** “The brain isn’t organized the way you might set up your home office or bathroom medicine cabinet.”
**Paragraph:**
___(1)___. You can’t just put things anywhere you want to. The evolved architecture of the brain is haphazard and disjointed, and incorporates multiple systems, each of which has a mind of its own. ___(2)___. Evolution doesn’t design things and it doesn’t build systems—it settles on systems that, historically, conveyed a survival benefit. There is no overarching, grand planner engineering the systems so that they work harmoniously together. ___(3)___. The brain is more like a big, old house with piecemeal renovations done on every floor, and less like new construction. ___(4)___.
**Options:**
- 1) Option 1
- 2) Option 4
- 3) Option 3
- 4) Option 2
Detailed Solution:
Given Sentence: “The brain isn’t organized the way you might set up your home office or bathroom medicine cabinet.”
This sentence sets the stage for discussing the brain’s lack of neat organization and structured design. It introduces the idea of comparing the brain’s organization to something familiar, leading into the subsequent explanation of its complexity and evolutionary design.
Evaluation of Options:
- Option 1: Placing this sentence at the beginning works well as it serves as an introduction. It establishes the theme of the paragraph, setting up the idea that the brain is not neatly organized.
- Option 2: This follows the statement about the brain’s architecture being haphazard and disjointed. Placing it here seems redundant because the sentence about the brain’s multiple systems already expands on this idea.
- Option 3: This follows a discussion of evolution’s role in shaping the brain’s systems. While it’s related, the metaphor about home organization doesn’t align directly with the evolution focus.
- Option 4: This is at the end of the paragraph, where the focus shifts to comparing the brain to a big, old house. The given sentence doesn’t provide a concluding tone or align with this metaphor.
Conclusion: Option 1 is the best placement as it introduces the theme effectively.
**Sentence:** “Understanding central Asia’s role helps developments make more sense not only across Asia but in Europe, the Americas and Africa.”
**Paragraph:**
The nations of the Silk Roads are sometimes called ‘developing countries’, but they are actually some of the world’s most highly developed countries, the very crossroads of civilization, in advanced states of disrepair. ___(1)___. These countries lie at the centre of global affairs: they have since the beginning of history. Running across the spine of Asia, they form a web of connections fanning out in every direction, routes along which pilgrims and warriors, nomads and merchants have travelled, goods and produce have been bought and sold, and ideas exchanged, adapted and refined. ___(2)___. They have carried not only prosperity, but also death and violence, disease and disaster. ___(3)___. The Silk Roads are the world’s central nervous system, connecting otherwise far-flung peoples and places…. ___(4)___.
**Options:**
- 1) Option 1
- 2) Option 2
- 3) Option 3
- 4) Option 4
The given sentence best fits after the mention of the Silk Roads nations being at “the crossroads of civilization, in advanced states of disrepair” (Option 1).
The sentence introduces the broader significance of understanding Central Asia’s role, which leads naturally into the subsequent statement that these nations lie at the center of global affairs. It effectively bridges the ideas of their historical importance and their influence across continents.
**Sentence:** “Comprehending a wide range of emotions, Renaissance music nevertheless portrayed all emotions in a balanced and moderate fashion.”
**Paragraph:**
A volume of translated Italian madrigals were published in London during the year of 1588. This sudden public interest facilitated a surge of English Madrigal writing as well as a spurt of other secular music writing and publication. ___(1)___. This music boom lasted for thirty years and was as much a golden age of music as British literature was with Shakespeare and Queen Elizabeth I. ___(2)___. The rebirth in both literature and music originated in Italy and migrated to England; the English madrigal became more humorous and lighter in England as compared to Italy. Renaissance music was mostly polyphonic in texture. ___(3)___. Extreme use of and contrasts in dynamics, rhythm, and tone colour do not occur. ___(4)___.
**Options:**
- 1) Option 1
- 2) Option 2
- 3) Option 3
- 4) Option 4
The given sentence best fits after the mention of Renaissance music being “mostly polyphonic in texture” (Option 3).
This placement allows for a smooth transition from the technical characteristics of Renaissance music (polyphony) to its emotional portrayal. It also sets up the subsequent discussion on the absence of extreme contrasts in dynamics, rhythm, and tone colour.
