GRE Text Completion Practice – 2 questions

Question 1
Demand for water could rise by 55 percent, increasing __________ for supplies and resulting in 40 percent of the global population living in water-stressed areas, while plant and animal species could ________ by a further 10 percent.

a. Competition; frustration; demarcation;
b. Deteriorate; decline; extinct;

Question 2
The carbon dioxide ______ already is so large, and its lifetime in the atmosphere is so long, that even a _______ to completely carbon-free electricity couldn’t stop temperatures from rising over the next 100 years.
a. Generation; reduction; burden
b. freeze; switch; amelioration

Correct Answer
Q1 : a) competion; b) decline
Q2 : a) burden; b) switch

Explanatory Answer

Question 1
Blank A
When demand for any resource increases competition for securing that resource increases automatically. Competition is the appropriate word that fits the first blank.

While non-availability of a resource will result in frustration, it will not increase frustration for supplies. Frustration is inappropriate for this blank. Increasing demarcation is a second best choice. However, competition is a better fit as the second half of the sentence talks about scarcity rather than bringing about structure to supply.

Blank B
Health could deteriorate, status could deteriorate. But species itself could not deteriorate. Hence, it is not an appropriate choice.

Numbers decline. We are talking about plant and animal population declining. The right choice.

Plant and animal species could become extinct. Becoming extinct is the use of the word. Hence, ‘extinct’ will not fit the blank.

Question 2
Blank A
Reduction does not fit the first blank because the sentence will not be logically tenable if the reduction is already so large.

Generation and burden are both plausible choices. Between the two words – generation and burden – burden fits the context better than generation. So, burden is the answer to the first blank.

Blank B
Freeze in generation of carbon di oxide makes sense. But freeze to completely carbon-free electricity does not. So, freeze is not the appropriate word. Amelioration does not fit the blank. Switch is the correct answer to the second blank.