Select the appropriate option to fill in the blank:
The shopkeeper’s claim that he had no idea the cough syrup was past its expiry date was ______; the date had been carefully scratched off every bottle on his shelf.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → disingenuous
Complete sentence: The shopkeeper’s claim that he had no idea the cough syrup was past its expiry date was disingenuous; the date had been carefully scratched off every bottle on his shelf.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) disingenuous (answer) | not sincere or honest, pretending to know less than one really does, to hide the truth (fits a claim the scratched-off dates prove false) | Calling the leaked paper “just a rumour” was disingenuous, since the board had already cancelled the exam. |
| (2) ingenuous | innocent and honest, trusting people too easily | The ingenuous boy believed the stranger who said he had won a phone. |
| (3) vindictive | wanting to hurt someone who has hurt you | After losing the election, the vindictive class monitor refused to share his notes with anyone. |
| (4) plausible | seeming reasonable and likely to be true | A traffic jam on the flyover was a plausible reason for Neha’s late arrival. |