Fill in the blanks with the correct pair of words arranged sequentially:
Six rounds of talks between the bus owners and the drivers’ union ended in a ______, so the state government finally stepped in to ______ a fare that both sides had to accept.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → stalemate, impose
Complete sentence: Six rounds of talks between the bus owners and the drivers’ union ended in a stalemate, so the state government finally stepped in to impose a fare that both sides had to accept.
| Stalemate (answer) | Impose (answer) | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | a situation in which neither side can win or move forward | to force a rule, tax or decision on people |
| Example | The class debate on the trip reached a stalemate, so the teacher made the final choice. | The town council has decided to impose a fine on shops that use plastic bags. |
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: breakthrough, impose — Incorrect. Breakthrough means an important step forward, often after a long effort. Example: After months of tests, the scientists made a breakthrough in the new vaccine.
Option 3: consensus, waive — Incorrect. Consensus means agreement among all the people in a group. Waive means to choose not to demand something, such as a fee or a rule. Example: The parents reached a consensus and asked the school to waive the late fee for the flood-hit families.
Option 4: truce, revoke — Incorrect. Truce means an agreement to stop fighting or quarrelling for a time. Revoke means to officially cancel a law, order or licence. Example: Once the brothers called a truce, Father agreed to revoke the ban on cricket in the house.