Fill in the blanks with the correct pair of words arranged sequentially:
The farmers who had the ______ to build a small check dam before the monsoon could ______ their fields all through the dry months that followed.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → foresight, irrigate
Complete sentence: The farmers who had the foresight to build a small check dam before the monsoon could irrigate their fields all through the dry months that followed.
| Foresight (answer) | Irrigate (answer) | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | the ability to judge what will happen in the future and plan for it | to supply water to land or crops through channels, pipes or sprinklers |
| Example | Thanks to Ma’s foresight, we had candles and a torch ready when the cyclone cut the power. | Many farmers in Punjab irrigate their wheat with water from tube wells. |
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: audacity, drain — Incorrect. Audacity means rude or shocking boldness. Drain means to remove water from a place. Example: The contractor had the audacity to ask for full payment before the pumps could even drain the flooded underpass.
Option 2: foresight, parch — Incorrect. Parch means to make land very dry because of great heat. Example: Weeks of heatwave parch the fields of Vidarbha every May.
Option 3: arrogance, abandon — Incorrect. Arrogance means the attitude of thinking oneself better or more important than others. Abandon means to leave something or someone behind for ever. Example: Out of sheer arrogance, the leader ignored the guide’s advice, and the group had to abandon the trek halfway.