Choose the most appropriate option to fill in the blank:
When the rains failed for three years in a row, a ______ gripped the whole region, and thousands of families left their villages in search of food.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → famine
Complete sentence: When the rains failed for three years in a row, a famine gripped the whole region, and thousands of families left their villages in search of food.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) famine (answer) | a serious lack of food in an area, which causes many people to go hungry or die (fits three years without rain) | The Bengal famine of 1943 killed millions of people. |
| (2) recession | a period when trade and industry slow down and many people lose their jobs | During the recession, my father’s factory closed its night shift. |
| (3) plague | a deadly disease that spreads quickly among many people | In 1994, an outbreak of plague in Surat made thousands of people flee the city. |
| (4) deluge | a sudden, very heavy fall of rain, or a great flood | The deluge of July 2005 brought Mumbai to a standstill. |