Choose the most appropriate word to fill in the blank in the following sentence:-
It is one of the tragic _____ of our age that the rocket which could have been a symbol of humanity's aspirations for the stars, has become a weapon of destruction.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → ironies
Complete sentence: It is one of the tragic ironies of our age that the rocket which could have been a symbol of humanity's aspirations for the stars, has become a weapon of destruction. The rocket could have stood for humanity's hope of reaching the stars, but it has become a weapon of destruction: the result is the opposite of the hope.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) tales | a story that is told, often an invented or exciting one ("one of the tragic tales of our age" is a correct phrase, but the sentence is not about a story, as it sets what the rocket could have been, a symbol of humanity's hopes, against what it has become, a weapon, and such a painful contrast is an irony, so "ironies" fits the sentence better) | Grandfather told us tales of kings and their brave soldiers. |
| (2) ironies (answer) | a situation that turns out the opposite of what was expected, often in a sad or strange way | By a cruel irony, the fire station itself burnt down. |
| (3) aggravation | making a problem worse, or annoyance (it is uncountable here and cannot follow "one of the tragic") | Scratching only led to aggravation of the rash. |
| (4) adversary | an opponent or enemy (it is singular after "one of the", and a situation is not an enemy) | He shook hands with his adversary after the debate. |
| Also asked in CUET (UG): irony – 21-05-2025 Slot 1 |