Choose the correct option to fill up the blank in the given sentence:
Normally, a thunderstorm lasts about 45 minutes but under certain conditions, the storm may________, becoming ever more severe for as long as four hours.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → persist
Complete sentence: Normally, a thunderstorm lasts about 45 minutes but under certain conditions, the storm may persist, becoming ever more severe for as long as four hours. A thunderstorm normally lasts about 45 minutes, but this one goes on for as long as four hours, so it persists.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) persist (answer) | to continue to exist or happen for longer than usual | If the fever persists, please see a doctor. |
| (2) vacillate | to keep changing one's mind, to waver between two choices (it is used for people's decisions, not for storms) | He vacillated between science and commerce for weeks. |
| (3) wane | to become gradually weaker or smaller (the opposite of a storm that grows more severe) | His interest in the game waned after the first hour. |
| (4) disperse | to scatter or break up (a storm that disperses is ending, not lasting four hours) | The police asked the crowd to disperse. |
| Also asked in CUET (UG): vacillate – 29-05-2026 Slot 2 wane – 26-05-2026 Slot 1, 25-05-2026 Slot 2, 13-05-2026 Slot 1, 10-06-2023 Slot 3, 25-05-2023 Slot 1, 22-05-2023 Slot 2 disperse – 18-06-2023 Slot 2 |