Directions: Below, a passage is given with five blanks labelled (A)- (E). Below the passage, five options are given for each blank. Choose the word that fits each blank most appropriately in the context of the passage, and mark the corresponding answer.
Tiny plastic particles washed off products like synthetic clothing and car tyres account for up to a third of the plastic polluting oceans, __ (A) __ eco-systems and human health, a top conservationist body warned. Unlike the __ (B) __ images of country-sized garbage patches floating in the oceans, the micro plastic particles that wash off textiles and roadways leave the waterways looking __ (C) __.
But they constitute a significant part of the “plastic soup” clogging our waters — accounting for between 15% and 31% of the estimated 9.5 million tones of plastic released into the oceans each year, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
In its report “Primary Micro plastics in the Oceans”, the IUCN found that in many developed countries in North America and Europe, which have __ (D) __ waste management, tiny plastic particles are in fact a bigger source of marine plastic pollution than plastic waste.
In addition to car tyres and synthetic textiles, such particles stem from everything from marine coatings and road markings, to city dust and the micro beads in cosmetics. “Plastic waste is not all there is to ocean plastics,” IUCN chief Inger Andersen said in a statement, insisting that “we must look far beyond waste management if we are to __ (E) __ ocean pollution in its entirety”.
Which of the following words most appropriately fits the blank labelled (A)?
Explanation:
- Deciding: This word is about choosing or resolving something and doesn’t align with the idea of affecting eco-systems and human health.
- Striking: While it implies hitting or causing a noticeable effect, it isn’t typically used for consequences on health and environments in this context.
- Modifying: This means to change or alter, not directly suitable for denoting effect on eco-systems and human health.
- Impacting: This word means having a strong effect and is suitable for describing how plastic particles affect eco-systems and human health. It fits well with the context of the passage.
- Acting: This refers to taking action and isn’t specific enough for the context of causing effect or damage.