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Practice Reading: Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown) ID: #49998 Culturomics
Instructions ›
Below is a text with blanks. Click on each blank, a list of choices will appear. Select the appropriate choice for each blank.
They  call  it  culturomics:  the  obvious  play  on  the  word  "genomics"  looks  at  trends  in  human  thought  and  culture.  But  scientists  say  culturomics  has  been  hampered  by  a  lack  of  quantitative  data.  So  researchers  at  Harvard,  along  with  Google,  Encyclopedia  Britannica,  and  the    Heritage  Dictionary,  have  come  up  with  a  new  tool.  It's  a  database  of  5.2  million  books,  published  since  the  year  1500.  That's  four  percent  of  all  the  books  ever  published,  with  a  total  of  500  billion  words.  The  focus  is  on  English  language  culture,  so  three  quarters  of  the  books  are  in  English.  Among  the  first  findings  of  the  research,  published  in  the  journal  Science  :  about,  8500  new  words  enter  the  English  language  annually.  But  many  of  them  don't  end  up  in  .  And  about  fame  —  actors  become  famous  around  age  30,  writers  around  40,  and  politicians  around  50.  But  the  fame  of  politicians  can    exceed  that  of  actors.  A  Google  tool  called  the  Books  Ngram  Viewer  is    based  on  this  data  —  users  can  track  the  usage  and    of  a  word  or  phrase  over  the  past  few  centuries.  Thus,  we  can  watch  the  fall  and  rise  of  Melville.  And  soon  the  rise  and  fall  of  Snooki.

Result:

AI explanationShows the answer. Tap to open.
Correct answer: American

Explanation: The word 'American' fits grammatically as it serves as an adjective describing the type of dictionary, aligning with the context of the sentence which discusses a specific dictionary related to English language culture.

Meaning: 'American' refers to something related to the United States, in this case, indicating the dictionary is of American origin or usage.

Wrong options:

  • Mettlesome: Mettlesome means spirited or courageous, which does not relate to the context of a dictionary type.
  • Silicon: Silicon refers to a chemical element or is often associated with technology, not relevant to describing a dictionary.
  • Acetaminophen: Acetaminophen is a medication used to relieve pain and reduce fever, which is unrelated to the context of dictionaries.
Correct answer: dictionaries

Explanation: The word 'dictionaries' is the correct plural noun that fits the context, as it refers to the books that compile words and their meanings, which is what the sentence discusses.

Meaning: 'Dictionaries' are reference books that list words in alphabetical order and provide their meanings, pronunciations, and other information.

Wrong options:

  • veterinaries: Veterinaries refers to veterinarians or animal doctors, which does not fit the context of language and books.
  • fairies: Fairies are mythical beings, which are irrelevant in the context of discussing language and dictionaries.
  • smithies: Smithies refer to places where metal is worked, which does not relate to the topic of dictionaries.
Correct answer: eventually

Explanation: The word 'eventually' is an adverb that indicates something will happen at some point in the future, fitting grammatically and contextually as it describes the timeline of politicians' fame compared to actors.

Meaning: 'Eventually' means at a later time or after a while, indicating that politicians' fame can surpass that of actors after some time.

Wrong options:

  • intelligibly: Intelligibly means in a way that can be understood, which does not fit the context of discussing fame.
  • venturesomely: Venturesomely means in a daring or adventurous manner, which is not relevant to the context of fame.
  • preferably: Preferably indicates a choice or preference, which does not align with the context of fame progression.
Correct answer: available

Explanation: The word 'available' is an adjective that describes the Google tool as being accessible to users, fitting grammatically and contextually in the sentence.

Meaning: 'Available' means that something can be used or obtained, indicating that the tool can be accessed by users.

Wrong options:

  • nonoccupational: Nonoccupational means not related to a job or profession, which does not fit the context of describing a tool.
  • nonbreakable: Nonbreakable means something that cannot be broken, which is irrelevant in the context of a digital tool.
  • trainable: Trainable refers to something that can be trained or taught, which does not apply to the context of availability.
Correct answer: frequency

Explanation: The word 'frequency' is a noun that fits grammatically and contextually, as it refers to how often a word or phrase appears, which is the focus of the sentence.

Meaning: 'Frequency' means the rate at which something occurs over a particular period of time, in this case, the occurrence of words or phrases in literature.

Wrong options:

  • derisory: Derisory means something that is laughably small or inadequate, which does not fit the context of measuring word usage.
  • drearily: Drearily means in a dull or bleak manner, which is not relevant to the context of word frequency.
  • inappreciably: Inappreciably means in a way that is too small to be noticed, which does not align with the context of tracking word usage.

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