Meaning: 'Tackle' means to confront or address a challenge or problem.

Wrong options:

• reflect: The verb 'reflect' means to think deeply or to show an image, which does not fit the context of addressing economic inequality.
• drawing: The gerund 'drawing' refers to the act of producing a picture or pulling something, which does not convey the action of addressing a problem.
• giving: While 'giving' is a gerund that fits the context of providing, it does not convey the action of addressing inequality directly.
• boost: The verb 'boost' means to increase or improve something, but it does not relate to the act of addressing or tackling a problem.
• struggling: The gerund 'struggling' implies difficulty or effort, which does not fit the context of actively addressing economic inequality.
• tackle: This is the correct answer, as it directly addresses the action needed to confront economic inequality.

Correct answer: giving

Explanation: The gerund 'giving' is suitable here as it describes the action of providing something, which in this case is the regular payment to citizens. It fits grammatically as it follows the structure of 'entails' which requires a gerund.

Meaning: 'Giving' refers to the act of providing or supplying something to someone.

Wrong options:

• reflect: The verb 'reflect' does not fit as it does not describe the action of providing payments.
• drawing: The gerund 'drawing' does not relate to the concept of providing payments and is irrelevant in this context.
• tackle: This is the correct answer for the first blank, but it does not fit here as it does not describe the action of providing payments.
• boost: The verb 'boost' implies increasing something, which does not fit the context of providing payments to citizens.
• sparking: The gerund 'sparking' means to initiate or provoke, which does not relate to the act of giving payments.
• struggling: The gerund 'struggling' implies difficulty, which does not fit the context of providing payments.

Correct answer: boost

Explanation: The verb 'boost' is appropriate here as it means to enhance or improve, which aligns with the intention of UBI to stimulate the economy. It fits grammatically as it follows the structure of the sentence, indicating the purpose of the payments.

Meaning: 'Boost' means to increase or enhance something, in this case, the economy.

Wrong options:

• reflect: The verb 'reflect' does not convey the action of improving the economy and is irrelevant in this context.
• drawing: The gerund 'drawing' does not relate to the action of enhancing the economy.
• giving: While 'giving' fits the context of providing payments, it does not convey the action of improving the economy directly.
• sparking: The gerund 'sparking' means to initiate or provoke, which does not fit the context of enhancing the economy.
• struggling: The gerund 'struggling' implies difficulty, which does not relate to the action of improving the economy.
• tackle: This is the correct answer for the first blank, but it does not fit here as it does not describe the action of enhancing the economy.

Correct answer: sparking

Explanation: The gerund 'sparking' is suitable here as it means to initiate or provoke a discussion or debate, which aligns with the context of the contentious debate surrounding UBI. It fits grammatically as it follows the structure of the sentence, indicating the result of the differing opinions.

Meaning: 'Sparking' means to initiate or provoke something, in this case, a debate.

Wrong options:

• reflect: The verb 'reflect' does not convey the action of initiating a debate and is irrelevant in this context.
• drawing: The gerund 'drawing' does not relate to the action of provoking a debate.
• giving: While 'giving' fits the context of providing payments, it does not convey the action of initiating a debate.
• boost: The verb 'boost' implies increasing something, which does not fit the context of provoking a debate.
• struggling: The gerund 'struggling' implies difficulty, which does not relate to the action of initiating a debate.
• tackle: This is the correct answer for the first blank, but it does not fit here as it does not describe the action of sparking a debate.