Below, a passage is given with ten blanks labelled (A)-(J). Below the passage, four options are given for each blank. Choose the word that fits each blank appropriately in the context of the passage, and mark the corresponding answer.
As the world becomes more and more interconnected, technology has begun to be considered as a convenient and useful tool for communication between individuals, a situation that has ___(A)___ participation in some of the engagements that were challenging sometimes. In fact, technology has, among other things, provided the type of social interaction that has, indeed, ___(B)___ the gap between different cultures and ideologies. Today’s world is an era of technology, and this technology is constantly changing. Over one hundred and fifty years ago, the ___(C)___ of business operations was quite different from the current ones. Currently, ___(D)___ less time is being spent on data processing, information retrieval, and evaluating the business statistics. Additionally, enquiries related to cataloguing items and processing of purchase transactions have been ___(E)___, reducing or eliminating human ___(F)___. This has helped save resources for a strategic use. Technology is, actually, transforming every ___(G)___ of our lives including medicine, art, and education. Some aspects of technology have become so common that they are taken for ___(H)___. For instance, before the technology behind electricity had ___(I)___, it was challenging to engage in various activities after nightfall. Moreover, the lack of electricity was a great ___(J)___ to other practices that require machines, some of which wouldn’t have been powered by fossil fuels.
The blank should be filled with a verb in the past tense. The appropriate word is 'automated' which means 'converted a process or facility to be operated by largely automatic equipment.'$
The rest of the options are irrelevant as they mean:
Ruthlessly=> without pity or compassion for others
Remorseful=> filled with remorse; sorry
Strident=> loud and harsh; grating
Jarred=> sent a painful or damaging shock through something, especially a part of the body
Hence the correct answer is option 1.