A passage is given below with five blanks labelled (A)-(E). Below the passage, four 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.
The end of World War II was not just the end of a war, but also the __(A)__ of a tense and dynamic period that affected society on all levels. This “postwar” period, as it became known, shaped the world as we know it today; likewise, the period was shaped itself both by the war that had __(B)__ it, and the powerful forces that surrounded it. As the energy of fundamentally different ideologies—Communism and Democracy—collided with advances in science such as the nuclear bomb, a dangerous environment ensued that created an atmosphere of __(C)__ throughout the world and especially, within America.
This atmosphere is known broadly as the “Cold War.” While the Cold War played out step-by-step between the United States and the Soviet Union, it was __(D)__ playing out in the everyday lives of the masses within their borders. Paranoia, nevertheless, was not an effect that followed immediately after the close of the War. In fact, the United States had enjoyed an extended period of economic __(E)__ during the war, and following the war, the U.S. economy continued with great strength for more than a decade.
The sentence mentions ‘Communism and Democracy’, which should be used as a hint while picking up the word fitting the blank.
As the sentence indicates a negative remark, ‘public’ and ‘radical’ gets omitted.
The word ‘politically’ is grammatically incorrect.
The word ‘paranoi’ fits the blank along with appropriately conveying the meaning of the sentence too.
6. There aren't ........ mountains in that part of the country.