The passage below has gaps. Immediately after each gap, four options are provided. Choose the most appropriate option for each gap. In modern mining, there ...
Question 1 Report
The passage below has gaps. Immediately after each gap, four options are provided. Choose the most appropriate option for each gap.
In modern mining, there is a network of __6__ [A. way B. tunnels C. paths D. avenues] and passages, with openings and walls which in the dim light seem very bewildering. Right across the wall at the end of the inky black passage, the __7__ [A. miners B. toilers C. workers D. foreman] approach. The coal __8__ [A. front B. slope C. obstacle D. face] is neatly cut __9__ [A. slit B. gash C. bare D. aperture]. It extends level to a height of rather less than three feet. The rays of the miner's lamp shine on steel roof __10__ [A. beams B. supports C. spurs D. stays]. Thousands of feet of rock and earth are pressing down on those steel plates and __11__ [A. props B. wedges C. poles D. stakes], and the miners have to crawl through the small, deep opening in the wall to get to the coal in the mine that we are considering, the __12__ [A. gash B. hole C. seam D. opening] is nearly four feet thick and is being worked by a combination of __13__ [A. digging B. manpower C. machinery D. spade] and explosives. A mechanical __14__ [A. slit B. gash C. knife D. mesh] saws into the coal to a depth of four or five feet, thus separating it from its base. Explosives pushed into holes drilled at intervals in the coal are __15__ [A. fused B. extinguished C. detonated D. stuck] by remote control and blow the separated section of the coal to pieces.
What option best fills the gap labelled 10
Answer Details
To determine the most appropriate option for the gap labeled 10, we need to consider the role and characteristics of what is being described in the passage.
The passage describes something that shines in the light of the miner's lamp and is responsible for holding up thousands of feet of rock and earth, providing structural support within the mining environment. This description indicates that the structures in question are essential for maintaining the stability of the mining tunnels.
Let's examine the meaning of each option:
- Beams: Beams are long, sturdy pieces made of materials like steel or wood that are used to support weight and maintain structural integrity in a building, tunnel, or other construction. This term fits well, as beams are commonly used in mining to support the roof and prevent the collapse of tunnels.
- Supports: This term is more general and can refer to any structure that provides support. However, it is less specific than the other options available.
- Spurs: Spurs generally refer to projections or appendages, but not typically as structural elements in mining to support loads from above.
- Stays: Stays are types of braces or ties that hold things in position, but they are not typically the primary structural support like beams would be.
Given the context and the role of providing strong, essential support to hold the rock and earth pressing down, the most appropriate option is "beams".
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