In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank.
The tiger census has revealed that India's big cat count has (1) ______ up in the last few years. This is a (2) ______ of great hope and relief for (3) ______ who understand the value of (4) ______ wildlife and the environment. This success is the (5) ______ of collective efforts of the government and the environmentalists.
Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank no. 1.
- Agrown
- Bpopped
- Cshot
- Dexpanded
Solution & Step-by-step Explanation
The phrase "__ up" indicates a rapid or noticeable upward movement or increase.
"Shot up" is a standard phrasal verb that means to increase rapidly or suddenly, which matches the context of a census revealing a significant increase in the big cat count.
While "grown" means increased, it does not form the natural collocated phrasal verb "grown up" in this context (as "grow up" means to mature into an adult).
"Shot up" is a standard phrasal verb that means to increase rapidly or suddenly, which matches the context of a census revealing a significant increase in the big cat count.
While "grown" means increased, it does not form the natural collocated phrasal verb "grown up" in this context (as "grow up" means to mature into an adult).