Question:

Directions: Replace the number with the word(s) that best fit(s) the meaning of the passage as a whole. Choose the best option for the blank marked (47).
It is _____ (46) to read a book about our planet by an author who does not allow facts to be _____ (47) by politics: well aware of the political disputes about the effects of human activities on climate and biodiversity, this author does not permit them to _____ (48) his comprehensive description of what we know about our biosphere. He emphasizes the enormous gaps in our knowledge, the _____ (49) of our observations, and the _____ (50) of our theories, calling attention to the many aspects of planetary evolution that must be better understood before we can accurately diagnose the condition of our planet.

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Think about what usually happens to plain facts when a topic becomes politically controversial, and which word naturally pairs with "by politics."
Updated On: Jul 20, 2026
  • Invalidated
  • Overshadowed
  • Illuminated
  • Interfered
  • Elucidated
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: The sentence says the author does not allow facts to be [blank] by politics, in a passage praising him for keeping his account free of political bias on climate and biodiversity.
Step 2: The idea being expressed is that political disputes usually push the plain facts into the background or distort how they are perceived, which is a very common problem in politically charged science topics.
Step 3: Check the options for both meaning and natural collocation with "by politics." "Illuminated" and "Elucidated" both mean clarified or made clearer, which is the opposite of what politics typically does to facts. "Invalidated" would mean the facts are made false or untrue, but politics does not actually change whether facts are true, only how visible or trusted they are, so this is too strong. "Interfered" is grammatically awkward here since facts being "interfered by politics" is not a natural English phrase. "Overshadowed" fits both the meaning and the usual English collocation "facts overshadowed by politics," meaning the facts get pushed into the background by political noise.
Step 4: The author is praised for not letting political noise obscure or push aside the facts, matching "overshadowed."
Answer: (b) Overshadowed
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