Question:

Fill in the blanks with the pair of words that best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.
In human as in animal societies the elder _____ transmit by example to the younger the _____ experience accumulated by the group.

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The first blank needs a plural group of older members, and the second blank needs a word meaning shared by the whole group.
Updated On: Jul 21, 2026
  • Progeny ... lurid
  • Generations ... collective
  • Denizens ... repeated
  • Luminary ... personal
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The sentence says that in both human and animal societies, older members pass on something to younger members by example, and that something is described as experience built up by the whole group. Two blanks need matching words.

Step 2: Key Formula or Approach:
Check grammatical fit and meaning together. The first blank names the older members doing the transmitting, and it should agree with the plural verb "transmit". The second blank describes the kind of experience, and it should mean shared by the whole group, since the sentence already says "accumulated by the group".

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
"Progeny" means offspring or descendants, which does not fit the idea of "elder" members doing the teaching, and "lurid" means shocking or sensational, which has nothing to do with shared experience.
"Denizens" means inhabitants, a word that does not carry the sense of "elder" or "senior" members specifically, and "repeated" does not match the idea of experience built up over time by a whole group.
"Luminary" means a person who is a source of inspiration in a specific field, usually singular, which clashes with the plural verb "transmit", and "personal" means individual, the opposite of experience shared by a group.
"Generations" fits naturally as the plural subject of "transmit" and names the older members of a society, while "collective" means shared by the whole group, matching "accumulated by the group" perfectly.

Step 4: Final Answer:
The pair "Generations ... collective" completes the sentence correctly, so the answer is option (b).
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