Question

Indications are that the Government is to the prospect of granting bonus to the striking employees.

• A. Aligned
• B. Obliged
• C. Reconciled
• D. Relieved

Hint:

Look for a word that pairs with "to the prospect of" and means grudgingly accepting an unwelcome outcome.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

The sentence says the Government has come around to accepting a situation it was earlier against: granting bonus to workers who are on strike. We need a word that captures this shift from resistance to grudging acceptance.

1. Aligned: This means brought into agreement or cooperation with something. It suggests the Government actively supports the idea, which is too strong and does not match the cautious, hesitant tone of "indications are".
2. Obliged: This means required or compelled to do something, or feeling grateful. Neither sense fits a government coming to terms with a prospect on its own.
3. Reconciled: This means having accepted an unwelcome situation after initial resistance. "Reconciled to the prospect of X" is a set phrase for accepting that X may happen, which fits the sentence exactly.
4. Relieved: This means freed from worry. There is nothing in the sentence about worry being lifted, so this does not fit.

The correct word is "Reconciled", since "reconciled to the prospect" is the standard way of saying someone has grudgingly accepted that something may happen.

Let's summarize:

• "Reconciled to" is the fixed idiom for accepting an unwelcome outcome.
• "Aligned", "Obliged" and "Relieved" carry the wrong sense for a government bracing for a demand it once resisted.

So the completed sentence reads: "Indications are that the Government is reconciled to the prospect of granting bonus to the striking employees," and the answer is option (3).