Question

Something has happened in the last twenty years that surely must ___ anything that has happened before.

• A. terminate
• B. precede
• C. proceed
• D. recede

Hint:

Precede = come before; Proceed = move forward.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

The given sentence is: "Something has happened in the last twenty years that surely must ___ anything that has happened before."

We need to fill the blank with a word that correctly completes the sentence and aligns with the context. Let's evaluate each option:

1. Terminate: This means to bring something to an end. The sentence contextually needs a word that relates to something that happened before, rather than ending something. Thus, this option does not fit.
2. Precede: This means to come before something in time. It fits the sentence well since the sentence discusses something from the past twenty years relative to earlier events. Thus, this option makes sense in the context.
3. Proceed: This means to continue or move forward. There is no indication in the sentence that suggests a continuation, only a comparison to what happened before. Consequently, it isn't appropriate.
4. Recede: This means to go back or move away from. It does not fit the context of comparing events in time, which is what the sentence is about. Therefore, it is not the correct choice.

Conclusion: The correct answer is "precede" because the sentence is looking for a word that compares the timing of events in the past twenty years against those that happened earlier. "Precede" correctly indicates that the events of the past twenty years must have come before anything else that happened.