If '→' denotes increasing order of intensity, then the meaning of the words
[dry → arid → parched] is analogous to [diet → fast → ________ ].
Which one of the given options is appropriate to fill the blank?
Options:
(A) starve
(B) reject
(C) feast
(D) deny
Official Answer Key:
A
Step-by-Step Solution & Explanation
### **Official Solution & Concept Analysis (GATE BT 2024 Q.1)**
**1. Governing Concept**:
- **Topic**: Verbal Aptitude & Semantic Intensity Gradients
- The sequence represents increasing degree/intensity of severity:
- *Dry* $\rightarrow$ *Arid* (severely dry) $\rightarrow$ *Parched* (extremely/critically dry).
- Analogously: *Diet* (restricting intake) $\rightarrow$ *Fast* (abstaining from food) $\rightarrow$ *Starve* (extreme/critical deprivation of food).
**2. Option Analysis**:
- **Option (A) [starve] is CORRECT**: Perfectly maintains the ascending intensity of nutritional deprivation from moderate restriction (diet) to voluntary cessation (fast) to life-threatening starvation (starve).
- **Option (B) [reject] is INCORRECT**: Refers to refusal or dismissal, not a degree of food deprivation.
- **Option (C) [feast] is INCORRECT**: Represents an antonym (abundance of food), reversing the progression.
- **Option (D) [deny] is INCORRECT**: Refers to withholding or disclaiming, not the biological state of severe prolonged fasting.
**3. Final Answer**:
- **Correct Choice**: **A**
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