To address global warming, the agreement sought to ______ industrial emissions and ______ innovations in renewable technology.
Correct Answer :
reduce, foster
Solution :
To determine the correct pair of words to fill in the blanks, let us analyze the context of the sentence: "To address global warming, the agreement sought to ______ industrial emissions and ______ innovations in renewable technology."
First, consider the phrase "To address global warming". Global warming is a critical environmental issue primarily caused by greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, an agreement aiming to address global warming would logically seek to decrease or control industrial emissions. The first blank should be filled with a word that means to decrease or limit, such as "reduce".
Second, consider the phrase "______ innovations in renewable technology". Renewable technology is a key solution to global warming. An agreement addressing global warming would logically want to support, encourage, or promote such innovations. The second blank should be filled with a word that means to encourage or promote development, such as "foster".
Let us evaluate the given options:
1. conceal, ignore: "Conceal" means to hide, and "ignore" means to pay no attention to. Hiding emissions and ignoring innovations would not address global warming.
2. escalate, delay: "Escalate" means to increase, and "delay" means to postpone. Increasing emissions and delaying renewable technology would worsen global warming.
3. reduce, foster: "Reduce" means to make smaller or less in amount, and "foster" means to encourage or promote the development of. Decreasing emissions and promoting renewable innovations directly addresses global warming. This fits perfectly.
4. isolate, inhibit: "Isolate" means to place apart, and "inhibit" means to hinder or restrain. Inhibiting renewable innovations is counterproductive to addressing global warming.
5. monitor, neglect: While "monitor" (to observe) is possible, "neglect" (to fail to care for) innovations in renewable technology is counterproductive.
Therefore, the most logical and contextually appropriate words are "reduce" and "foster".
The correct option is reduce, foster.
Access expert-curated educational resources and study materials—completely free.
Create, conduct, and manage professional online assessments with Mindyard. Perfect for teachers and institutes.
Copyright © 2026 Mindyard. All Rights Reserved.