Question

Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word from the options given:

A day after the mayhem, the Pope called on the people to stop civilization from falling into a/an ________ of barbarism.

• A. ditch
• B. abyss
• C. dungeon
• D. assuage

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

abyss

Option B: An 'abyss' means 'the regions of hell conceived of as a bottomless pit'. This word completes the meaning of the sentence, the Pope called on the people to stop the civilization from filling into a hell-like pit of barbarism. Hence option B is correct.
Option A: 'Ditch' is a narrow channel dug on the sides of a road, to let water flow through.
Option C: 'Dungeon' is a strong underground prison cell.
These words 'ditch' and 'dungeon' do not complete the sentence in meaning.
Option D: Assuage is a verb; it refers to an action 'to make an unpleasant feeling less intense'. As it's a verb, it cannot be an object of an action 'falling into'.
Hence options A, C and D are incorrect.