In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank.

 The rise in the Irrawaddy dolphin (1) ______ in Chilika can be attributed to the eviction of (2) ______ fish enclosures. After thousands of hectares of Chilika lake were made (3) ______ free, Irrawaddy dolphins found unobstructed area for movement. (4) ______, due to the COVID-19 lockdown last year, there were comparatively fewer tourist boats on Chilika lake, which made it (5) ______ for dolphins to move from one part of the lake to another.

Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank number 1.

Select the option that expresses the given sentence in direct speech.

He asked me when I had booked the flight tickets.

Select the most appropriate synonym of the given word.

Retaliate

Select the most appropriate ANTONYM of the given word.

Raze

Select the most appropriate synonym of the given word.

ostentatious

Select the option that can be used as a one-word substitute for the given group of words.

The study of earthquakes

Select the most appropriate option to substitute the underlined segment in the given sentence. If there is no need to substitute it, select ‘No substitution required.’

A tigress has given birth to a cub in the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, taking the big cat population to 78.

Select the most appropriate option that can substitute the underlined segment in the given sentence. If there is no need to substitute it, select ‘No substitution required’.

The authorities areassured the people that they will look into the matter.