Fill in the blank with an appropriate word/phrase. The phrase 'driven by' in paragraph (2) suggests that the choice of holiday destination ___________ people's experiences.
is motivated by (or is influenced by)
Marking Scheme
- 11 mark for providing a suitable synonym like 'is motivated by', 'is influenced by', or 'is determined by' that fits the grammatical structure and contextual meaning.
Hint
Think about what 'drives' a decision. Replace 'driven by' with a synonym that shows what pushes people to choose a destination.
Quick Oral Answer
The phrase 'driven by' means motivated or influenced by. So the sentence means that the choice of holiday destination is motivated by or influenced by the kind of experiences people want to have.
Analysis & Explanation
This question tests contextual vocabulary skills, specifically the ability to understand a phrasal verb within its passage context and supply an appropriate synonym that completes a new sentence. The phrase 'driven by' in paragraph 2 means 'motivated by' or 'influenced by' - it indicates the underlying factor that causes people to make certain choices about their holiday destinations. The sentence to complete reads: 'the choice of holiday destination _ people's experiences', requiring a phrase that shows the destination choice is shaped or motivated by what people want to experience. Students must ensure their answer fits both semantically (correct meaning) and grammatically (correct sentence structure). 'Is motivated by' works because it maintains the passive construction and correctly conveys that experiences are the motivating factor behind destination choices. 'Is influenced by' is equally acceptable. Common errors include interpreting 'driven by' literally as related to driving or transportation, or providing a word that does not fit the grammatical structure of the given sentence. Some students write just 'motivated' without 'is...by', which breaks the sentence grammar. This type of question is worth 1 mark but requires careful reading of both the original passage context and the target sentence. A good strategy is to substitute your answer word back into both the original passage sentence and the question sentence to check if both make sense.
Common Mistakes
- 1Interpreting 'driven by' literally as related to driving a vehicle or transportation, completely missing the metaphorical meaning of motivation or influence.
- 2Writing a word that has the correct meaning but does not fit grammatically in the sentence structure, such as writing 'motivates' instead of 'is motivated by'.
- 3Providing a vague answer like 'is based on' or 'comes from' that partially captures the meaning but lacks the sense of strong motivation or influence that 'driven by' conveys.
Interesting Facts
The phrase 'driven by' originally comes from the language of horse-drawn carriages and early automobiles, where a vehicle was literally 'driven by' a person or engine. Its metaphorical use to mean 'motivated by' became common in English by the mid-19th century.
CBSE has increasingly included vocabulary-in-context questions in reading comprehension since the 2020 curriculum revision, testing students' ability to derive meaning from context rather than rote memorization of word lists.
Research in applied linguistics shows that understanding words in context is the most effective way to build vocabulary. A 2019 study found that students who learned vocabulary through reading passages retained 40% more words after six months compared to those who memorized isolated word lists.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I write 'depends on' instead of 'is motivated by'?
While 'depends on' conveys a similar meaning, 'is motivated by' or 'is influenced by' are closer to the contextual meaning of 'driven by'. However, 'depends on' could be accepted if it grammatically fits the sentence and captures the intended meaning.
What does 'vocabulary in context' mean as a question type?
It means you must determine the meaning of a word or phrase based on how it is used in the passage, not its dictionary definition. 'Driven by' literally means propelled by force, but in context it means motivated or influenced by something.
How is this different from a regular vocabulary question?
A regular vocabulary question asks for a synonym or definition. A vocabulary-in-context question requires you to understand how the word functions in its specific sentence and provide a substitute that maintains the same meaning within that context.