Language is used in our everyday lives. If psychology is…
Choose the word for each blank.
Language is used in our everyday lives. If psychology is a science of behavior, scientific investigation of language use must be one of the most central topics - this is because language use is 1. Every human group has a language; human infants (except those who have disabilities) learn at least one language without being taught 2. Even when children, who don't have many languages to begin with, are brought together, they can begin to develop and use their own language. There is at least one known instance where children, who had had little language, were brought together and developed their own language spontaneously with minimum 3 4 adults. In Nicaragua in 1980s, deaf children who were separately raised in various locations were brought together to schools for the first time. Teachers tried to teach them Spanish with little success. However, they began to notice that the children were using their hands and 5, apparently to communicate with each other. Linguists were brought in to find out what was happening - it turned out the children had developed their own sign language by themselves.
Options for each gap (alphabetical)
- 1 anonymous · hazardous · superfluous · ubiquitous
- 2 expensively · explicitly · explosively · externally
- 3 income · inlet · input · intake
- 4 from · into · onto · upon
- 5 fixtures · gestures · lectures · textures
Answers
| Gap | Answer | In the text |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ubiquitous | …because language use is ubiquitous . Every human… Not: hazardous, superfluous, anonymous |
| 2 | explicitly | …language without being taught explicitly . Even when… Not: externally, explosively, expensively |
| 3 | input | …language spontaneously with minimum input from adults. In… Not: income, inlet, intake |
| 4 | from | …spontaneously with minimum input from adults. In Nicaragua… Not: into, onto, upon |
| 5 | gestures | …using their hands and gestures , apparently to… Not: textures, lectures, fixtures |
For each gap, read the words on both sides: the right option fits the grammar (word form, preposition, tense) and the meaning of the sentence.
RealPTE numbers
From RealPTE practice records and students’ “I sat this” reports, counted weekly (last count 2026-10-21). Reports are what students tell us; predictions are not guaranteed.
Questions about this question
What is the answer to PTE Reading FIB (Dropdown) #725017?
The answers in order are: ubiquitous, explicitly, input, from, gestures.
How do I get full marks on this Reading FIB (Dropdown) question?
Choose the option that fits both the grammar and the meaning of the sentence. Each correct gap scores one point.
Can I practise #725017 with scoring?
Yes. The practice button on this page opens question #725017 in the RealPTE practice screen, where your answer is scored when you finish.
Opens question #725017 in the RealPTE practice screen.
Reading: Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown) format (Pearson)
| Prompt | Text up to 200 words |
|---|---|
| Time to answer | Not set per question (Part 2 lasts 23–30 minutes) |
| Skills assessed | Reading |
How it is scored
- Partial credit applies: a partly correct response still scores.
Source: Pearson, PTE Academic & UKVI test format, Part 2: Reading, checked 9 October 2026.