English — Set 8

Context: Three-fourths of the surface of our planet is covered by the sea, which both separates and unites the various races of mankind, the sea is the great highway along which man may journey at his will, the great road that has no walls or hedges hemming it in, and that nobody has to keep it in good repair with the aid of pickaxes and barrels of tar and steamrollers. The sea appeals to man's love of the perilous and the unknown, to this love of conquest, his love of knowledge, and his love of gold. It's green, grey, blue and purple water calls to him and bid him fare fort in quest of fresh fields. Beyond their horizon he has found danger and death, glory and gain. In some great continents such as America and Australia, there are towns and villages many thousands of miles from the coast, whose children have never seen or heard - or felt - the waves of the sea. But in the British Isles it is nowhere much more than a hundred miles from the most inland spot. The love of the sea is in the very blood of the British people.

Context: There is modicum of truth in the assertion that "a working knowledge of ancient history is necessary to the intelligent interpretaion of current events". But the sage who uttered these words of wisdom might well have added something on the benefits of studying, particularly, the famous battles of history for the lessons they contain for those of us who lead or aspire to leadership. Such a study will reveal certain qualities and attributes which enabled the winners to win and certain deficiencies which caused the losers to lose. And the student will see that the same patterns recurs consistently, again and again, throughout the centuries.

Context: Pick out the most effective word from the given words to fill in the blank to make the sentence meaningfully complete.