Question

Because the villagers have so few dealings with the outside worlds, they are _______________ to regard strangers with deep mistrust. a) prone b) inclined c) reluctant d) predisposed

Answer 1

The best option to complete the sentence is 'predisposed' as it indicates a pre-existing bias, aligning with the villagers' unjustifiable suspiciousness and mistrust of others.

Step-by-step explanation:

The sentence given is: 'Because the villagers have so few dealings with the outside worlds, they are _______________ to regard strangers with deep mistrust.' In this case, the best word to fit in the blank from the given options (prone, inclined, reluctant, predisposed) is 'predisposed'. This word is chosen because it indicates a pre-existing tendency or bias. As the reference information suggests, the villagers harbor an unjustifiable suspiciousness and mistrust of others, indicating that they likely have a pre-existing bias against outsiders. This would make them predisposed to mistrusting strangers rather than merely inclined (which suggests a choice) or prone (which implies a vulnerability). The word 'reluctant' does not fit as it signals hesitation rather than a tendency.

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