What tradition has long known, science must labor through its usual rigorous protocols to arrive at the very same assessment. Concerning learning in infants, recent findings (i)______ this trend : the timeworn yarn that babies are (ii)______ - and oftentimes disregarding - stimuli from their surroundings has been turned on its head; although (iii)______ exhibiting a mastery of their respective worlds, infants are constantly conducting experiments- very much like the scientists themselves- testing their limits vis-a-vis an environment at once enchanting and frustrating.


We know that the timeworn yarn about babies behavior has been turned on its head. We don't as yet know what this behavior is without completing the second blank, but we do know that it has been turned on its head - that is the knowledge regarding this type of behavior has been reversed. Thus the recent findings have gone against the trend. Therefore the correct answer choice is buck, since to "buck the trend" is to "go against the trend". The word buck has many meanings as noun and verb. As a noun, buck can refer to deer or colloquially money. As a verb it is used in phrases such as "to buck up" which means to brace up or become encouraged and "to buck the trend" which means to "go against the trend".

Now what are these new findings?

We are told that they are constantly conducting experiments and testing their limits vis-a-vis an environment which is at once enchanting and frustrating. The word "although" at the head of the sentence fragment means that the word for the third blank should ensure a contrast to experimenting and testing the environment. Only far from gives me this sense. Plus this can also be deduced from the fact that the subject are infants.

And since they are conducting experiments and testing their environment, the old idea must be that they were passively receiving. The phrase "often times disregarding" also suggests that the word for the blank must be something of a similar nature but of lesser intensity.

Its demotivating at the instant of seeing a 4-5 line question and on top of that with idioms and unknown words in it. It is very difficult to even understand the context of the question. If somehow we get a hard section do we encounter these type of questions in whole section

The correct words for the blanks are (i) buck, (ii) passively receiving, and (iii) far from.

Breakdown of the Blanks
- Blank (i): (A) buck

The sentence begins with the idea that science often confirms what tradition has known. However, the phrase "has been turned on its head" signals that the new findings about infants contradict the old belief. The word buck means to resist or oppose. It fits the context perfectly, as the new findings are going against the general trend.
- Blank (ii): (D) passively receiving

The "timeworn yarn" (the old belief) is contrasted with the new findings that infants are "constantly conducting experiments." The old idea must be the opposite of an active process. Passively receiving means taking in information without actively processing or engaging with it. This directly contrasts with the new understanding of infants as active "scientists."
- Blank (iii): (G) far from

The word "although" sets up a contrast. The sentence argues that infants are actively experimenting, but they are not yet masters of their environment. The phrase far from means "not at all" or "certainly not." It creates the necessary contrast, highlighting that even though they are not yet masters, they are actively working to understand their world.

The Complete Sentence
"What tradition has long known, science must labor through its usual rigorous protocols to arrive at the very same assessment. Concerning learning in infants, recent findings buck this trend: the timeworn yarn that babies are passively receiving - and oftentimes disregarding - stimuli from their surroundings has been turned on its head; although far from exhibiting a mastery of their respective worlds, infants are constantly conducting experiments- very much like the scientists themselves- testing their limits vis-a-vis an environment at once enchanting and frustrating."