Comprehension:
In the following passage some words have been deleted. Fill in the blanks with the help of the alternatives given. Select the most appropriate option for each blank.
Pigeon racing has become increasingly popular in parts of China (1)______ the country's elite and its middle class. Sun Yan, the deputy general-secretary of Beijing Racing Pigeons Association,(2)______ that at least 100,000 pigeon breeders live in Beijing, and (3)______ 90,000 of them are registered with Racing Pigeons Associations at (4)______ levels, to qualify for the games held in the spring and autumn. Competitions can be lucrative for (5)______ owners, with some prizes amounting to tens of thousands of dollars. Liu said in recent years, pigeon racing has been surging in popularity across China.
Select the most appropriate option for blank No. 2.

Options

A. Utmost
B. Almost
C. Nearby
D. exact

Answer

B

Explanation

(b) Almost- not quite, very nearly.
Utmost- most extreme, greatest.
Nearby- not far away, close.
Exact - accurate or correct in all details.
According to the passage, Sun Yan was not aware of the exact number of pigeon breeders so he said `ul("almost 90,000")` of 1,00,000 pigeons were registered for racing.