A sentence is missing in the paragraph given below. Decide in which blank (i.e., 1, 2, 3 or 4) the following sentence would fit best.
Sentence:
Nay, education would even help them in the performance of the narrowest sphere of womanly duty.
Paragraph:
It is the height of selfishness for men, who fully appreciate in their own case the great advantages of a good education, to deny these advantages to women. (1)_________. There is no valid argument by which the exclusion of the female sex from the privilege of education can be defended. (2)________. It is argued that women have their domestic duties to perform and that if they were educated, they would bury themselves in their books and have little time for attending to the management of their households. (3)________. But women are no more liable to this temptation than men and most women would be able to do their household work all the better for being able to refresh their minds in the intervals of leisure with a little reading. (4)_________. For, education involves knowledge of the me by which health may be preserved and enables a mother to consult such modern books as will tell her how to rear up her children into healthy men and women and skillfully nurse them when disease attacks her household.

Correct option is B

Option (b) is the correct answer, and the sentence fits best at Blank 4.
Explanation of correct placement:
· The paragraph first criticizes the denial of education to women (sentence 1 and 2).
· Then it mentions the objection that educated women might neglect household duties (sentence 3).
· After addressing that objection (sentence 3), there is a smooth transition needed to emphasize that education would not interfere but even enhance their domestic capabilities.
· Thus, inserting the given sentence at Blank 4 connects perfectly to the next idea which explains how education helps women manage their households better.
Logical flow of ideas:
· 1: Men appreciate education but deny it to women →
· 2: No valid argument against female education →
· 3: Objection about women neglecting homes →
· 4 (Inserted sentence): Education even helps with domestic duties →
· 5: Details on how education helps maintain health and manage households.
Why other options are incorrect:
· (Blank 1): Would break the introduction about selfishness.
· (Blank 2): Would interrupt the logical argument against exclusion.
· (Blank 3): Already talks about an objection and its counter.