In the following passage there are blanks, each of which has been numbered. Select the correct option to fill in the blanks.
The seemingly 1___ hummingbird is one of the toughest beasts in the animal kingdom. Some 330 species __2_____in diverse and often brutal environments. Mysteriously, the birds are found only in North and South America. ‘They’re living 3____the edge of what’s possible for vertebrates, and they’re mastering it,’ says Karl Schuchmann, a German_____4, who studied a captive hummer that lived 17 years. ‘Imagine the _____5______of an organism of only five or six grams to live that long,’ he says.

Correct option is C

The correct option to fill in the blanks is (c).
Explanation:
· 1: fragile (delicate) suits the physical description of a small hummingbird. (कमज़ोर/नाज़ुक)
· 2: thrive implies not just surviving but flourishing, despite tough environments. (फलना-फूलना)
· 3: at the edge is the correct collocation.
· 4: ornithologist – a bird specialist (पक्षी वैज्ञानिक)
· 5: endurance – the capacity to withstand strain (सहनशक्ति)
Example: The fragile-looking bird thrives in harsh conditions, showcasing great endurance.
Other options incorrect due to:
· (a) ophthalmologist (eye doctor ), wrong profession
· (b) stamina ≠ long-term survival like ‘endurance’
· (d) geologist (studies rocks, not birds)