At first, we found life in the town very exciting but soon it became rather …

Analyze the question

The sentence is: "At first, we found life in the town very exciting but soon it became rather ___."

The question wording is a bit mixed up. It says "most nearly opposite," but the task is really to fill the blank. The word "but" signals a contrast with "exciting," so the missing word must express the opposite of exciting. Either way, we need the word that is opposite to exciting.

Concept

The conjunction "but" joins two ideas that contrast. If life was first exciting (thrilling, full of interest), it later became the reverse: dull and without interest.

Checking the options

• A. tiring: This means exhausting. It describes physical or mental fatigue, not the opposite of excitement. Life can be exciting and tiring at the same time.
• B. disturbing: This means upsetting or worrying. It is not the opposite of exciting.
• C. burdensome: This means heavy or hard to bear. It suggests a load or responsibility, not a lack of excitement.
• D. boring: This means dull and uninteresting. It is the direct antonym of exciting.

Answer

The correct option is D. boring. It matches the contrast created by "but" and is the true opposite of "exciting."

Tip

In fill-in-the-blank and opposite-meaning questions, look for signal words such as but, however, although, yet. They show that the blank needs an opposite idea. Also, pick the word that is the direct opposite, not just one that is negative. Tiring, disturbing and burdensome are all negative, but only boring is the true opposite of exciting.