In the following sentence, there is one underlined word and one gap. From the list of words lettered A to D…

Analyze the question

The sentence is: "In recent tournaments I have seen amateurs play better than so-called _."

The underlined word is not marked in the text you pasted, but the sentence only makes sense if it is amateurs. So we need a word that:

1. Is opposite in meaning to "amateurs", and
2. Fits the gap grammatically and logically.

Explain the concept

An amateur is someone who does an activity for pleasure, not as a paid job. The direct opposite is someone who does it for pay as a career, which is a professional.

Check the options

• A. experts: This describes skill, not payment status. An amateur can also be an expert, so it is not a true opposite.
• B. veterans: This means people with long experience. It is not the opposite of amateur.
• C. specialists: This means people focused on one field. It is not the opposite of amateur.
• D. professionals: This is the exact antonym of "amateurs" (paid vs. unpaid players). It also fits the sentence well: "amateurs play better than so-called professionals" is a natural contrast, and "so-called" suggests that those supposed professionals did not live up to their title.

Answer: D. professionals

Tip: In "opposite + fill the gap" questions, find the exact antonym pair first. Amateur ↔ professional is a classic pair. Words like "expert" and "veteran" are about skill or experience, while "amateur/professional" is about being paid or not.