The life of man appears long but, in reality, it is …

Analyze the question: The sentence says life appears long but in reality it is __. The underlined word is not shown here, but from the sentence it must be "long". We need a word that is opposite in meaning to "long" and also fits the gap grammatically and logically.

Concept: In these "opposite in meaning and fills the gap" questions, the word must do two jobs:

1. Be an antonym of the underlined word (long).
2. Fit the sentence naturally (describing the nature of human life).

Step-by-step check:

• A. brief: Directly opposite to "long" and describes duration. "Life is brief" is a common, natural expression. ✔
• B. quick: This describes speed, not length of time. We say "a quick process", not "a quick life". ✘
• C. shortened: This means made shorter by some action. It implies something cut short by an outside cause, which is not the idea of life being short by nature. ✘
• D. stunted: This means prevented from growing or developing fully. It applies to growth, not to life span. ✘

Answer: The sentence reads: "The life of man appears long but, in reality, it is brief." This is correct in meaning and grammar.

Tip: In antonym-plus-gap questions, don't pick just any word that seems opposite. Test each option in the sentence. Words like "quick" (speed) and "stunted" (growth) are distractors because they are related to "short" but don't fit the context of duration. Remember: long ↔ brief for time.