Fill each of the numbered blanks in the passages below with one suitable word. Political correctness has made and continues to make a significant impact on our language as we are all encouraged, for the common ……….. (1), to make increasing use of euphemistic paraphrase. We should turn our backs on expressions like ‘the ……….. (2)’ and embrace ‘……….. (3) economically disadvantaged’. ‘The ……….. (4) challenged’ is recommended in place of ‘the blind’; ‘the chronically ……….. (5) of hearing’ is suggested as a substitute for ‘the ……….. (6)’. This is all very well and not asking the ……….. (7) of us. It is rather when the trend is taken to the ……….. (8) and ‘the ……….. (9)’ find themselves referred to as ‘the follically challenged’ that there is a risk of things getting out of hand. ‘Out with the ……….. (10) and in with the new’ may have its virtue as a saying, but so does ‘Let sleeping dogs lie’.
……….. (11) violin has remained virtually unchanged since the 16th century. It evolved from ……….. (12) viol, ……….. (13) six-stringed instrument, which is played resting on or between one’s thighs.
The reasoning behind high levels of taxation is the redistribution of wealth from ……….. (14) rich to the ……….. (15), for the common ……….. (16). However, to do this in away which satisfies everybody is to ask the ……….. (17).

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