UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

The word “smog” was coined by blending “smoke” and “fog” to describe the dense polluted air that plagued early industrial cities. It reflected a mixture of smoke particles and fog droplets. The stem directly alludes to this historical origin,so fog is the correct completion.

Option A:
Fog consists of tiny water droplets suspended in the air and,when mixed with smoke,can create a thick,irritating haze. This physical combination gave rise to classic smog episodes. Thus fog accurately fits the etymological explanation in the question.

Option B:
Fume refers generally to smoke or vapour,which is already captured in the “smoke” component of smog. The term does not appear in the original coinage,so it is not the right answer.

Option C:
Gas is a very broad term that includes any gaseous substance in the atmosphere. It does not reflect the visual haziness associated with fog that inspired the term smog. Hence it is not appropriate here.

Option D:
Dust is composed of solid particles and,although it can be part of air pollution, it was not part of the specific phrase from which the term smog was formed. Therefore this option is incorrect.