In the following question, a sentence with 2 blanks is

Solution

The sentence indicates that the player's career ended prematurely due to health issues, but later, he had a remarkable career off the field."Cut" is the correct word for the first blank because it naturally collocates with "short" (cut short), meaning to bring to a sudden or premature end. Other options like "protracted" (which means prolonged), "prolonged" (which means extended), and "revived" (which means restarted) contradict the intended meaning of the sentence. "Curtail" is not only incorrect contextually but also ungrammatical here. This rules out option 1 completely. "Sterling" is the correct choice for the second blank because it means excellent or outstanding, making it the best fit for describing a remarkable career off the field. Other options like "lackluster" (which means dull), "unremarkable" (which means not noteworthy), and "mundane" (which means ordinary) contradict the positive tone of the sentence. Therefore, option (3) "cut, sterling" is the right answer.