In the question below, three sentences are given with a part highlighted in bold. From the options, choose the phrase that can replace the highlighted part in all three sentences to make the sentence grammatically and contextually correct. 1. In the future, massive new amounts of information will begin to resolve the debate, instead of just adding noise to it as too often occurs today. 2. This pizza has little in common with the traditional pizza; in place of a tomato sauce, the crust is topped with a blend of horseradish, mayonnaise and spices. 3. In lieu of relearning things over the course of centuries, people will be able to learn from the choices others have made.

(a) The sentences show substitution or replacement. 1 talks about how new information will resolve the debate and not simply add noise to it as it does now. 2 talks about how the tomato sauce has been replaced with horseradish, mayonnaise and spices. 3 is talks about how instead of relearning over centuries, people will be able to learn faster from others' choices. RATHER THAN is used to show substitution of one thing with another, and can replace all the highlighted parts. Thus, (a) is the right answer. B is incorrect as AS A REPLACEMENT FOR will fit only in 2 and 3, not in 1. C is incorrect as IN PREFERENCE TO is used to show subjectivity of something. D is incorrect as IN RETURN FOR is used to show compensation.