Find the synonym of the underline word.
After several near disasters and especially that one in Chernobyl, a controversy has raged over the safety over the safety of nuclear energy.
a. dispute
b. seminar
c. colloquium
d. conversation
e. collaboration

Hint: A controversy is a situation where there is a public heated debate. For example, there was a big controversy about the origin of the Covid-19 pandemic. The extent of ‘public’ may expand all over the world. It may also be limited to your locality.

Complete answer:
A synonym is a word that means the same as another word. Here, we have to find the synonym of ‘controversy’. Since controversy refers to heated debate, we can say that the synonym of the word is an option a, that is, dispute. A dispute occurs when people are divided in their opinions on a certain topic. This is the same thing that happens in a debate as well. Therefore, the answer is option a.
Option b is wrong because a seminar is a discussion or conference on a certain topic. Many eminent people attend seminars. The synonym of the seminar is a discussion, not debate.
Option c is incorrect because a colloquium is a conference as well but one which is for academic purposes.
Option d is not a synonym of controversy because a conversation is a peaceful talk between two or more people while the controversy is a heated argument.
Option e is wrong because collaboration is when you work with someone like partners to make a project or product.

Thus, the correct option is a.

Note: Before selecting the correct answer, go through all the options to find the appropriate synonym. Use the selected answer in your sentence to see if it matches the context.