Advocates of gender-neutral language argue that language is rich in alternatives that speakers and writers, sensitive to attitudes and
beliefs of audiences, can use without __23__ on the effectiveness of their communication. They are also able to be true to their notions of
grammatical propriety. In some cases, gender-neutral language may be achieved through the use of gender-inclusive, gender-neutral or
__24__ words ("human being," "person," "individual," and so on) instead of gender-specific ones ("man," "woman," "he," "she,"
"businessman," "mother," etc.), when speaking of people whose gender is unknown, ambiguous, or unimportant. If no gender-inclusive
terms exist, new ones may be __25__ (e.g., "businessperson"). There may also be __26__ usage of existing gender-specific terms—for
example, "men and women" rather than "men and ladies," or "husband and wife" instead of "man and wife." Further, proponents of
gender-neutral language argue that making language less biased is not only __27__, but achievable. Many people find non-neutral
language to be offensive. 【題組】25. (A) coined (B) purged (C) mitigated (D) inhibited