Choose the nearest meaning of the underlined in the following: The prices are going up be leaps and bounds .

The idiom 'by leaps and bounds' means increasing very quickly, at a rapid pace. So the nearest meaning is B) Rapidly.

Why the others fail:

• A) Irregularly describes uneven or erratic movement. Prices rising by leaps and bounds are rising fast, not unevenly.
• C) Gradually is the trap. It means slowly, by small steps, which is the opposite of the idiom's force. 'By degrees' or 'step by step' carries that sense.
• D) Systematically means according to a planned method or order. It has nothing to do with speed.

Core concept: idioms of motion and change. In the English vocabulary part, the examiner tests whether you grasp the connotation of the phrase, not a word-to-word dictionary match. Mains connection: inflation and price rise discussions in GS III economy answers and essays often use this kind of phrasing, so precision in vocabulary helps in writing too.

Trap: choosing C because 'prices going up' sounds like a slow process. The idiom means the opposite.