A pattern made of two characters a and b has been repeated more than once in the line given below: × b × a × a × × a × a × bab What is × × at the 7th and 8th place from the left in the above line?

The line is: × b × a × a × × a × a × bab. The pattern visible is 'xbxaxa' or similar repetition. Identifying the repeating unit: the visible characters suggest the pattern '×bab' or '×b×a×a' repeats. Counting positions 1-13: pos1=×, pos2=b, pos3=×, pos4=a, pos5=×, pos6=a, pos7=×, pos8=×, pos9=a, pos10=×, pos11=a, pos12=×, pos13=b, pos14=a, pos15=b. The repeating pattern appears to be '×b×a×a' (6 characters) or similar. To make positions 7 and 8 fit the repetition, examining 'xbxa xa xx ax ax bab', the repeating unit fits as 'xbxaxa' repeated. Position 7-8 in this pattern would be 'ab'. Hence the answer is ab.