Fill in the blank (_) in the following sentence from the following choices.
Sentence: John could not find a good spot to place the chair on the lawn without falling, hence he returned it to the pavement because the _ is uneven.

Choice 1: John could not find a good spot to place the chair on the lawn without falling, hence he returned it to the pavement because the lawn is uneven.
Choice 2: John could not find a good spot to place the chair on the lawn without falling, hence he returned it to the pavement because the pavement is uneven.
Which of the choices is correct? Respond with only "1" or "2" and no additional text.
1
1.