Question

Comprehension: In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank. Naval architects never claim that a ship is unsinkable, but the sinking of the passenger-and-car ferry Estonia (1) ____ the Baltic surely (2) ______ never have happened. It was well designed and (3) ______ maintained. It carried the proper number of lifeboats. It (4)______ thoroughly inspected on the day of its fatal voyage. Yet hours later, the Estonia rolled over and (5) _______ in a cold and stormy night. Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank no. 5.

• A. sank
• B. improved
• C. upgraded
• D. marched

Answer 1

Answer:

A. sank

• Narrative Logic: The passage begins by discussing the "sinking" of the ferry Estonia. The final sentence describes the actual sequence of the disaster: first, the ship "rolled over," and logically, the next step for a capsized ship in a storm is that it sank (the past tense of sink). Contextual Clues: The mention of a "cold and stormy night" and the earlier statement that "naval architects never claim that a ship is unsinkable" sets a tragic tone. "Sank" is the only word that completes the description of a maritime disaster. Tense Consistency: The passage uses simple past tense verbs to describe the sequence of events ("rolled over," "carried"). Sank is the simple past form of sink, maintainining perfect grammatical harmony.