Directions: In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank.
On the afternoon of 30 March 1981, many Americans experienced a (i)________ of déjà-vu. Déjà-vu is a name given to the feeling that a person has seen or experienced an event before. Many Americans could not help having that feeling on this day. The (ii) ________ hit TVs and radios immediately. President Ronald Raegan had been shot. He was leaving a hotel in Washington DC, turned to wave at some of the people gathered to see him, and fell towards the ground. Before he could hit the ground, his Secret Service Agents (iii) ________ him into the car and rushed to the nearest hospital. This same story had been heard before. On 22 November 1963 President John F Kennedy was riding in a motorcade through Dallas, Texas. He smiled and waved to the crowd that had gathered to see him. (iv) ________ rang out from a nearby building. The President collapsed into the backseat of the car and was immediately taken to the nearest hospital. He was (v) ________ dead at the hospital. Now, just seventeen years later, the news sounded eerily the same.
Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank No. (v).
Correct Answer :
pronounced
Solution :
The correct answer is pronounced.
Step-by-Step Explanation:
1. Analyze the context of the sentence:
The passage describes the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan and compares it to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Sentence (v) reads: "He was (v) ________ dead at the hospital."
2. Evaluate the options:
- shot: While JFK was shot earlier in the event, the phrase "shot dead at the hospital" is grammatically incorrect in this context, as he was shot in the motorcade and later declared dead at the hospital.
- pronounced: "Pronounced dead" is a standard formal expression/collocation used by medical officials to officially declare that someone has passed away upon or after arrival at a medical facility.
- acting: Does not make semantic sense in this context.
- almost: While JFK was gravely injured, the passage emphasizes that he was officially declared dead, and "almost dead" does not fit the historical context or formal tone of the news report.
3. Conclusion:
The most appropriate word to fill in blank No. (v) is pronounced, completing the standard phrase "pronounced dead".
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