In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank.
Can we see (1) _________ the earth is a globe? Yes, we can, when we watch a ship that sails out to sea. If we watch closely, we see that the ship begins (2) _________. The bottom of the ship disappears first, and then the ship seems to sink lower and lower, (3) _________ we can only see the top of the ship, and then we see nothing at all. What is hiding the ship from us? It is the earth. Stick a pin most of the way into an orange, and (4) _________ turn the orange away from you. You will see the pin disappear, (5) _________ a ship does on the earth.
Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank number 2.
- Ato disappear
- Bbeing disappeared
- Cto have disappeared
- Dto be disappeared
Solution & Step-by-step Explanation
The verb 'begin' can be followed by a regular to-infinitive (to + V_1). The ship itself is performing the action of vanishing, so an active infinitive is required rather than a passive one (ruling out options B and D). Option C ('to have disappeared') indicates a completed action in the past, whereas the next sentences indicate that the process of disappearing is just starting and unfolding step-by-step. Hence, the active simple infinitive to disappear fits perfectly.