In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank.
A (1) ______ thunderstorm rolled across the Delta before dawn, and Sam was (2) _________ by the crack of lightning. He heard raindrops dropping hard against the open windows above the hallway. Then he heard them drip and (3)________ against the wall under the windows not far from his cell. The (4) _______- of his bed was suddenly cool. Maybe today (5) _________ not be so hot.
Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank number 5.
- Acannot
- Bwould
- Ccould
- Dwill be
Solution & Step-by-step Explanation
The sentence expresses a possibility or future condition from a past perspective (since the entire narrative is in the past tense: rolled, was, heard). The past form of will is would. Thus, "Maybe today would not be so hot" is grammatically consistent.