Understanding the Passage Context

This question asks us to fill in a blank in a passage describing how we can observe that the Earth is a globe. The passage uses the example of a ship sailing away to illustrate this point. We need to select the best word or phrase to complete the sentence about the ship's movement as it sails out to sea.

Analyzing Blank Number 2

The specific sentence is: "If we watch closely, we see that the ship begins (2) _________." We need to choose the correct form of the verb to follow "begins".

Let's look at the options for blank 2:

• Option 1: to disappear - This uses the infinitive form of the verb. The structure "begins to [verb]" is very common in English and means that the action of the verb starts happening. This fits the context perfectly, as the ship starts the process of disappearing from view.
• Option 2: being disappeared - This is a passive progressive form. It doesn't fit grammatically after "begins" in this context. We usually use the infinitive or gerund after "begins".
• Option 3: to have disappeared - This is the perfect infinitive. It suggests the action of disappearing is already completed. However, the passage describes the *beginning* of the disappearing process, not its completion.
• Option 4: to be disappeared - This is the passive infinitive. While sometimes grammatically possible, it sounds awkward here. The ship is actively sailing away and disappearing; it's not having the action of disappearing done *to* it in this context.

Grammar Rule: Verbs followed by Infinitives

Many verbs in English can be followed by an infinitive (to + base form of the verb). The verb 'begin' is one such verb. It indicates the start of an action.

Examples:

• She begins to sing every morning.
• The show begins to get interesting later.
• He begins to understand the concept.

In our passage, the ship starts the action of disappearing over the horizon due to the Earth's curvature. Therefore, the infinitive form 'to disappear' is the most appropriate choice.

Conclusion for Blank 2

Based on the grammatical structure required after the verb "begins" and the context of the ship sailing away, the phrase to disappear is the correct choice to fill in blank number 2.