In the following question, two words are given in bold. Below are three sentences with two blanks each. Identify which of the given sentences can be completed correctly using the two words (in the exact order given) without changing their original context or meaning. Words: Sanction, Harbour 1.    Should the international council ____ punitive trade measures against the non-compliant nation, or will it secretly ____ diplomatic talks behind closed doors? 2.    Though local authorities refused to ____ the proposed highway expansion, several opposition leaders continued to ____ deep doubts about its environmental cost. 3.    The maritime agency decided to ____ official funding for the coastal restoration project after noticing that the vessel failed to ____ safely.

Explanation: ·         Sentence 1: o   First blank: Sanction (Verb) = Impose a penalty or officially authorize o   Second blank: Harbour (Verb) = To entertain or hold secretly in mind, but you "harbour doubts" or "harbour feelings", you do NOT "harbour diplomatic talks". You hold or conduct talks. So the second blank fails logically. (Incorrect)   ·         Sentence 2: o   First blank: Sanction (Verb) = Officially approve or permit. o   Second blank: Harbour (Verb) = Keep thoughts, feelings, or doubts in one's mind for a long time. o   Meaning: Authorities refused to sanction (approve) the project, while leaders continued to harbour (hold) doubts. Both fit perfectly. (Correct)   ·         Sentence 3: o   First blank: Sanction (Verb) = Grant official approval/funding. o   Second blank: Harbour is a noun (port) or a transitive verb (give shelter to). A ship enters a harbour or berths; a vessel does not "harbour safely" as an intransitive verb in this structure. Therefore, the second blank is grammatically incorrect. (Incorrect)