III. Choose the word that best fits the blank space in the following passage. (1.5 pts)

Different Religions
From our earliest days, many people have believed in power or powers greater than themselves. This belief is known as religion. In ancient times, it was a way to (17) ___________ sense of the mysteries of the (18) ___________ world; evil spirits were thought to be responsible (19) ___________ bad weather and disease, for instance. Ancient peoples felt that they had a measure of control over their lives when they made offerings and prayed to friendly spirits, whom they believed could help them win (20) ___________ or grow better crops.
Even today, when people know the scientific explanations for such things as thunder or the eruption of volcanoes, (21) ___________ look to religion to explain some of the other hard-to-understand things which we experience as humans – things like the purpose of life or the reasons for tragedies. Although most religions spring from the same basic human need to (22) ___________ in great power or powers, the ideas, practices, and traditions that religions involve can be very different.
(https://www.englishreavealed.co.uk/PET/Reading_Part_5/pet_multiple_choice_cloze_2.php)