UNIT 2: PROBLEMS - Exercise 2

Read the following passage about problems in navy and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the option that best fits each of the numbered blanks.
On a stormy night in 1707, four British ships struck rocks off the southern coast of England and sank, leading to the tragic deaths of 1,400 sailors. These ships, ___(1)___ because they couldn’t calculate how far they had traveled in a particular direction; they were unable to determine their longitude, which required precise time measurement. This disaster, whose impact has been deeply felt across the nation, was one in a series of similar maritime tragedies, prompting the British government to act. In response, they decided that a competition might inspire a solution: the Longitude Prize.
___(2)___. To win it, someone has had to find a way to calculate how far a ship has traveled east or west from its departure point. Even geniuses such as Sir Isaac Newton, whose knowledge was unmatched, had failed to find a solution. To attract Britain’s greatest scientific minds, ___(3)___. Surprisingly, it wasn’t a famous scientist who solved the problem, but an unknown carpenter whose talent for clock-making has astonished historians. John Harrison, who has spent years working with wood, believed that an accurate clock would help sailors calculate their position. However, ___(4)___, as the motion and temperature changes would ruin delicate parts. After three unsuccessful attempts, Harrison's fourth clock, H4, finally triumphed, with mechanics so precise that it has worked better than most land clocks.
Although the Longitude Prize and Harrison’s success have drawn attention in the 18th century, their story has been largely forgotten over time. However, in 2013, the British government created a new Longitude Prize, whose goal was to solve a significant challenge for humanity. ___(5)___. The question remains: will anyone be able to meet this new challenge as brilliantly as Harrison once did?
(Adapted from Global friends)