Answer the following question below and choose the option that best completes the gap(s) Many workers were............ as a result of the textile closure

Analyze the question: The sentence says many workers lost something because the textile company closed. We need the phrasal verb that means to be dismissed from work, usually because there is no more work or the company is shutting down.

Explain the concept: The verb "lay" combines with different particles to give different meanings:

• lay down: to put something down, or to surrender or set rules (e.g., "lay down your arms")
• lay off: to dismiss workers temporarily or permanently, especially due to lack of work or company closure
• lay out: to arrange or spread something, or to present a plan (e.g., "lay out a garden")
• lay up: to be confined to bed through illness or injury, or to store something

Step-by-step solution:

1. The cause is "the textile closure", an economic or business event.
2. The effect on the workers should be something related to employment.
3. Test each option: • "Laid down": workers cannot be "laid down" by a closure in any idiomatic sense. ❌ • "Laid off": workers lose their jobs because the company has closed. ✅ • "Laid out": it means arranged or spread out, which makes no sense here. ❌ • "Laid up": it means ill or injured in bed, which has nothing to do with a factory closure. ❌

Answer: Option B, laid off.

The sentence becomes: "Many workers were laid off as a result of the textile closure."

Tip: Think "lay OFF = switch OFF the job". When you see workers plus a company closing, downsizing, or a recession, choose laid off or sacked/retrenched. For phrasal verb questions, always match the particle to the context.