Answer the following question below and choose the option that best completes the gap(s)\ The driver was short…

Analyze the question

The sentence says a driver was short of petrol, so he did something "down the hills with the engine switched off." We need the verb that describes a vehicle moving downhill using only gravity and momentum, with no engine power.

Explain the concept

Look at each verb's precise meaning:

• Glided: to move smoothly and effortlessly. It is usually used for birds, planes, or skaters, and does not specifically mean a car moving without engine power.
• Coasted: to move forward in a vehicle (or on a bicycle) without using engine power or pedaling, usually downhill. This is the exact meaning needed here.
• Wheeled: to push or carry something on wheels, as in "he wheeled the bicycle." It does not describe a driver moving a car with the engine off.
• Taxied: used for aircraft moving on the ground before takeoff or after landing, or for a car acting as a taxi.

Solution

1. Context: the driver is short of petrol, so he wants to save fuel.
2. Method: he switches off the engine and lets gravity carry the vehicle down the hills.
3. The word for this is coast. "He coasted down the hills with the engine switched off."

Answer: B. coasted

Tip

Remember that "coast" means moving along without power, as in "coasting downhill." Whenever a question mentions a vehicle moving with the engine off or without pedaling, think of "coast." Also remember that "taxi" is mainly for aircraft on the ground, which helps you eliminate D quickly.