Directions: The question below has two blanks, each blank is indicating that something has been omitted. Choose the set of words for each blank that best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.
The statement said that the conference would be ……… a considerable time ……… the global economic crisis.
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having, thinking
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passing, debating
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spending, discussing
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expending, arguing
C
Correct answer
Explanation
'Spending time' is the correct collocation when a duration is mentioned. 'Discussing' fits perfectly with the context of a conference addressing a global crisis. 'Having' or 'passing' time with 'thinking' or 'debating' don't create meaningful collocations in this context, and 'expending' is typically used for energy or resources, not time.