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Question

Difficulty: MediumPhrasal Verbs and Prepositional Verbs

When the main investor abruptly withdrew from the agricultural venture, the directors were forced to _______ their personal savings to keep the farm operational. Which of the following options correctly completes the sentence?

  1. fall back onAnswer
  2. B
    fall out with
  3. C
    fall in with
  4. D
    fall through to

Answer

The correct answer is 'fall back on'.
The phrasal verb 'fall back on' means to rely on or resort to something (such as emergency funds or secondary options) when primary means fail. Here, the directors relied on personal savings after losing investor funding.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence context to determine the required meaning.
The main investor withdrew, so the directors had to rely on alternative emergency funds (their personal savings).
The blank requires a phrasal verb that means to use a secondary resource or backup plan when primary support fails.
2
Evaluate each option against the contextual meaning.
'Fall back on' means to resort to or rely on reserves; other choices mean quarrel ('fall out with'), agree/associate ('fall in with'), or fail/collapse ('fall through').
Only 'fall back on' fits both the idiomatic meaning and grammatical structure of the sentence.

Key Concept

Selecting the appropriate prepositional particle in a multi-word phrasal verb based on contextual meaning.
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Topics

Phrasal Verbs and Prepositional Verbs

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