Question

the donkey and the fox, having entered into partnership together for their mutual protection, went out into
the forest to hunt. they had not proceeded far when they met a lion. the fox, seeing imminent danger,
approached the lion and promised to contrive for him the capture of the donkey if the lion would pledge his
word not to harm the fox. then, upon assuring the donkey that he would not be injured, the fox led him to a
deep pit and arranged that he should fall into it. the lion, seeing that the donkey was secured, immediately
clutched the fox, and attacked the donkey at his leisure.
the fox, seeing imminent danger, approached the lion and promised to contrive for him the capture of the donkey
would pledge his word not to harm the fox.
what does the word contrive mean in this sentence?
a to talk with
b to protect from harm
c to make more difficult
d to plan a situation cleverly

Explanation:

To determine the meaning of "contrive", we analyze the context. The Fox planned a way to get the Donkey captured for the Lion (by leading the Donkey into a pit). Option A ("to talk with") doesn't fit as the Fox's action was more than talking. Option B ("to protect from harm") is incorrect because the Fox was helping the Lion capture the Donkey, not protecting. Option C ("to make more difficult") is opposite to the Fox's goal of facilitating the capture. Option D ("to plan a situation cleverly") matches the Fox's clever planning to get the Donkey into the pit for the Lion.

Answer:

D. to plan a situation cleverly