Question

word bank: diligent(ly), deference, discrepancy, deride, debilitate(d)\

1. after the long illness, the athletes strength was so \underline{\hspace{3cm}} that he could barely walk.\
2. the journalist worked \underline{\hspace{5cm}} to uncover the truth behind the rumors.\
3. the students respectful \underline{\hspace{3cm}} towards her teacher earned her admiration from classmates.\
4. when the two reports showed a \underline{\hspace{3cm}} in the data, the scientists decided to double - check their experiments.\
5. the comedian would often \underline{\hspace{4cm}} politicians in his routines, making fun of their mistakes.

Explanation:

1. The context of long illness reducing strength calls for an adjective form of "debilitate" to describe the athlete's weakened state.
2. The adverb form of "diligent" modifies the verb "worked" to show the journalist's careful effort.
3. The phrase "respectful ____" requires a noun, and "deference" means respectful regard, matching the context.
4. A difference in data between two reports is a "discrepancy", which prompts double-checking experiments.
5. The comedian making fun of politicians matches the verb "deride", which means to mock or ridicule.

Answer:

1. debilitated
2. diligently
3. deference
4. discrepancy
5. deride