Meaning: 'Outdoors' refers to the open air or outside environment, typically associated with nature and activities that take place outside buildings.

Wrong options:

• indoors: 'Indoors' refers to being inside a building, which contradicts the context of exploration in the Arctic.
• place: 'Place' is too vague and does not specifically indicate an outdoor setting, making it less suitable in this context.
• roads: 'Roads' implies man-made pathways and does not capture the essence of the natural environment relevant to Arctic expeditions.

Correct answer: board

Explanation: The word 'board' is appropriate as it refers to the people present on the ship, fitting grammatically and contextually as it indicates the experts who were physically on the vessel during the presentations.

Meaning: 'Board' in this context means the group of people who are on a ship or aircraft, specifically referring to the experts present on the Akademik Ioffe.

Wrong options:

• band: 'Band' refers to a group of musicians or a team, which does not fit the context of experts discussing topics on board a ship.
• debate: 'Debate' is a noun that refers to a discussion or argument, but it does not refer to the people present, making it grammatically incorrect here.
• date: 'Date' refers to a specific day or time, which is irrelevant in this context of discussing experts on a vessel.

Correct answer: growing

Explanation: The word 'growing' fits grammatically as it describes the increasing importance of the issue of Arctic sovereignty, aligning with the context of ongoing discussions about the Arctic as conditions change.

Meaning: 'Growing' means increasing in size, number, or intensity, indicating that the issue of Arctic sovereignty is becoming more significant over time.

Wrong options:

• increasing: While 'increasing' is similar in meaning, it does not fit as well in the context of describing a cause of debate, which is better captured by 'growing.'
• special: 'Special' implies uniqueness but does not convey the idea of an issue becoming more prominent, making it less suitable here.
• major: 'Major' suggests importance but lacks the connotation of change over time that 'growing' provides, making it less precise in this context.

Correct answer: become

Explanation: The word 'become' fits grammatically as it indicates a change in state, aligning with the context of natural resources transitioning to being accessible due to melting ice.

Meaning: 'Become' means to start to be or to come into a particular state, indicating that natural resources are now starting to be accessible.

Wrong options:

• being: 'Being' is a gerund that does not convey the intended meaning of change in state, making it grammatically incorrect in this context.
• brought: 'Brought' is the past tense of 'bring,' which does not fit the context of resources becoming accessible; it implies an action that has already occurred.
• rarely: 'Rarely' is an adverb indicating infrequency, which contradicts the context of resources becoming accessible, making it unsuitable.