Meaning: 'Struck' means to hit or have a strong impact, often used to describe sudden disasters or events.

Wrong options:

• attacked: 'Attacked' implies a deliberate action, which does not fit the context of a natural disaster striking unexpectedly.
• affected: 'Affected' suggests a change or influence but lacks the immediacy and forcefulness needed in this context.
• beat: 'Beat' is typically used in a competitive sense or to describe a rhythm, making it unsuitable for describing a disaster.

Correct answer: prior

Explanation: The word 'prior' indicates something that occurred before a specific time, which in this case refers to the harvest season. It fits grammatically as it is an adjective modifying the noun 'to the harvest season.'

Meaning: 'Prior' means earlier in time or order, indicating that the hail damage happened before the harvest season.

Wrong options:

• earlier: 'Earlier' is an adverb and does not fit grammatically as it needs to modify a verb, not a noun phrase like 'to the harvest season.'
• former: 'Former' refers to something that was previously in a particular state or position, which does not apply to the timing context here.
• previous: 'Previous' is similar to 'prior' but is often used in a more formal context; however, it does not fit as well in this specific sentence structure.

Correct answer: broke

Explanation: The verb 'broke' is the past tense of 'break,' which conveys a sense of being emotionally or physically exhausted. It fits the context of the sentence, indicating the family's state after the disaster.

Meaning: 'Broke' means to be in a state of emotional distress or to have lost hope, which aligns with the family's situation after the disaster.

Wrong options:

• burst: 'Burst' implies a sudden release or explosion, which does not accurately describe the emotional state of the family.
• collapsed: 'Collapsed' suggests a physical falling down or failure, which is not the intended meaning in this emotional context.
• spent: 'Spent' means exhausted or used up, but it does not convey the emotional impact as effectively as 'broke' does.

Correct answer: spread

Explanation: The verb 'spread' indicates the rapid dissemination of information, which fits the context of word getting out about farmer Jones. It is grammatically correct as it describes the action of information circulating.

Meaning: 'Spread' means to extend or distribute over a wide area, in this case referring to news about the farmer's specialty products.

Wrong options:

• expanded: 'Expanded' implies an increase in size or scope, which does not fit the context of information circulating quickly.
• broadened: 'Broadened' suggests making something wider, which is not applicable to the context of news or information.
• extended: 'Extended' typically refers to lengthening in time or space, which does not accurately describe the action of news spreading.

Correct answer: grew

Explanation: The verb 'grew' is the past tense of 'grow,' indicating an increase in demand over time. It fits grammatically and contextually, as it describes the rise in interest for the specialty market.

Meaning: 'Grew' means to increase in size, number, or strength, which accurately reflects the demand for the products.

Wrong options:

• arose: 'Arose' suggests something coming into being but does not convey the continuous increase in demand as effectively as 'grew.'
• sprang: 'Sprang' implies a sudden or quick rise, which does not fit the gradual increase in demand described in the context.
• enlarged: 'Enlarged' refers to making something larger in size, which does not apply to the concept of demand increasing.