Meaning: 'Disrupting' means causing a disturbance or interruption to something.

Wrong options:

• encountered: Encountered is the past tense of encounter, which does not fit the present context of ongoing droughts affecting life.
• created: Created is a past tense verb that does not convey the ongoing action of droughts; it implies a completed action rather than a current disruption.
• irritating: Irritating is an adjective that describes something causing annoyance, which does not accurately reflect the serious impact of droughts on life.
• fault: Fault is a noun that refers to a mistake or error, which does not fit in the context of describing the effect of droughts on life.

Correct answer: created

Explanation: The term 'created' is the past tense of 'create' and fits grammatically as it indicates that megadroughts have caused a significant situation over time. It aligns with the context of describing the slow-moving disaster resulting from droughts.

Meaning: 'Created' means to have brought something into existence or caused it to happen.

Wrong options:

• encountered: Encountered is the past tense of encounter, which does not fit as it does not imply the formation of a disaster.
• irritating: Irritating is an adjective and does not fit as it does not describe an action that leads to a disaster.
• fault: Fault is a noun that does not convey an action and is irrelevant in the context of describing the impact of megadroughts.
• disrupting: Disrupting is a present participle that describes an ongoing action, but it does not fit as it does not indicate the creation of a disaster.

Correct answer: risk

Explanation: The word 'risk' is a noun that fits grammatically as it indicates the potential danger or threat faced by the people due to famine. It aligns with the context of discussing the consequences of droughts.

Meaning: 'Risk' refers to the possibility of suffering harm or loss.

Wrong options:

• encountered: Encountered is a verb that does not fit as it does not convey the idea of a potential danger or threat.
• created: Created is a verb that does not fit in this context as it does not describe a state of being in danger.
• irritating: Irritating is an adjective that does not convey the concept of danger or threat, making it unsuitable here.
• fault: Fault is a noun that refers to a mistake or error, which does not relate to the concept of risk associated with famine.