Meaning: 'Checked' means to examine or verify something, in this case, the weight and height of the animals.

Wrong options:

• enlarged: 'Enlarged' is the past participle of 'enlarge,' which means to make something bigger, and does not fit the context of measuring weight and height.
• statistics: 'Statistics' is a noun that refers to numerical data, which does not fit as a verb in this sentence.
• dismissed: 'Dismissed' is the past participle of 'dismiss,' meaning to reject or disregard, which does not relate to the action of measuring.
• coaxed: 'Coaxed' is the past participle of 'coax,' meaning to persuade gently, which does not fit as it describes a different action.
• developed: 'Developed' is the past participle of 'develop,' meaning to grow or cause to grow, which does not fit the context of measuring animals.

Correct answer: coaxed

Explanation: The word 'coaxed' is the past participle of 'coax,' which means to gently persuade someone or something to do something. It fits contextually as it describes the action taken to encourage the animals onto the scales, maintaining grammatical consistency with the sentence structure.

Meaning: 'Coaxed' means to persuade someone or something to move or act in a certain way, often through gentle encouragement.

Wrong options:

• checked: 'Checked' is the past participle of 'check,' which does not fit here as it refers to measuring rather than persuading the animals.
• enlarged: 'Enlarged' means to make larger, which does not relate to the action of persuading the animals onto the scales.
• statistics: 'Statistics' is a noun and does not fit as a verb in this context.
• dismissed: 'Dismissed' means to reject or disregard, which does not apply to the action of encouraging animals.
• developed: 'Developed' means to grow or evolve, which does not fit the context of persuading animals.

Correct answer: endangered

Explanation: The term 'endangered' is an adjective that describes species at risk of extinction. It fits grammatically and contextually as it specifies the type of species being discussed in relation to the statistics shared among zoos.

Meaning: 'Endangered' refers to species that are at risk of extinction due to various factors, including habitat loss and poaching.

Wrong options:

• checked: 'Checked' is a verb that does not fit as it does not describe a type of species.
• coaxed: 'Coaxed' is a verb that does not relate to the classification of species and does not fit in this context.
• statistics: 'Statistics' is a noun that refers to numerical data, which does not describe a type of species.
• dismissed: 'Dismissed' means to reject or disregard, which does not apply to the context of species classification.
• developed: 'Developed' means to grow or evolve, which does not fit the context of describing species.

Correct answer: statistics

Explanation: The word 'statistics' is a noun that refers to numerical data collected and analyzed. It fits grammatically as the object of the sentence, indicating what information about the animals is vital for the zoo's management.

Meaning: 'Statistics' refers to numerical data that is collected and analyzed for various purposes, in this case, to monitor animal health.

Wrong options:

• checked: 'Checked' is a verb that does not fit as it does not serve as a noun in this context.
• coaxed: 'Coaxed' is a verb that does not relate to the type of information being discussed.
• endangered: 'Endangered' is an adjective that describes a type of species, which does not fit as a noun in this context.
• dismissed: 'Dismissed' is a verb that means to reject, which does not apply to the context of vital information.
• developed: 'Developed' is a verb that means to grow or evolve, which does not fit the context of describing necessary information.