Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank number 5.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
The correct answer is option 2 i.e likely.
Context: The sentence is discussing a hypothetical situation i.e. what life expectancy “would have been” if the pandemic had not happened. So, we need a word that modifies a conditional outcome and expresses probability or expectation.
Meaning of “likely”:
Likely means "probably" or "expected to happen."
Example: Without treatment, the disease is likely to get worse.
Grammatical structure: This sentence uses the third conditional form: would + have + past participle is used to talk about hypothetical situations in the past.
Hence, the chosen option will be correct.