A.I. Explanation:

Correct answer: survivors

Explanation: The term 'survivors' fits grammatically as it refers to individuals who have lived through the disease, aligning with the context of immunity. It is plural, matching the subject of the sentence, and conveys the intended meaning of those who have overcome smallpox.

Meaning: 'Survivors' refers to people who have lived through an event, in this case, individuals who have recovered from smallpox and are now immune.

Wrong options:

• people: While 'people' is a general term for individuals, it lacks the specific context of having overcome the disease, making it less precise here.
• victims: 'Victims' implies those who suffered from the disease, but does not indicate survival or immunity, which is crucial to the context.
• patients: 'Patients' refers to individuals receiving medical treatment, but does not convey the idea of having survived the disease, thus not fitting the context.

Correct answer: provided

Explanation: The word 'provided' is the correct choice as it indicates the action of supplying immunity, fitting grammatically in the past tense and contextually in describing the outcome of variolation.

Meaning: 'Provided' means to supply or make available, in this case, immunity from further infection after variolation.

Wrong options:

• contributed: 'Contributed' suggests a partial role in giving immunity, which does not fit the direct causative context of the sentence.
• gave: 'Gave' is grammatically correct but less formal and precise than 'provided,' which is more suitable for the scientific context.
• transferred: 'Transferred' implies a movement from one place to another, which does not accurately describe the process of immunity being established.

Correct answer: common

Explanation: The term 'common' accurately describes the widespread acceptance and practice of variolation during the 1700s, fitting grammatically as an adjective that modifies 'practice.'

Meaning: 'Common' means widely practiced or prevalent, indicating that variolation was a regular method used in those regions.

Wrong options:

• same: 'Same' does not fit contextually as it does not convey the idea of frequency or prevalence in practice.
• usual: 'Usual' implies normalcy but lacks the emphasis on widespread acceptance that 'common' provides.
• frequent: 'Frequent' suggests occurrence but does not capture the idea of being a standard practice as effectively as 'common' does.

Correct answer: fatalities

Explanation: The word 'fatalities' is the most appropriate choice as it specifically refers to deaths caused by smallpox, fitting grammatically as a plural noun that aligns with the context of discussing the impact of variolation.

Meaning: 'Fatalities' refers to deaths resulting from a particular cause, in this case, deaths from smallpox.

Wrong options:

• patients: 'Patients' refers to individuals receiving treatment and does not convey the idea of death, making it unsuitable in this context.
• diseases: 'Diseases' is a general term for illnesses and does not relate to the number of deaths, thus not fitting the context of mortality.
• victims: 'Victims' implies those affected by the disease but does not specifically denote deaths, making it less precise than 'fatalities'.