Choose the correct option to fill in the blank in the given sentence:
He closed the jewel-encrusted box_____ and left the room without waking anyone.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → noiselessly
Noiselessly means without making any sound. He left the room without waking anyone, so he must have closed the box silently.
Example: The cat moved noiselessly across the roof.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: fastly — Incorrect. "Fastly" is not a word in standard English; "fast" itself is the adverb. Speed is also not the point; silence is.
Example: The car moved fast on the highway.
Option 3: piercingly — Incorrect. Piercingly means in a very sharp, loud or intense way (of a sound or a look); a piercing noise would wake everyone.
Example: The whistle blew piercingly across the field.
Option 4: loudly — Incorrect. Loudly means with a lot of noise; it contradicts "without waking anyone".
Example: The children laughed loudly at the clown.