Fill in the blank with the most appropriate option
 

The villagers _______ the death of their leader by keeping all the shops closed. 

Mourned 

The most appropriate word to fill in the blank is mourned.

The other options are not as accurate. Announced suggests that the villagers were simply informing people of the death, but this is not the case. Protested suggests that the villagers were expressing their disapproval of the death, but this is also not the case. Consoled suggests that the villagers were trying to comfort each other, but this is not what the sentence is describing. Mourned is the best option because it suggests that the villagers were expressing their grief and sorrow at the death of their leader.