Directions for the next 3 questions: Fill the gaps in the passages below with the most appropriate word from the options given for each gap. The right words are the ones used by the author. Be guided by the author’s overall style and meaning when you choose the answers.

In a large company, ... 1 ... people is about as common as using a gun or a switch-blade to ... 2 ... an argument. As a result, most managers have little or no experience of firing people, and they find it emotionally traumatic; as result, they often delay the act interminably, much as an unhappy spouse will prolong a bad marriage. And when the firing is done, it’s often done clumsily, with far worse side effects than are necessary. Do the world-class software organizations have a different way of firing people? No, but they do the deed swiftly, humanely, and professionally. The key point here is to view the fired employee as a ‘failed product’ and to ask how the process ... 3 ... such a phenomenon in the first place.