In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank.

Comprehension:
Nature has been suffering mutely for hundreds of years but the problem did not (1)______ serious proportions so long as the damage was (2)______ and not beyond self-repair. These limits were crossed with (3)______ technological breakthroughs accomplished during the recent years. The developed nations (4)______ benefitted most from these were the first to (5)______ the environmental diseases bred by advanced technology.