English

The sentence is in the passive voice, requiring the past participle form of the verb 'steal,' which is 'stolen.' Therefore, 'The ring was stolen by thieves.' is correct.

The correct preposition to use with 'bound' in this context is 'to,' making the phrase 'bound to the stake.' This is a standard and idiomatic usage in English to indicate that someone is tied or fastened to a particular object or place. Other options such as 'of,' 'with,' or 'at' do not fit idiomatically in this phrase.

The word 'handful' commonly means a small number or amount that can be held in one hand, making 'Small number' the correct synonym among the options.

The word 'serene' means calm, peaceful, and untroubled. The antonym is 'anxious,' which means worried or uneasy, making option D the correct opposite.

The correct preposition to indicate proximity in this context is 'by'. 'She is standing by her brother' means she is standing close to him. Other options do not fit the context appropriately.

The word 'ruse' means a trick or a cunning plan, which is synonymous with 'ploy'. The other options do not share this meaning.

The word 'slap' means to hit someone or something with an open hand, so 'Hit' is the correct synonym among the options provided.

English speakers commonly use the present continuous tense (subject + 'be' + verb-ing) to talk about future arrangements that have already been planned or decided. In the sentence 'I _______ New Zealand next year,' the present continuous 'am going' correctly expresses a planned future event. Option D 'am going to' is incomplete without a following verb and thus ungrammatical in this context. Options A and B are less appropriate for expressing a definite planned future arrangement here.

The preposition 'for' is used to indicate a duration of time, which fits the sentence 'He has been living in Switzerland for two years.' 'Since' is used with a specific starting point in time, which is not given here.

The sentence 'The baby has lost her doll' is in the present perfect tense. The correct passive voice form is 'Her doll has been lost by the baby,' which maintains the present perfect tense and correctly uses the passive structure.

The correct preposition to use with 'came out' when indicating the origin or place is 'from'. Therefore, 'Danish came out from his office' is correct. 'Of' is incorrect in this context.

The word 'lambast' means to criticize or reprimand someone severely. Among the options, 'Reprimand' is the closest synonym, meaning to scold or criticize. Other options do not match the meaning.

The word 'plunder' means to steal goods typically by force, which is synonymous with 'loot'. The other options do not share this meaning.

The preposition 'for' correctly indicates the purpose or intended use of the cupboard in relation to the new house. The other options do not fit grammatically or contextually in this sentence.

The correct preposition to use with 'the sun rises' is 'in' because we say the sun rises in the east to indicate location or direction. The other options are incorrect in this context.

The correct preposition to use with 'suspect' in this context is 'of', as in 'suspect him of stealing the pen.' This is the standard collocation in English.

The word 'heartfelt' means sincere and deeply felt. Its antonym is 'insincere,' which means not expressing genuine feelings, making option B the correct answer.

The word 'brutal' means extremely cruel or harsh, so the synonym 'cruel' is the correct choice among the options provided.

The correct phrase to express that the outdoor party was rescheduled even though there was bad weather is 'In spite of' (or 'Despite'). 'Because of' indicates causation, which does not fit the sentence meaning here.

The phrase 'to make a clean breast of' means to confess fully and honestly without holding anything back, which matches option D.

The correct preposition to use with 'sceptical' in this context is 'about'. The phrase 'sceptical about some of the proposals' is standard English usage, indicating doubt or mistrust regarding the proposals.

The correct preposition to indicate proximity or position next to someone is "by." "She is standing by her boyfriend" means she is standing next to him, which fits the sentence context. Other options do not convey the intended meaning as accurately.

The sentence is intended to be a question about an event that happened yesterday, so it should be in the past simple tense. The correct past simple form of the verb 'die' is 'died'. However, the original question 'Her father ______ yesterday?' is grammatically incorrect as a question in English. The correct question form should use the auxiliary 'Did' at the beginning: 'Did her father die yesterday?'. Among the given options, 'died' is the correct past tense form of the verb 'die'. The other options are incorrect: 'dead' is an adjective, 'has died' is present perfect which is not used with a specific past time like 'yesterday', and 'was died' is grammatically incorrect. Therefore, the correct answer is B, but the question itself should be rephrased for grammatical correctness.

The correct prepositional phrase is 'devotes much of his time to planning,' where 'planning' is a gerund following the preposition 'to.' Option A correctly uses 'to planning.'

The word 'sumptuous' means splendid and expensive-looking, so 'splendid' is the correct synonym among the options provided.