Fill in the Blanks (Reading & Writing)

Choose the word that best fits each blank.

The invention of standardized shipping containers in the mid-twentieth century transformed global trade in ways few people —anticipatedrejectedmanufactured at the time. Before their arrival, cargo had to be loaded and unloaded piece by piece, a slow and labour-intensive process that left goods —vulnerableindifferentloyal to theft and damage. By packing items into uniform steel boxes that could move seamlessly between ships, trains, and trucks, the system dramatically —reducedcelebrateddoubled the cost of moving products across long distances.