Select the verb that completes the metaphorical idiom:
The cross-faculty mentorship initiative was created to ________ the gap between theoretical computer science and commercial software engineering.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. bridge
Answer: bridge. Why not the others: 'cross the gap' and 'span the gap' are less idiomatic in formal academic discourse, though 'span a divide' exists; 'mend the gap' confuses the metaphor with 'mend fences' or 'close a gap'.
- Step 1: Identify the conventional metaphor: connecting two disparate domains or resolving an intellectual divide is expressed by the established collocation 'bridge the gap'.
- Step 2: The standard verb paired with 'the gap' is 'bridge'.
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