Question

select the correct answer.
what does the word dispense mean based on the context clues provided?
two days had gone by since the shuttles engines had died. fortunately, the crew had power for light and heat, as well as a good supply of oxygen.
since the rescue ship from earth wouldnt reach the shuttle for another two days, the captain decided it was time to dispense the rations.
a. to scatter
b. to eat everything
c. to hand out
d. to cause to disappear

Explanation:

The context describes a situation where the shuttle's engines had died. The crew had power for light and heat as well as a good supply of oxygen. But the captain decided to dispense (in this context, it means to distribute or give out) the rations. "To hand out" means to distribute or give out items (like rations here). "To scatter" means to spread randomly. "To eat everything" is about consuming all. "To cause to disappear" is about making something vanish. So "to hand out" fits the context of distributing rations.

Answer:

C. to hand out