Highlighted Words (II)

“Dropped out of” is an idiomatic expression, and if you are not acquainted with it, you can still figure out the correct answer by looking at the other words in the sentence. You can do this by mentally removing the words “dropped out of” from the sentence and reading the sentence this way: Gershwin school at age 15 and earned a living by making piano rolls for player pianos and by playing in New York nightclubs. Then, you fill in the blank with a verb that completes the sentence so that it is logical and grammatically correct. The other words in the sentences contain clues. Look at the words: school at age 15 and earned a living by making piano rolls for player pianos and by playing in New York nightclubs. A 15-year-old person who earns a living by playing in New York nightclubs is not likely to stay in high school at the same time. So, you choose a word or words that will finish the sentence correctly. It’s not important what the words are; they can even be words in your native language. The word or phrase you came up with is probably “quit” or “withdrew from.”