Directions: Fill in the blanks in the passage below, with the word from among the options given for each blank labelled (1) to (7). Choose the word that fits in each blank most appropriately in the context of the passage.

Her name was Scheherazade, and her idea was, that she would either ___(1)___ the land from the depopulating tax upon its beauty, or perish, after the approved fashion of all heroines, in the attempt.
Accordingly, and although we do not find it to be leap-year (which makes the sacrifice more meritorious), she ___(2)___ her father, the grand vizier, to make an offer to the king of her hand. This hand the king eagerly accepts -- (he had intended to take it at all events, and had put off the matter from day to day, only through fear of the vizier), -- but, in accepting it now, he gives all parties very ___(3)___ to understand, that, grand vizier or no grand vizier, he has not the slightest design of giving up one iota of his vow or of his privileges. When, therefore, the fair Scheherazade insisted upon marrying the king, and did actually marry him despite her father's ___(4)___ advice not to do anything of the kind -- when she would and did marry him, I say, will I, nill I, it was with her beautiful black eyes as thoroughly open as the nature of the case would allow.
It seems, however, that this politic damsel (who had been reading Machiavelli, beyond doubt), had a very ___(5)___ little plot in her mind. On the night of the wedding, she contrived, upon I forget what specious ___(6)___, to have her sister occupy a couch sufficiently near that of the royal pair to admit of easy conversation from bed to bed; and, a little before cock-crowing, she took care to awaken the good ___(7)___, her husband.