Read the text below. For questions (38–42) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).

Scientific Progress

Despite warnings that it might set off a catastrophic chain reaction that could (38) ______ the Earth, scientists have (39) ______ created a miniature version of the Big Bang, without any observable ill effects. They were able (40) ______ a temperature of (41) ______ ten trillion degrees — a million times hotter than the centre of the sun — by (42) ______ together lead ions at incredible speeds in the Large Hadron Collider, a 27 km underground tunnel at the CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) facility near Geneva.

... scientists have (39) ______ created a miniature version of the Big Bang, without any observable ill effects.