Choose the correct options

1. Jack sat
   [sunk|drowned] in thought.
2. How long have you been
   [hiring|renting] this place?
3. Gerald decided to
   [drown|sink] his sorrows in work.
4. He fell overboard and nearly
   [drowned|sank].
5. [Scholars|Scientists] have long argued about the dual nature of synonyms.
6. By the time we got to the sale all good
   [staff|stuff] was gone.
7. The ship
   [drowned|sank] off the coast of Newfoundland during a storm.
8. Her main responsibility is
   [hiring|renting] and firing.
9. Neither of the
   [scholars|scientists] has finished their research by the indicated date. They require some more experiments.
10. It is a small hospital with a
    [staff|stuff] of just over a hundred.
11. Do you think the cork will float or
    [drown|sink]?
12. We are looking for the cottage to buy rather than
    [to rent|to hire].