Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks

Singapore was one of the five original member countries that (13) ________ ASEAN in 1967. (14) __________ its independence in 1965, Singapore has become one of the world's most prosperous countries. Singapore is highly ranked for its economic competitiveness, and it was the world's most (15) __________ country from 1997 to 1999 as ranked by the World Economic Forum.

Singapore has (16) _________ an impressive recovery after the Asian financial crisis of 1997-1998. The government is currently restructuring the economy by promoting higher value-added activities in line with a knowledge-based" economy, and by opening up protected sectors such as financial services to increase overall efficiency. Various bilateral free-trade agreements are also being negotiated to improve market access and (17) _____ foreign investment inflows.