In this TARP passage sentence, select the word that best completes the blank: “... ensuring that they did not collapse taking ______ them the rest of the financial system.”

Introduction / Context:
This question tests understanding of a common English phrase that describes one thing dragging another down with it. In the passage about the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), the fear is that if struggling banks collapse, they may pull down the rest of the financial system. The blank appears in the structure “collapse taking ______ them the rest of the financial system,” and the correct answer must complete this expression naturally and accurately.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The key part of the sentence is: “... ensuring that they did not collapse taking ______ them the rest of the financial system.”
• Options are: from, all, along with, also with.
• The context describes a chain reaction: failure of some banks can affect the entire system.
• We assume standard, idiomatic English usage as found in editorial and academic writing.

Concept / Approach:
In English, when we say that one event or entity causes another to fall or suffer at the same time, we often use the phrase “take something along with it” or “taking something along with it.” For example, “The company collapsed, taking many small suppliers along with it.” The correct prepositional phrase in this pattern is “along with,” which means “together with” in a negative or consequential sense. The other options either do not fit grammatically or do not convey the intended nuance.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the intended meaning: if the banks fail, they might cause the entire financial system to fail as well. Step 2: Test “from.” “Collapse taking from them the rest of the financial system” does not make sense; “from” suggests removal or source, which is not the intended idea here. Step 3: Test “all.” “Collapse taking all them the rest of the financial system” is ungrammatical and does not form a meaningful phrase. Step 4: Test “along with.” The phrase becomes “collapse taking along with them the rest of the financial system,” which is grammatically correct and expresses the idea that the collapse can drag the rest of the system into crisis together with the failing banks. Step 5: Test “also with.” “Collapse taking also with them the rest of the financial system” is awkward and not idiomatic. The placement of “also” is unnatural and the phrase is rarely used in this form. Step 6: Conclude that “along with” is the only option that fits both the grammar and meaning properly.
Verification / Alternative check:
We can verify using similar sentences from general English: “The landslide destroyed the road, taking along with it several houses,” or “The company went bankrupt, taking along with it many jobs.” In each case, “taking along with it” means causing something else to be destroyed or severely harmed at the same time. The structure in the TARP passage matches this pattern, confirming that “along with” is the correct choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• from: Usually indicates origin, separation, or removal, and does not form a conventional phrase with “taking” in this context.
• all: Functions as a determiner or pronoun and cannot fill this prepositional slot correctly. It does not create a coherent phrase after “taking.”
• also with: While “also” can indicate addition, the phrase “taking also with them” is not idiomatic and sounds forced in formal writing.

Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates may be tempted by “also with” because it seems to indicate addition, but it is not how native usage works here. Others may get confused because “along with” can also be used in positive contexts (“He came along with his friend”) and may not immediately associate it with negative outcomes like collapse. The key is to focus on the structure “taking along with,” which is widely used to describe something pulling other things into the same fate.

Final Answer:
The correct phrase to complete the sentence is along with.