|Question 1Verbal

Source Texts

Text
The following text is adapted from Jhumpa Lahiri's 2003 novel The Namesake. Ashima and her husband, Ashoke, are traveling from the United States to India.

Ashoke puts his hand over hers as the plane begins to gather speed. And then Boston tilts away and they ascend effortlessly over a blackened Atlantic.
As used in the text, what does the word "gather" most nearly mean?
Gain
A
Doubt
B
Welcome
C
Force
D