TEAS Reading Comprehension Practice Test 3

The sentence obviously describes a war between the British and the Spanish, which was started by an attempt of the Spanish to invade Britain. If, in that attempt, the Spanish were harried (meaning harassed) by the British with artillery fire,what would be Spanish have been forced to do with their invasion attempt?
“Abandon” is the best among the given choices for the second missing word. Its pair-word “dispersing” is also equally appropriate for the first missing blank. So, “dispersing; abandon” is the answer.