Which explorer was lost at sea while attempting to establish a colony in Newfoundland?

• A. Sir Humphrey Gilbert
• B. Sir Walter Raleigh
• C. Sir Francis Drake
• D. John White

Answer: (A)

The main idea is identifying which English explorer died at sea while trying to set up a colony in Newfoundland. Sir Humphrey Gilbert undertook a 1583 voyage specifically aimed at founding an English settlement on the Newfoundland coast, but he disappeared in a storm at sea and was never found. That direct link to both the Newfoundland colony attempt and the fatal sea voyage is why this explorer is the correct choice.

The other figures were involved in different ventures: Walter Raleigh led efforts at Roanoke in present-day North Carolina, not Newfoundland; Francis Drake’s fame comes from circumnavigating the globe and raiding Spanish ships rather than establishing a colony; and John White was the leader at Roanoke who returned to find the colony abandoned, not lost at sea during a Newfoundland attempt.