1. Gold and silver precious metals: In this sentence, the verb "are" is the correct form to use with the subject "Gold and silver." The subject is plural, so the verb should also be in the plural form. Therefore, "are" is the appropriate option to complete the sentence. II. The ship with its crew lost: In this sentence, the verb "was" is the correct form to use with the subject "The ship with its crew." The subject is singular, so the verb should also be in the singular form. Therefore, "was" is the appropriate option to complete the sentence. III. No nook or corner left unexplored: In this sentence, the verb "was" is the correct form to use with the subject "No nook or corner." Although the subject contains multiple elements connected by "or," it is considered singular. Therefore, the verb should be in the singular form. Therefore, "was" is the appropriate option to complete the sentence. IV. Neither my friend nor I to blame: In this sentence, the verb "am" is the correct form to use with the compound subject "Neither my friend nor I." The pronoun "I" functions as the subject of the sentence and requires the singular form of the verb "am." Therefore, "am" is the appropriate option to complete the sentence. The correct option is D.