Concept:The target vowel sound in the underlined part is the diphthong sequence /aɪə/, exactly as heard in the word “choir.”
The correct option must contain the same /aɪə/ sound in its pronunciation.
Explanation:Look at the pronunciation of each option carefully.
Option A: “check” is pronounced /tʃɛk/. Its vowel sound is /ɛ/, so it does not match the target.
Option B: “people” is pronounced /ˈpiːpəl/. Its vowel sound is /iː/, which is different from /aɪə/.
Option C: “probe” is pronounced /prəʊb/. Its vowel sound is /əʊ/, so it is not the required sound.
Option D: “fired” is pronounced /ˈfaɪəd/. It contains the sound /aɪə/, which matches the underlined sound in the given word.
Therefore, only “fired” shares the same vowel sound as the one represented by the underlined letters.
Answer:D. fired