I believe the correct term to fill in the blank would be erosion. It is the process in which materials on or near Earth's surface break down and change. It is a natural process by which soil is loosened from the surface of the Earth. Hope this helps.
Answer:
Dias reached the tip of Africa, while this was de Gama's sailed around it.
The best way to persuade your sister to eat the baked cookies is to tell her that those are healthy cookies. The ingredients being used are the ones who are on a strict diet. But you would be tricking her if this is the case.
Devouring, chewing, munching, scarfing, gobbling, and demolishing. Here are some descriptive words. Search for synonyms for eating and you will find a bunch of other words.