Before reading a file, it must first be __________.closedsequencedhandledopened

The correct option is "opened."

Explanation:

Before performing any operations such as reading from a file, it is crucial to first open the file. This action establishes a connection between the program and the file stored on the disk. Opening a file will typically provide access to the contents of the file and allow for various operations such as reading, writing, or modifying the data within the file.

When a file is opened, the operating system allocates resources and prepares the file for access. This process might involve checking for the file's existence, ensuring the necessary permissions for accessing the file, and potentially locking the file to prevent simultaneous access issues in multi-threaded environments.

Once the required operations are completed, the file should then be closed properly to free up resources and ensure that all changes are saved (if modifications were made). Thus, the sequence of file handling in programming is: open, perform operations (read/write), and finally close the file.