In this task, you're given a statement and three sentences as choices. Your job is to determine which sentence can be inferred from the statement. Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or have details that are not mentioned in the statement. Indicate your answer as 1,2, or 3 corresponding to the choice number of the selected sentence.

Statement: The Justice Department approved a merger between Bell Atlantic and NYNEX in April. Choices:  1. In April a merger was approved by the justice department.  2. In April a merger was denied by the justice department.  3. All mergers of any entities have to be approved by the justice department.

Show your work and conclude with the exact phrasing "Therefore, the final answer is [answer]." where [answer] is just the final number or expression that solves the problem.
user
1