Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word: The goal of education should be to help the student to grow physically strong, mentally brilliant, spiritually ______, culturally rich, prosperous, globally peaceful and environment friendly.

Introduction / Context:
This sentence completion question focuses on selecting a word that matches the overall positive and holistic vision of education described in the stem. The list includes qualities such as physical strength, mental brilliance, cultural richness, prosperity, global peace, and environmental friendliness. The missing adjective must describe a desirable spiritual condition that harmonises with the other positive attributes, rather than introducing a negative or aggressive idea.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The sentence lists several goals of education for a student: physically strong, mentally brilliant, spiritually blank, culturally rich, prosperous, globally peaceful, environment friendly.
• Option A: enlightened.
• Option B: misleading.
• Option C: dominating.
• Option D: hopeful.
• Option E: confused.
• We assume that the context praises education as a force for balanced development.

Concept / Approach:
The phrase "spiritually enlightened" is a common collocation in discussions about education and personal growth. Enlightened suggests wisdom, inner clarity, and an elevated understanding of life. This fits perfectly alongside the other positive adjectives in the series. The remaining options are either negative in meaning or not appropriately tied to spiritual growth. "Misleading" and "confused" suggest error, "dominating" implies control over others rather than inner growth, and "hopeful" is positive but more emotional than spiritual and does not fit as well as "enlightened".

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Observe the pattern of adjectives: physically strong, mentally brilliant, spiritually ______, culturally rich, prosperous, globally peaceful, environment friendly. Step 2: Recognise that each adjective describes a desirable quality in a well educated person. Step 3: Consider option A, "enlightened". Spiritual enlightenment is a well known phrase meaning deep inner understanding and wisdom, which fits this context. Step 4: Consider option B, "misleading". This means causing someone to go in the wrong direction, which is clearly negative and does not match a goal of education. Step 5: Consider option C, "dominating". This implies overpowering others and does not sit well with ideals like global peace and environmental friendliness. Step 6: Consider option D, "hopeful". Although positive, it refers more to emotional expectation and is less precise than "enlightened" in describing spiritual development. Step 7: Consider option E, "confused", which is clearly negative and does not belong among positive outcomes of education. Step 8: Conclude that "enlightened" is the only option that perfectly aligns with spiritual growth and the tone of the list.

Verification / Alternative check:
Insert "enlightened" into the sentence: "The goal of education should be to help the student to grow physically strong, mentally brilliant, spiritually enlightened, culturally rich, prosperous, globally peaceful and environment friendly." The sentence now reads smoothly and reflects many educational philosophies that connect learning with moral and spiritual development. If we try "spiritually dominating" or "spiritually confused", the sentence becomes either aggressive or negative, which conflicts with the surrounding adjectives. This confirms that "enlightened" is the intended choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
"Misleading" and "confused" describe states of error or lack of clarity, which contradict the idea that education leads to wisdom. "Dominating" suggests controlling others, which does not match with being globally peaceful and environmentally conscious. "Hopeful" is positive but vague; it does not specifically capture a spiritual state, and the collocation "spiritually hopeful" is less natural than "spiritually enlightened". Therefore, these alternatives do not provide the precise meaning required here.

Common Pitfalls:
Some students may choose "hopeful" simply because it is a positive word, without considering whether it specifically fits the spiritual context. Others may overlook the harmony among all adjectives in the list and pick an option at random. To avoid such mistakes, always consider the broader sentence structure and the tone of surrounding words. Recognising fixed phrases like "spiritually enlightened" is also very helpful in vocabulary based questions.

Final Answer:
The blank should be filled with enlightened, completing the phrase "spiritually enlightened".