Fill in the blank with the most appropriate noun: "After missing four days of school due to a _________ of flu, Babita struggled to make up for her missing work."

Introduction / Context:
This vocabulary based cloze question tests your ability to select the correct word that naturally fits a common medical or health related expression. The sentence describes Babita missing several days of school because she was ill with the flu, and it focuses on the correct noun used to describe a short period of illness.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- Sentence: After missing four days of school due to a _________ of flu, Babita struggled to make up for her missing work. - Options: bout, about, amount, array. - The context describes a short period of sickness with influenza. - We need a noun that collocates naturally with flu.

Concept / Approach:
In everyday English, the standard expression is a bout of flu or a bout of illness. The word bout refers to a short period of intense activity or suffering, especially illness or an episode of some condition. The other options either have different meanings or do not form a standard phrase with flu. Therefore, the most appropriate and idiomatic word to complete the blank is bout.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Focus on the key phrase due to a _________ of flu. The missing word must describe a period or episode of illness. Step 2: Recall the common collocation bout of flu, which means a short spell of flu. Step 3: Insert bout into the sentence: After missing four days of school due to a bout of flu, Babita struggled to make up for her missing work. Step 4: Check whether the complete sentence reads naturally and conveys the intended meaning. It does. Step 5: Examine about, which is a preposition or adverb and cannot follow the article a in this way to give a suitable meaning. Step 6: Consider amount and array, which refer to quantity or an ordered display and do not fit the idea of an episode of illness.

Verification / Alternative check:
Think of similar expressions used in news or health articles, such as a bout of fever, a bout of depression, or a bout of coughing fits. In all these examples, bout refers to a temporary spell of a condition. Substitute amount or array into those examples and they immediately sound unnatural. This comparison confirms that bout is the only option that fits both the meaning and the collocational pattern with flu.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
About mainly functions as a preposition or adverb (for example, talk about something or move about the room) and cannot serve as a countable noun in this context. Amount refers to quantity, usually of something that can be measured, such as an amount of money, and does not describe a short spell of illness. Array refers to a large group or an impressive display and is not used with flu in standard English.

Common Pitfalls:
In cloze questions, some learners focus only on grammar and overlook the importance of set phrases. All four words might appear to fit structurally after a, but only bout forms a recognised expression with flu. Paying attention to collocations in your reading practice, especially common medical phrases, helps you quickly eliminate incorrect options and improves both comprehension and accuracy in exams.

Final Answer:
bout correctly completes the sentence as a bout of flu.