Cloze passage (birds): In the sentence "Most ______ of all to the rambler on avian lore intent is the fact that there are many species and genera that are peculiar to the West", which form of the word best completes the blank?

Introduction / Context:
This cloze passage question is drawn from a descriptive paragraph about birds in the western regions and their interest to a rambler who loves avian lore. The structure "Most ______ of all" introduces a superlative description. We must choose the correct grammatical form of the word so that the sentence flows naturally.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- Partial sentence: "Most ______ of all to the rambler on avian lore intent is the fact that there are many species and genera that are peculiar to the West". - Options: interesting, interest, interested, interests. - The blank appears before "of all", a clue to the required form.

Concept / Approach:
The phrase "most interesting of all" is a standard pattern where "interesting" is an adjective in its superlative form with "most". When we highlight the feature that is most appealing or striking, we typically use "most interesting", "most important", or "most remarkable". The noun "interest", the verb "interests", or the adjective "interested" cannot fit grammatically in this position. Therefore, "interesting" is the only form that correctly completes the phrase.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recognise the pattern "Most ______ of all", which usually takes an adjective. Step 2: From the options, identify adjectives: interesting and interested. Step 3: Decide between them. "Most interesting of all" describes something that causes interest, which is suitable for a fact about many species. Step 4: "Most interested of all" would describe the rambler, not the fact, so it does not fit the structure of the sentence. Step 5: "Interest" is a noun and does not work directly after "most" in this pattern without "the", and "interests" is a verb or plural noun, also unfit here. Step 6: Conclude that "interesting" is the correct choice.

Verification / Alternative check:
Read the full sentence with option A: "Most interesting of all to the rambler on avian lore intent is the fact that there are many species and genera that are peculiar to the West." This sounds natural and clearly emphasises the fact as the most interesting point. Substituting "interest" would produce "Most interest of all", which is ungrammatical, and "Most interested of all" would be incomplete because it usually requires a noun after it, such as "Most interested of all the bird watchers".

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
"Interest" in option B is a noun and cannot directly fill this adjective slot. "Interested" in option C describes a feeling of a person, not the quality of the fact, and would not connect smoothly with "of all to the rambler". "Interests" in option D is either a verb or a plural noun and does not fit grammatically after "Most".

Common Pitfalls:
Some learners confuse "interesting" and "interested". A simple rule is that "interesting" describes the thing that causes interest, while "interested" describes the person who feels interest. In this sentence, the subject is "the fact", so we need an adjective for the fact, not for the rambler. Remembering this distinction will help in many similar cloze questions.

Final Answer:
The correct word is "interesting", giving the phrase "Most interesting of all".