In the same passage about the "Global Nutrition Report 2016", select the preposition that best completes the phrase "India's slow overall progress ____________ addressing chronic malnutrition".

Introduction / Context:
This cloze test item is based on a passage discussing India struggle with chronic malnutrition as reported in the "Global Nutrition Report 2016". The sentence fragment reads "India slow overall progress ____________ addressing chronic malnutrition". Prepositions are a frequent source of error for language learners because they often follow set collocations rather than logical translation from another language. Choosing the correct preposition ensures smooth, idiomatic English.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The key phrase is "slow overall progress ____________ addressing chronic malnutrition". - The subject is "India slow overall progress". - Four preposition options are offered: "of", "for", "in", and "into". - The context is formal writing about public health performance.

Concept / Approach:
In English, the standard collocation is "progress in doing something" or "progress in a field or area". We normally say "progress in education", "progress in science", or "progress in reducing poverty". Therefore, when the sentence talks about slow progress with respect to addressing chronic malnutrition, the correct preposition is "in". The other prepositions do not match this well established pattern and would sound unnatural in a formal report.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the collocation: we talk about "progress in improving literacy" or "progress in addressing inequalities". Step 2: Insert option a, "of": "India slow overall progress of addressing chronic malnutrition." This structure is awkward and not standard; "of" does not link progress to the action properly. Step 3: Insert option b, "for": "India slow overall progress for addressing chronic malnutrition." This suggests purpose rather than an area of improvement and does not follow the usual pattern. Step 4: Insert option c, "in": "India slow overall progress in addressing chronic malnutrition." This sounds natural and matches normal usage in formal evaluation reports. Step 5: Insert option d, "into": "India slow overall progress into addressing chronic malnutrition." This suggests movement into something and is not used with "progress" in this sense. Step 6: Since only "in" produces an idiomatic, grammatically correct phrase, it is the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify by looking at similar expressions: "progress in addressing climate change", "progress in controlling inflation", "progress in expanding education access". In each case, "in" introduces the area where progress is being made. Replacing "in" with "of", "for", or "into" in any of these examples would sound incorrect to a fluent speaker. Therefore, the same rule applies to the context of chronic malnutrition, confirming that "in" is the right preposition.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option a "of" is wrong because it is used to show possession or relation, as in "progress of the country", not to link progress to an action like addressing a problem. Option b "for" is wrong because it suggests purpose or benefit, as in "a fund for education", rather than the domain of progress. Option d "into" is wrong because it implies movement toward or transformation into something, which does not fit the description of progress in a policy area.

Common Pitfalls:
Learners often transfer prepositions from their first language, resulting in unnatural English combinations. Another pitfall is to overthink the meaning and choose "for" because it seems to express purpose, forgetting that collocations in English are often conventional. Building a mental list of common word partners such as "progress in", "interest in", "commitment to", and "responsible for" can greatly reduce such errors in exams and real world writing.

Final Answer:
The correct preposition in this context is in.