In the passage about the preacher and young people, choose the correct word to complete the blank: “The preacher challenged hundreds of thousands of young people who gathered in a ___________ Polish meadow to reject being passive and instead engage in social activism.”

Introduction:
This cloze passage question checks your sensitivity to style and collocation in English descriptive writing. The sentence describes a large open space in Poland where many young people have gathered to listen to a preacher. Several adjectives are offered that all convey largeness, but only one combines naturally and vividly with the noun meadow in formal written English.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- Sentence fragment: who gathered in a ___________ Polish meadow. - Options: huge, sprawling, very big, gigantic. - The context is a descriptive, perhaps journalistic or literary passage about a large outdoor gathering.

Concept / Approach:
Although all four options suggest largeness, natural English writing often prefers particular adjectives with specific nouns. The phrase sprawling meadow is a common collocation and creates a clear image of a wide, extensive area spreading out in different directions. Huge and gigantic are simple size adjectives but do not provide the same sense of spread or expanse. Very big is informal and not stylistically strong enough for a descriptive passage. Therefore, sprawling is the best choice for a polished, descriptive sentence.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Insert each option into the blank and read the sentence: huge Polish meadow, sprawling Polish meadow, very big Polish meadow, gigantic Polish meadow. Step 2: Notice that sprawling Polish meadow sounds natural and vivid, suggesting a wide, open area where thousands can gather. Step 3: Huge and gigantic only tell you that the meadow is large, without indicating shape or spread. Step 4: Very big is conversational and relatively weak, not suitable for a well written passage. Step 5: Consider standard collocations from literature and journalism, where sprawling is frequently used with city, campus, or meadow. Step 6: Conclude that sprawling is the most appropriate choice.

Verification / Alternative check:
Imagine a news report: Hundreds of thousands of young people gathered in a sprawling Polish meadow to hear the preacher speak. This sounds like a sentence you might actually read in an article. By contrast, very big Polish meadow sounds childish and unrefined, while gigantic Polish meadow may feel slightly exaggerated and less idiomatic. Huge Polish meadow is not wrong grammatically, but it has less descriptive power than sprawling and is not the preferred exam-key collocation.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Huge and gigantic are both acceptable size adjectives, but they are relatively plain and lack the nuance of spread that sprawling provides. Very big is informal and redundant, using an adverb very plus a simple adjective big, which exam passages tend to avoid. Because cloze test questions are designed to test awareness of style and natural phrasing, these three options are less suitable than sprawling, which combines size and vivid imagery.

Common Pitfalls:
Many candidates look only at basic dictionary meanings and assume that any word meaning very large will work. However, cloze passages often require you to recognise which word sounds most natural in context. To improve in this area, pay attention to how nouns and adjectives frequently pair in the texts you read. Phrases like sprawling city, sprawling campus, and sprawling meadow are good examples to remember for future questions.

Final Answer:
sprawling is the correct word to complete the phrase a sprawling Polish meadow.