In this passage about democracy and dictatorship, choose the adjective that best completes the phrase: “The conditions under which democracy can flourish are _______ to define … ”

Introduction / Context:
This cloze test item highlights how writers describe the complexity of political realities. The sentence says that the conditions allowing democracy to flourish “are _______ to define”. The options offer different adjectives, but only one captures the writer’s intended meaning that such conditions are complex and not simple to describe.

Given Data / Assumptions:

1) The key fragment reads: “The conditions under which democracy can flourish are _______ to define”.
2) The options are: difficult, easy, interesting, meaningless.
3) The passage goes on to say, “but one thing is clear, that democracy is always a slow growth”.
4) The general tone is reflective and serious, emphasising complexity.
5) The adjective must pair naturally with “to define”.

Concept / Approach:
We often describe abstract things like “conditions under which democracy can flourish” as “difficult to define”, “hard to define” or “impossible to define”. The phrase “easy to define” would suggest that democracy is simple to understand, which conflicts with the rest of the passage. Adjectives like “interesting” or “meaningless” do not usually fit this structure in formal political writing. Therefore we must select the adjective that logically and idiomatically matches “to define”.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Consider the literal meaning of each option in relation to “to define”. Step 2: “difficult to define” is a common phrase when describing complex concepts. Step 3: “easy to define” would suggest that the author thinks conditions for democracy are simple and obvious, which contradicts the overall message that democracy develops slowly and under special circumstances. Step 4: “interesting to define” is odd; defining something may be interesting, but we do not usually describe concepts this way in formal writing. Step 5: “meaningless to define” implies that defining the conditions has no meaning, which is not supported by the rest of the passage. Step 6: Therefore “difficult” is the only adjective that fits both the grammar and the idea that such conditions are complex.

Verification / Alternative check:
Read the sentence with “difficult”: “The conditions under which democracy can flourish are difficult to define; but one thing is clear, that democracy is always a slow growth.” This sounds natural and aligns with the idea that democracy’s success depends on many subtle factors. Using “easy”, “interesting” or “meaningless” breaks that logic and results in an unnatural expression.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
“easy” is the opposite of what the author wants to convey, since the rest of the passage emphasises complexity. “interesting” does not usually collocate with “to define” in such contexts and shifts the focus away from complexity to entertainment. “meaningless” suggests that the act of defining is pointless, which is never implied in the passage.

Common Pitfalls:
One frequent mistake is to be attracted to words like “interesting” because they sound positive, without checking whether they form a natural phrase with “to define”. Another pitfall is to ignore the overall argument of the passage: if the whole text stresses that democracy develops slowly and under special conditions, then those conditions are unlikely to be called “easy to define”. Always link the blank back to the broad message of the paragraph.

Final Answer:
The adjective that best completes the sentence is difficult.