In the following passage some of the words have been left out. Read the passage carefully and for the blank referring to the needs of the people, select the option that best completes the sentence. Democracy should protect the dignity of the individual. It should also aim at the greatest good of the greatest number. The opposition party should challenge the wrong plans, policies and decisions of the government in power. The government should cater to the ______ needs of the people to make its position solid.

Introduction / Context:
This English comprehension question is based on a short passage about democracy. The passage explains what a democratic system should try to achieve, including respect for individual dignity, the greatest good of the greatest number, and responsible behaviour by both the government and the opposition. One key sentence states that the government should cater to the needs of the people. Your task is to choose the word that best describes what kind of needs a truly democratic government should focus on.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The passage talks about dignity of the individual and the greatest good of the greatest number. - The opposition should challenge wrong plans, policies and decisions of the government. - The government should cater to the blank needs of the people to make its position solid. - Options for the blank are genuine, mere, emotional, luxurious.

Concept / Approach:
The approach is to understand the overall tone and message of the passage and then select the word that fits both meaning and tone. The passage is about serious democratic values such as dignity, welfare, and responsible governance. In this context, it is natural that a responsible government would focus on real and important needs of its citizens, such as food, shelter, health care, education and security. Therefore, the correct word will convey the idea of real and legitimate needs, rather than superficial or unnecessary desires.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Read the entire passage, not only the single sentence, to understand that it is about the ideals of democracy. Step 2: Note that the government is expected to make its position solid by serving the people, not by flattering them or satisfying temporary emotions. Step 3: Consider the option genuine. Genuine needs are real, true and serious needs that must be addressed by any good government. Step 4: Consider the option mere. Mere needs would suggest needs that are small or unimportant, which contradicts the serious tone of the passage. Step 5: Consider the option emotional. Emotional needs are feelings, but the context is about practical and social welfare, not only feelings. Step 6: Consider the option luxurious. Luxurious needs are extravagant desires, which are clearly not what a democratic government is mainly expected to fulfil.

Verification / Alternative check:
If we insert each option into the sentence, the best fit becomes clear. The government should cater to the genuine needs of the people matches the idea of real welfare. The government should cater to the mere needs of the people sounds dismissive and weak. The government should cater to the emotional needs of the people shifts the focus only to feelings, which does not match the earlier talk about dignity and the greatest good. The government should cater to the luxurious needs of the people makes the passage sound sarcastic or wrong, because democracy is not mainly about luxury. Thus genuine is the only option that preserves the intended meaning of sincere public service.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Mere is wrong because it reduces the importance of citizens needs and does not fit the serious tone of democratic responsibility. Emotional is wrong because the passage talks about broad social welfare, not only emotional support. Luxurious is wrong because a democratic government is expected to fulfil basic and essential needs, not to provide luxury to make its position strong.

Common Pitfalls:
Many learners try to match words only by grammar and not by overall meaning. All four options grammatically fit the sentence, but only one fits the sense of the passage. Another common mistake is to be distracted by attractive words like emotional which seem positive but do not align with the key idea of real welfare. Always read the full passage, ask what message it is sending, and then check which option supports that message. This skill is very important in cloze tests in competitive exams.

Final Answer:
The government in a democracy should cater to the genuine needs of the people.