In the following sentence, a blank has been left which must be filled with the most appropriate word. Choose the option that best completes the sentence. Boys and girls ________ enjoy playing with the building blocks.

Introduction / Context:
This question tests your understanding of the word "alike" when used to indicate that two groups share the same characteristic. The sentence describes both boys and girls and says that they have the same enjoyment of playing with building blocks. The most natural way to express this in English is to say that they enjoy it "alike", meaning equally or in the same way.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The sentence is: "Boys and girls ________ enjoy playing with the building blocks."
• The subject consists of two groups: boys and girls.
• The predicate "enjoy playing with the building blocks" is shared by both groups.
• Options: dislike, like, even, alike.
• We assume the intention is to say that both groups enjoy the activity equally.

Concept / Approach:
In English, "alike" can be used after two nouns to mean "equally" or "in the same manner", especially in the structure "X and Y alike". The expression "X and Y alike enjoy..." is a standard way of saying that both X and Y enjoy something to the same extent. The other options either contradict the verb "enjoy" ("dislike") or do not fit grammatically ("like" and "even" in this position). Therefore, "alike" is the correct choice.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recognise that the sentence compares boys and girls with respect to their enjoyment of playing with building blocks.Step 2: Test "alike": "Boys and girls alike enjoy playing with the building blocks." This reads smoothly and clearly expresses that both groups enjoy the activity equally.Step 3: Test "dislike": this would contradict "enjoy", because you cannot "dislike enjoy" something. The sentence would make no sense.Step 4: Test "like": "Boys and girls like enjoy playing..." is grammatically wrong because "like" and "enjoy" are both verbs and cannot be used back to back in this way.Step 5: Test "even": "Boys and girls even enjoy playing..." is awkward and does not convey the idea of equality between the two groups. It usually needs a different structure, such as "Even boys and girls enjoy...".

Verification / Alternative check:
Compare with other standard uses: "Rich and poor alike suffer in war", "Young and old alike were moved by the speech". In each case, "alike" follows a pair of nouns and indicates that both categories share the same condition or feeling. The test sentence has exactly the same pattern with "Boys and girls alike enjoy...". This parallel structure confirms that "alike" is the correct and idiomatic choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A, "dislike", is the opposite of "enjoy" and cannot logically be placed before "enjoy" in this way. Option B, "like", would create a double verb construction ("like enjoy") which is incorrect. Option C, "even", is an adverb that would need to modify the subject or the entire sentence differently, not placed directly before "enjoy" without restructuring. None of these alternatives express the idea that boys and girls share the same enjoyment in a grammatically correct form.

Common Pitfalls:
Some learners may try to create "Boys and girls even enjoy..." because they have seen "even" used to emphasise surprising subjects. However, the given sentence is not about surprise; it is about equal enjoyment. Others might think "like" is similar to "enjoy" and try to use both, but that leads to redundancy and grammatical error. Remember that "alike" is the word that signals equal treatment of the two groups mentioned before it.

Final Answer:
The correct completion is: "Boys and girls alike enjoy playing with the building blocks."