Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word: On the trip, we needed a guide to ____________ the foreign language for us.

Introduction / Context:
This question checks your understanding of vocabulary in context, especially verbs used with foreign languages. The sentence describes a situation where travelers need a guide to help them with a foreign language. The correct verb should express the idea of explaining or translating spoken or written language so that the travelers can understand it.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Sentence: On the trip, we needed a guide to ____________ the foreign language for us.
• Options: describe, illustrate, mimic, interpret.
• The guide is dealing with language, and the purpose is to make it understandable to the travelers.

Concept / Approach:
The key is to identify which verb typically collocates with foreign language and means translate or explain its meaning. In English, interpret is used for orally translating or explaining a foreign language, especially in real time. Describe and illustrate are more about explaining a concept, while mimic refers to copying someone's manner or speech without necessarily understanding it. Therefore, interpret is the most accurate choice.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Understand the context. Travelers do not understand the foreign language and need a guide to explain it to them. Step 2: Consider interpret. It means to translate or explain the meaning of words said in another language. Step 3: Insert interpret into the sentence: On the trip, we needed a guide to interpret the foreign language for us. This sounds natural and correct. Step 4: Test describe. To describe the foreign language would mean to talk about it, not to translate it. That does not match the practical need of travelers. Step 5: Test illustrate. Illustrate usually means to explain with examples or pictures, and is not the standard verb for translating language. Step 6: Test mimic. Mimic means to copy someone's sounds or actions, often as a joke, and does not involve real translation or explanation.
Verification / Alternative check:
Think of real situations such as international conferences, tours, or diplomatic meetings. The professional who translates spoken language is called an interpreter, and the action is called interpreting. This confirms that interpret is the correct technical and everyday term for what a guide would do with a foreign language on a trip. The sentence with interpret reads smoothly and clearly conveys the intended meaning.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• describe: Means to give details about something, not to translate or explain another language word by word.
• illustrate: Means to clarify with examples or pictures, and does not specifically refer to language translation.
• mimic: Means to imitate someone's behaviour or speech, often without understanding the meaning, so it does not fit here.

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates sometimes confuse interpret with describe, thinking both involve explanation. However, interpret is closely linked with translation between languages, while describe is more general. Another pitfall is choosing mimic because guides sometimes imitate accents, but that would not help travelers understand the meaning of what is being said. Always pay attention to collocations like interpret a foreign language in such questions.

Final Answer:
The correct word to complete the sentence is interpret.