In the following passage, some words have been left out. Read the passage carefully and select the correct answer for the blank. However, _____ rapid progress in technology in other energy sources such as wind and solar power, the collapse of oil prices and the expansion in gas projects as a viable and clean alternative, that promise has changed.

Introduction / Context:
This part of the cloze passage explains why the earlier strong promise of nuclear power is now less certain. The sentence lists several developments, including rapid progress in technology for other energy sources and changes in oil and gas markets. The blank is a preposition that links the word rapid progress to the rest of the sentence. Correct preposition choice is essential for natural and grammatically accurate English.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Sentence fragment: However, _____ rapid progress in technology in other energy sources such as wind and solar power, the collapse of oil prices and the expansion in gas projects as a viable and clean alternative, that promise has changed.
• Options: to, from, with, for.
• The clause lists multiple factors that contributed to a change in the promise of nuclear power.
• The preposition must express accompaniment or association with these developments.

Concept / Approach:
In English, the preposition with is commonly used to introduce circumstances or accompanying factors that bring about a change. The pattern with rapid progress in technology, the collapse of prices and so on, that promise has changed is very natural. The other prepositions in the options do not fit this pattern. To is usually used for direction or purpose, from for origin or separation, and for for purpose or advantage. None of these express the idea of change happening together with certain developments as clearly as with does.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the logical relationship between the developments listed and the change in promise. They are causes or accompanying circumstances.Step 2: Recall that with is often used to link changes with the conditions under which they occur, as in With rising costs, the project became unviable.Step 3: Insert with into the sentence: However, with rapid progress in technology in other energy sources such as wind and solar power, the collapse of oil prices and the expansion in gas projects as a viable and clean alternative, that promise has changed.Step 4: Read the full sentence and confirm that it is fluent and logically coherent.Step 5: Test the other prepositions and see that they make the sentence awkward or ungrammatical.Step 6: Conclude that with is the only correct choice here.

Verification / Alternative check:
Consider a simpler model sentence: With rapid progress in solar technology, interest in older power plants has declined. This parallels the structure used in the passage. If we replaced with by to, from or for, it would sound wrong. In the original passage, the writer wants to say that, as these changes happened in energy technology and markets, the promise of nuclear power has dimmed. Using with captures that relationship of simultaneous change effectively.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
To: Using to rapid progress would suggest direction or movement toward progress, which does not connect logically with the change in promise. From: From rapid progress would indicate origin, as if the change came away from progress, which distorts the intended meaning. For: For rapid progress might show purpose, as if the promise changed for the sake of progress, but the passage is describing progress as a cause, not as a goal. None of these prepositions form a standard, natural phrase in this context.

Common Pitfalls:
Preposition questions often trap students who rely only on literal translations from their first language or who think any preposition can work as long as the sentence feels roughly understandable. In exam passages, however, there is usually a single preposition that truly matches both meaning and idiomatic use. The safest method is to mentally compare with sentences you have seen in good English writing. Phrases like with rapid growth, with increasing awareness and with technological progress are very common, which strongly suggests the same choice here.

Final Answer:
The correct preposition to complete the sentence is with, giving the phrase However, with rapid progress in technology in other energy sources, that promise has changed.