Read the passage carefully and choose the correct word to fill in the blank so that the sentence becomes grammatically and logically correct: “An ideal policeman is a myth. You come ________ him only in crime fiction.” Select the most appropriate preposition from the options given.

Introduction / Context:
This question is based on a short passage that discusses the idea of an ideal policeman as a myth. The blank focuses on a common English expression that uses the verb “come” plus a preposition. Mastering such verb–preposition combinations, also called phrasal verbs or fixed collocations, is essential in English grammar and for success in competitive examinations that test reading comprehension and cloze passages.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The key sentence is “You come ________ him only in crime fiction.”
• The options are “over”, “cross”, “across”, and “to”.
• The meaning intended by the writer is that you only “encounter” or “meet” such an ideal policeman in fictional stories.
• The question tests knowledge of the correct preposition to use with the verb “come”.

Concept / Approach:
In English, “come across” is a very common phrasal verb that means “to meet or find by chance” or “to encounter”. When the author says that an ideal policeman is a myth, and that you come “something” him only in crime fiction, the sentence clearly requires the meaning “you only encounter such a character in crime fiction.” Among the given options, only “across” forms the correct phrasal verb “come across” with this sense. The other prepositions do not produce a natural or correct expression here.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Replace the blank with each option and read the sentence aloud for meaning and grammar. Step 2: “You come over him only in crime fiction.” The phrase “come over him” is not correct in this context. “Come over” has other meanings, such as visiting someone or a feeling coming over a person. Step 3: “You come cross him only in crime fiction.” This is incorrect because “come cross” is not a standard phrasal verb in English. Step 4: “You come across him only in crime fiction.” This is correct. “Come across” means to encounter or meet, which fits the idea that such an ideal policeman exists only in stories. Step 5: “You come to him only in crime fiction.” Although grammatically possible, it changes the meaning to “approach him” or “go to him”, which is not what the passage intends. The stress in the passage is on the rarity and mythical nature of the ideal policeman, not on physically going to him. Step 6: Conclude that “across” is the only option that maintains both grammatical correctness and the intended meaning of the sentence.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify by consulting a standard dictionary or grammar reference. “Come across someone or something” is defined as “to meet or find someone or something by chance”. This matches the idea in the passage that one only meets such an ideal policeman within crime fiction. None of the other combinations with “come” listed in the options are accepted expressions with the intended sense of “encounter”.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• over: “Come over” usually means to visit a place or to be overcome by a feeling, so it does not fit the idea of meeting a mythical character in fiction.
• cross: “Come cross” is not an idiomatic English expression, so it is grammatically and stylistically incorrect here.
• to: “Come to him” means to go towards him or approach him physically or emotionally, which does not match the idea of only encountering such a person in stories.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes choose prepositions by guessing, especially when multiple prepositions seem grammatically possible. However, collocations in English often rely on fixed, idiomatic combinations. It is therefore important to learn common phrasal verbs such as “come across”, “run into”, and “bump into” for the sense of “meet by chance”, instead of trying to construct them logically in the examination hall.

Final Answer:
The correct preposition that completes the expression is across, giving the phrase “You come across him only in crime fiction.”