In the same passage, select the correct option to fill the blank in the clause: “mastery of words. ___________ is better suited to lead speakers and readers … into an easy control of this language than the command of the phrase that perfectly expresses the thought.”

Introduction:
This cloze passage question focuses on selecting the correct pronoun or determiner to complete a formal sentence about the importance of mastering words. The writer is arguing that no other factor is better suited than command of the phrase. The blank must be filled with a word that completes the negative comparison and matches formal written style. Understanding the logic of the sentence is essential to avoid choosing a grammatically wrong or incomplete word.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- Surrounding text: mastery of words. ___________ is better suited to lead speakers and readers into an easy control of this language than the command of the phrase that perfectly expresses the thought. - Options: No, Not, None, Nothing. - The blank begins a new sentence and functions as the grammatical subject. - The idea expressed is that there is no thing better suited than command of the phrase.

Concept / Approach:
The sentence needs a subject that can stand alone and be followed directly by the verb is. Among the options, only Nothing works smoothly as a pronoun used as a subject, giving Nothing is better suited. None can also act as a pronoun, but it usually appears with of plus a noun in such contexts, for example None of these is better suited. No and Not cannot function on their own as subjects in this pattern. Therefore, the most natural and grammatically correct choice is Nothing.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify that the blank is at the start of a new sentence and must be a subject before is. Step 2: Test each option in the sentence: No is better suited, Not is better suited, None is better suited, Nothing is better suited. Step 3: Notice that No and Not cannot stand alone as noun like subjects here. Step 4: Observe that None would usually require of something, but the context does not provide that structure. Step 5: Confirm that Nothing is better suited is the natural and idiomatic construction.

Verification / Alternative check:
Similar sentences are very common in English, such as Nothing is more important than health or Nothing is better suited to this task than experience. These examples show that Nothing can directly take is in comparisons. Trying None is better suited feels incomplete and slightly awkward, especially without an of phrase. Thus the passage clearly favours Nothing.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
No usually modifies a noun, as in No method is better suited, and cannot stand alone here. Not is an adverb or part of a negative construction, used in patterns like is not or do not, and cannot serve as a subject. None might appear in formal writing, but typically as None of these methods is better suited, which is not the structure found in the passage. Hence they all fail to match the intended grammar and emphasis.

Common Pitfalls:
Examinees sometimes pick None because it seems formal, or Not because they see the comparative expression better suited. However, ignoring the role of the word as the sentence subject leads to mistakes. Always check whether the blank requires a subject, object, modifier, or connector and then choose the option that fits that grammatical role in full sentences, not just short phrases.

Final Answer:
Nothing correctly completes the sentence in the passage as Nothing is better suited to lead speakers and readers into an easy control of this language than the command of the phrase that perfectly expresses the thought.