In this passage based cloze question, choose the word that best completes the phrase "virtually everyone seemed _____________" in the Brexit passage.

Introduction / Context:
This cloze question continues the Brexit related passage: "Not so long ago, virtually everyone seemed _____________ that a sizeable majority of British voters ____________ reaffirm their faith and confidence in a united Europe." You must choose the word that accurately expresses the attitude of "virtually everyone" in this context. The passage is referring to the belief that most voters would choose to remain in the European Union.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The fragment in focus is "virtually everyone seemed _____________ that a sizeable majority of British voters ... would reaffirm...".
• The options are "satisfied", "positive", "presumptuous", "confident", and "hesitant".
• The phrase "virtually everyone seemed ___ that..." is followed by a clause describing an expected future action.
• The tone is about belief and expectation, not about arrogance or hesitation.

Concept / Approach:
In such contexts, the common expression is "seemed confident that..." which means they strongly believed that something would happen. The word "confident" fits naturally with a that-clause expressing a prediction. "Satisfied that" is also possible but usually refers to contentment with an existing result, not expectation about a future vote. "Positive that" is used in informal speech, but in formal editorial style "confident that" is more idiomatic. "Presumptuous" has a negative meaning, suggesting overstepping bounds, and "hesitant" is the opposite of strong belief.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Read the whole fragment: "virtually everyone seemed _____________ that a sizeable majority of British voters ____________ reaffirm their faith...". Step 2: Try "seemed confident that". This is a common phrase showing strong belief about a future outcome. Step 3: Try "seemed satisfied that". This normally suggests being content with something that has already happened, which does not match a future vote. Step 4: Try "seemed positive that". While not impossible, it is less formal; editorial style usually prefers "confident". Step 5: Try "seemed presumptuous that". This is grammatically odd and does not pair naturally with a that-clause. Step 6: Try "seemed hesitant that". Hesitation contradicts the idea that "virtually everyone" believed the vote would go a certain way. Step 7: Conclude that "confident" is the best and most natural fit.

Verification / Alternative check:
Imagine an editorial line: "Not so long ago, virtually everyone seemed confident that a sizeable majority of British voters would reaffirm their faith in a united Europe." This reads smoothly and matches what many commentators believed before the Brexit result surprised them. Replacing "confident" with "satisfied", "presumptuous", or "hesitant" changes the meaning or produces unidiomatic phrasing. "Positive" is close but less commonly used in formal writing in this exact pattern than "confident".

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
"Satisfied" suggests contentment with an existing situation, not expectation of a future vote. "Positive" in this specific slot is not as natural in formal cloze passages, and exam setters typically prefer "confident that" in such contexts. "Presumptuous" has a negative moral judgment meaning "arrogant" or "overstepping proper bounds", and does not fit with "seemed ... that". "Hesitant" is the opposite of strong belief, so using it would contradict the idea that practically everyone expected a Remain victory.

Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates may treat "positive" and "confident" as fully interchangeable and choose at random. Others may be misled by "satisfied" because they think being satisfied with polls equals being sure of the result, but grammatically "seemed satisfied that" is less common here. The safest approach in exam cloze tests is to rely on standard collocations: "seemed confident that" is a very frequent and natural pattern when expressing belief about a future event.

Final Answer:
The passage should read "virtually everyone seemed confident that a sizeable majority of British voters would reaffirm their faith and confidence in a united Europe."