It is only ______ hard work that be successful. Choose from the options A to D, the best answer.

Here are the answers to the questions:

1. The sentence requires a phrase that means "as a result of" or "by means of."

   • A. "through dint of" is less common than "by dint of."
   • B. "by dint of" is an idiom meaning "by means of" or "as a result of," often implying effort. This fits the context perfectly.
   • C. "because of" also means "as a result of," but "by dint of" is a more specific and idiomatic choice for emphasizing the means of success through hard work.
   • D. "in accordance with" means "in agreement with" or "following," which does not fit the context.

   The most appropriate idiom is "by dint of."

   The completed sentence is: "It is only by dint of hard work that one can be successful."

   The answer is B.

2. The sentence expresses a contrast: despite having challenges, she succeeded smoothly.

   • A. "despite of" is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "despite" (without "of").
   • B. "in spite of" is a correct idiom meaning "notwithstanding" or "regardless of," which conveys the necessary contrast.
   • C. "in front of" means "before" or "ahead of" and does not fit the context of contrast.
   • D. "because of" indicates a cause, implying the challenges caused her smooth sailing, which is the opposite of the intended meaning.

   The correct phrase to express contrast is "in spite of."

   The completed sentence is: "In spite of all her challenges, she was able to sail through smoothly."

   The answer is B.