He was very ___ about his chances of winning the race.

He was very ___ about his chances of winning the race.

Step 1: Read the sentence carefully to understand what it is asking.
Step 2: Identify the context of the sentence, which is about someone's feelings regarding winning a race.
Step 3: Think about words that describe a positive feeling about winning.
Step 4: Consider the word 'optimistic', which means having a hopeful and positive attitude.
Step 5: Conclude that 'optimistic' fits best in the blank because it shows he believes he has a good chance of winning.

Vocabulary Context – Understanding the context of a sentence to choose the most appropriate word.
Word Meaning – Recognizing the meaning of words that convey positive or negative sentiments.