Harry cannot do without his … of short stories because he loves reading.

Analyze the question: The sentence needs a word that fits "of short stories." The blank is followed by "of," so we need a noun that naturally goes with "of short stories."

Explain the concept: This is about collocation, which means which words normally go together in English.

• A collection of short stories is a group of stories gathered in one book or set.
• We say "a file of documents," "a library of books," or "a dictionary of words/terms," but these do not pair naturally with "short stories."

Step-by-step solution:

• A. file: used for papers or documents, not stories. ✗
• B. library: it could work loosely ("a library of short stories"), but it is less natural. It suggests a whole building or a large set of books, not a personal item he cannot do without. ✗
• C. collection: the standard phrase is "a collection of short stories." ✓
• D. dictionary: this is a reference book for word meanings, not stories. ✗

collection**.

Tip: In "best completes the sentence" questions, look at the words around the blank, such as "of short stories." Ask which noun is the most natural partner. Phrases like "a collection of poems/stories/songs" appear often in WASSCE and JAMB English.