The sentence provided reads: "The president considered the vote on his tax bill to be
crucial." To find the best substitution for the underlined word "crucial," we need to determine its meaning in the context of the sentence. The word "crucial" typically means of great importance or significance, often implying that it is essential or necessary.
Given the options:
- Extremely important: This option aligns well with the meaning of "crucial," as it conveys the idea of great significance.
- Unimportant: This is the opposite of crucial, meaning not important or insignificant.
- Hard fought: This refers to something achieved after a struggle or battle, which does not match the meaning of "crucial."
- Far off: This means distant in time or space and does not relate to the importance or significance of an event.
Therefore, the best choice to maintain the original meaning of the sentence is "extremely important." This correctly reflects the significance the president places on the vote regarding his tax bill.