Correct Answer:
A. Toward
Explanation:
The correct answer is Toward because it is the appropriate spatial preposition used to describe movement in the directional heading of a destination.
- Step 1 (Directional Intention): The sentence outlines a continuous journey where the school serves as Neha's physical point of arrival or orientation. The preposition 'toward' maps this physical trajectory accurately.
- Step 2 (Grammatical Context): Unlike other indicators, 'toward' expresses physical orientation in a direction without definitively confirming whether she will step inside the final destination structure.
- Incorrect Options:
- down is incorrect because it implies traveling along a structural incline or moving southwards along a specific path, rather than specifying an approaching destination.
- into is incorrect because 'into' requires entering the interior perimeter of the building, which clashes with the continuous, open-ended action of 'traveling'.
- across is incorrect because it means crossing from one lateral boundary of a space to another, which fails to match the spatial geometry of approaching a school.