Final answer:
The missing word in the question is likely 'strap' or 'handle', which would seem to fit the context of a purse being snatched. This appears to be an English comprehension or literature exercise from a high school level focusing on narrative understanding and vocabulary.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question showed a situation where a woman is walking home late at night and a boy attempts to steal her purse. The fill-in-the-blank nature of the question indicates that it is likely from an English comprehension or literature exercise, particularly one that requires the student to either employ vocabulary knowledge or understand the context of a story or passage.
The excerpts are from various pieces of literature and they embody themes of fear, suspense, and the unexpected challenges characters face. From these readings, students typically learn to analyze character behavior, understand mood and setting, as well as plot development. Literary devices such as metaphor, simile, and personification might also be explored within such narratives.
In this scenario, it seems the most likely word to fill in the blank could be 'strap' or 'handle', considering it's a physical item associated with a purse that might break during a robbery attempt. However, without a specific passage to give context, it's difficult to provide the exact word intended for the blank.