In each of the following questions, select the option that best completes the gap. The ripe orange was beyond his ______.

In this context, when we say "The ripe orange was beyond his ______," we refer to something that the person is unable to obtain or access, typically because it is out of their physical range or capability. The most appropriate word to fill in the blank is "reach."

This is because "reach" refers to the capability or extent of one's grasp or influence, often implying that something is too far away to be accessed or obtained. Meanwhile, "touch", "catch", and "pluck" all denote different actions:

• "Touch" means to come into physical contact with something.
• "Catch" implies intercepting or capturing something that is moving.
• "Pluck" means to remove something, typically by pulling with a sudden effort.

Hence, none of these options effectively convey the idea of something being out of one’s capacity to access or obtain, which is what "reach" does. Therefore, the phrase would read: "The ripe orange was beyond his reach."