Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word.A: Can I speak to Mr. Rich?B: I'm sorry, he _____________.

Answer: Option A

In the conversation, "A: Can I speak to Mr. Rich? B: I'm sorry, he is sleeping," the present continuous tense is used to describe an action that is happening at the moment of speaking. In this case, the action is Mr. Rich's sleep.

The correct form for the conversation is "I'm sorry, he is sleeping."

The other options are not suitable because they do not accurately convey the current action:

Option B: sleeps
This option uses the simple present tense, which does not convey the ongoing nature of the action at the moment of speaking.

Option C: slept
This option uses the simple past tense, which is not appropriate for describing an action happening right now.

Option D: was sleeping
This option uses the past continuous tense, which describes an ongoing action in the past. However, the conversation is about the present moment.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option A: is sleeping.