He thought he could ace the exam without studying, but that was just wishful thinking. Choose the best meaning for the underlined expression. Then, use that expression in a sentence of your own.
a clever shortcut but no real effort behind it
a confident guess but lacking proper knowledge
a hopeful belief but unlikely to be true
a strong desire but based on facts and planning
Explanation
Option (C) is correct because the phrase 'wishful thinking' refers to a hopeful belief that is highly unlikely to be true. In the given sentence, expecting to ace an exam without any studying is an unrealistic desire rather than a fact or a mere guess. Option (D) is incorrect because wishful thinking is not based on facts and planning, while options (A) and (B) do not capture the meaning of an improbable hope.