<p>The plan to expand the foreign market received <strong>approval</strong> from the board.</p>
<p>The word "approval" is the correct answer because it is a noun that matches the singular subject "plan." The verb "received" indicates that the plan was the recipient of the approval. The word "approve" (option A) is a verb, so it does not match the grammatical structure of the sentence. "Approvals" (option B) is a plural noun, which does not match the singular subject. "Approved" (option C) is a past participle, which is used to form the passive voice or to indicate completed actions. "Approving" (option D) is a present participle, which is used to indicate ongoing or continuous actions. Therefore, the correct answer is "approval" (option B).</p>