我们在主要会议之前进行了一次初步讨论。

We had a ___preliminary discussion before the main meeting.

毕加索会从许多初步草图开始，然后继续绘制他的最终画作。

Picasso would start with a lot of ___preliminary sketches and then go on to paint his final picture.

初步调查对于准备正式启动至关重要。

The ___preliminary investigations are crucial to prepare for the official launch.