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Difficulty: HardSecondary Meanings of Common Words

Before purchasing the historic theater for municipal use, the preservation committee hired a structural engineer to ensure that the foundation and load-bearing walls were sound. Decades of neglect and exposure to rising moisture had raised significant concerns about the integrity of the wooden support beams, but the subsequent inspection report offered reassurance. Although the interior finishes required extensive cosmetic restoration, the building's underlying framework was deemed completely sound, allowing the costly renovation project to proceed safely. This discovery relieved the committee, who had feared the project would exceed their budget.

In the context of the passage, what does the word *sound* in the phrase 'completely sound' most nearly mean?

  1. A
    audible
  2. B
    logical
  3. stableAnswer
  4. D
    healthy

Answer

The word 'sound' in this context means 'stable' because it describes a physical building framework that is structurally secure and free from damage.
The correct answer is 'stable'. In the passage, the word 'sound' describes a building's 'underlying framework' in contrast to concerns about 'neglect,' 'moisture,' and 'integrity of the wooden support beams.' Therefore, the word is used in its secondary sense to mean structurally solid, secure, and free from decay.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence containing the target word and identify the subject being described.
The target word 'sound' modifies 'the building's underlying framework' and is associated with structural elements like 'foundation,' 'load-bearing walls,' and 'wooden support beams.'
Understanding what the word refers to helps eliminate definitions that apply to other domains (like logic or biology).
2
Evaluate the surrounding context clues to determine the condition or state being described.
The passage mentions that concerns about 'neglect' and 'moisture' affecting the 'integrity' of the beams were relieved by the inspection report, which deemed the framework 'completely sound.' This indicates the framework was structurally intact and not decaying.
Context clues provide the specific nuance of the word in this particular passage.
3
Test the answer choices by substituting them into the sentence and matching the contextual meaning.
Substituting 'stable' fits perfectly, indicating the structure is secure. 'Audible' refers to hearing, 'logical' refers to reasoning, and 'healthy' refers to living organisms, none of which fit a building framework.
Substitution confirms which option maintains the author's intended meaning.

Key Concept

Secondary Meanings of Common Words
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Secondary Meanings of Common Words

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