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Difficulty: HardWord Precision and Clarity

At the Harvard College Observatory in the early twentieth century, Henrietta Swan Leavitt analyzed photographic glass plates to catalog the brightness of stars. By comparing plates taken at different times, she noticed a pattern in a class of pulsating stars known as Cepheid variables: the brighter stars took longer to cycle through their periods of light variation. This relationship allowed astronomers to calculate cosmic distances, which [exploded] our understanding of the scale of the universe. In an era when women were largely restricted from operating telescopes, Leavitt's meticulous calculations laid the foundation for modern cosmology.

Which choice most precisely and clearly completes the sentence while maintaining the passage's formal, academic tone?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. expandedAnswer
  3. C
    escalated
  4. D
    dilated

Answer

expanded
The correct option is 'expanded' because it precisely and clearly describes the widening of astronomical knowledge using a tone that is consistent with the academic and objective style of the passage.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context of the sentence and the established tone of the passage.
The passage describes Henrietta Swan Leavitt's monumental scientific discovery in a formal, objective, and academic tone.
Understanding the context and register helps eliminate choices that are too informal or stylistically inappropriate.
2
Evaluate the underlined word 'exploded' for tone and precision.
While 'exploded' metaphorically conveys a massive change, its register is too colloquial and dramatic for a scientific history narrative.
This identifies the need to replace the original wording.
3
Assess the remaining options ('expanded', 'escalated', 'dilated') for semantic precision and correctness.
'Escalated' incorrectly implies a rising conflict or tension, while 'dilated' refers only to physical widening. 'Expanded' fits both the semantic meaning of broadening intellectual scope and the academic tone.
This narrows down the choices to the single correct option.

Key Concept

Selecting words that precisely fit the context and maintain a consistent tone
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Topics

Word Precision and Clarity

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