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Question

Difficulty: EasySecondary Meanings of Common Words

Throughout the intense trade negotiations, the lead diplomat maintained a remarkably calm and cooperative demeanor, agreeing to several minor concessions in order to keep the peace. However, independent observers noted that he continued to harbor serious reservations about the treaty’s long-term viability, especially regarding the enforcement of environmental standards. While his public statements remained cautiously optimistic, his private memos to the home office revealed deep concerns that he chose not to voice during the open sessions, preferring instead to focus on immediate agreements.

As it is used in the passage, the word *harbor* most nearly means which of the following?

  1. A
    shelter
  2. B
    express
  3. holdAnswer
  4. D
    ignore

Answer

hold
The correct answer is 'hold'. In the passage, the diplomat is described as keeping his reservations to himself rather than voicing them. In this context, 'to harbor' means to keep or maintain a feeling or thought privately in one's mind, which is synonymous with 'hold'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the context clues surrounding the target word in the sentence.
The passage states that the diplomat has 'reservations' which are revealed in 'private memos' but which he 'chose not to voice' publicly.
Analyzing context clues helps determine the intended meaning of a word when it is used in a secondary or metaphorical sense.
2
Substitute each answer choice into the sentence to evaluate its fit.
Substituting 'hold' results in 'continued to hold serious reservations,' which aligns with maintaining private thoughts and feelings without expressing them.
Testing the options in context ensures that the chosen synonym functions correctly both grammatically and semantically.

Key Concept

Determining the secondary meaning of a common word by relying on surrounding context clues rather than its primary literal definition.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Secondary Meanings of Common Words

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