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Difficulty: MediumWord Precision and Clarity

Choose the option that best fits the underlined portion of the passage.

When restoring historical oil paintings, conservators must work with extreme caution to avoid damaging the original pigment. Over time, layers of varnish can discolor, obscuring the artist's original color palette. To address this, conservators apply chemical solvents that eat the yellowed varnish without affecting the underlying paint layers. This delicate process requires a deep understanding of chemistry to ensure the artwork is preserved for future generations.

Which of the following options most precisely and clearly replaces the underlined word in the passage?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. dissolveAnswer
  3. C
    melt
  4. D
    vaporize

Answer

The word 'dissolve' is the most precise and tone-appropriate choice for this context.
The correct option is the verb that describes the chemical process of breaking down a solid into a liquid solution, which fits the academic tone. The word 'dissolve' is the most precise and appropriate term for this context.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context of the sentence and the tone of the passage.
The passage describes a scientific and technical process (art conservation using chemistry) and maintains a formal, academic tone.
This establishes that the correct word must be both chemically precise and formal.
2
Evaluate the original underlined word 'eat'.
Although 'eat' conveys the general idea of destruction or removal, it is highly informal and colloquial.
To maintain tone consistency, we must reject the original word.
3
Compare the remaining choices ('dissolve', 'melt', 'vaporize') for scientific accuracy and precision.
Chemical solvents break down the solid varnish into a liquid solution, which is defined as dissolving. 'Melt' requires heat, and 'vaporize' involves turning to gas, making both terms scientifically inaccurate here.
Selecting 'dissolve' provides the only scientifically accurate and tone-appropriate option.

Key Concept

Selecting the most precise and tone-appropriate word for a given context.
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Topics

Word Precision and Clarity

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