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Question

Difficulty: Very hardSecondary Meanings of Common Words

Although the explorers were well-equipped for the alpine environment, the unexpected blizzard that struck during their ascent of the eastern peak exacted a severe toll on their physical stamina. With visibility reduced to near zero and temperatures dropping well below freezing, the team was forced to halt their progress and establish a makeshift camp. The relentless wind and biting cold not only depleted their fuel reserves but also tested the limits of their psychological resolve, turning what was intended to be a routine survey into a desperate struggle for survival.

As it is used in the first sentence, the word *exacted* most nearly means which of the following?

  1. A
    corrected
  2. demandedAnswer
  3. C
    measured
  4. D
    spared

Answer

demanded
In the context of the passage, the phrase 'exacted a severe toll' describes the negative impact of the blizzard on the explorers. The verb 'exact' in this context means to demand, force, or require as a necessary consequence. Thus, 'demanded' is the correct meaning of the word in this context.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the target word in the passage and examine its immediate context.
The target word 'exacted' appears in the phrase 'exacted a severe toll on their physical stamina' in the first sentence of the passage.
Understanding the context is crucial to determining which meaning of a multi-meaning word is active.
2
Analyze the surrounding clues in the passage to determine the impact of the blizzard.
The passage describes the blizzard as causing them to halt their progress, depleting their fuel, and testing their resolve. Therefore, the blizzard forced or brought about a heavy negative cost (a 'toll') on the explorers.
Surrounding details clarify the semantic relationship between the subject (blizzard) and the object (severe toll).
3
Define the word in this context and evaluate the answer choices.
'Exacted' in this context means demanded, required, or forced as a consequence. Replacing 'exacted' with 'demanded' maintains the sentence's meaning, while other options like 'measured' (primary meaning of exact/precision) or 'spared' (opposite meaning) do not fit the context.
Grammatical substitution and semantic alignment identify the correct secondary definition.

Key Concept

Identifying the secondary meaning of a common word using context clues
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Topics

Secondary Meanings of Common Words

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