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Question

Difficulty: MediumSecondary Meanings of Common Words

Historically, the town of Elderville relied on its thriving textile mills to sustain its local economy. However, as global trade patterns shifted and automation took hold in the late twentieth century, the region experienced a steady loss of jobs and investment. In response, local leaders implemented an aggressive revitalization strategy. The centerpiece of this initiative was a small-business grant program designed to arrest the decline of the commercial district. By offering low-interest loans and tax incentives, the town successfully drew in new artisans and service industries, breathing life back into the historic center.

As it is used in the passage, what does the word *arrest* most nearly mean?

  1. A
    apprehend
  2. B
    capture
  3. haltAnswer
  4. D
    secure

Answer

halt
In the context of the passage, the revitalization program is described as being designed to 'arrest the decline of the commercial district.' Here, the word 'arrest' is used in its secondary meaning, which is to stop, check, or halt a process or trend. Therefore, 'halt' is the correct definition in this context.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence in which the target word appears.
The target word 'arrest' appears in the clause 'designed to arrest the decline of the commercial district.'
To understand how the word functions grammatically and contextually.
2
Identify the relationship between the target word and the surrounding words.
The word 'arrest' acts as a transitive verb whose direct object is 'decline'. The program aims to do something to the downward trend.
To narrow down the meaning to actions that can be performed on an abstract process like a decline.
3
Evaluate the answer choices by substituting them into the sentence.
Substituting 'halt' yields 'designed to halt the decline,' which logically fits the context of stopping a negative economic trend. Substituting 'apprehend' or 'capture' results in literal meanings of physical seizure that do not apply to an economic trend.
To select the option that best preserves the author's intended meaning without introducing primary meaning bias.

Key Concept

Identifying the secondary meaning of a common word using context clues rather than relying on its primary definition.
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Topics

Secondary Meanings of Common Words

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