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Difficulty: HardSecondary Meanings of Common Words

Recognizing that the harsh winter storms would inevitably delay the arrival of the spring supply train, the frontier settlement's council took immediate and decisive action. The town mayor urged the families to strictly husband their remaining stores of grain and dried meat, warning that any unnecessary consumption before the thaw would lead to severe deprivation. Rations were carefully measured out each morning under the strict supervision of community leaders. Through this collective discipline, the remote settlement managed to survive the coldest months without prematurely exhausting their vital reserves.

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

  1. A
    marry
  2. conserveAnswer
  3. C
    cultivate
  4. D
    share

Answer

conserve
The correct answer is 'conserve'. In the passage, the town is facing a winter food shortage and must manage their remaining grain and dried meat carefully so they do not run out before spring. The verb 'husband' means to use resources sparingly or to conserve.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Locate the target word in the passage and examine its immediate surrounding context.
The target word is 'husband', which appears in the second sentence: 'The town mayor urged the families to strictly husband their remaining stores of grain and dried meat...'
Understanding where the word is situated helps clarify how it functions within the narrative flow.
2
Analyze clues in the surrounding sentences to determine the overall goal of the action.
The text explains that winter storms will delay supplies, prompting the town to avoid 'unnecessary consumption' and to manage their reserves so they can survive 'without prematurely exhausting' them.
These context clues indicate that the action must relate to saving, managing frugally, or preserving resources.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the one that fits this meaning of resource preservation and works grammatically as a substitution.
The word 'conserve' directly corresponds to using resources carefully to prevent loss or depletion, and it fits grammatically into the sentence: 'to strictly conserve their remaining stores.' Other options represent unrelated noun definitions or contextually incorrect actions.
This confirms the correct secondary meaning while eliminating distractors.

Key Concept

Secondary Meanings of Common Words
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Secondary Meanings of Common Words

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