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Difficulty: MediumInferring Vocabulary and Idiomatic Expressions in Context

Read the excerpt from an environmental journalism article. What does the idiomatic expression indicate about the future status of the treaties? Fill in the blank to complete the explanation.

Answer:An analytical article assessing multinational conservation efforts in the Andes states: «Sin mecanismos vinculantes de fiscalización presupuestaria, los convenios sobre protección de glaciares corren el riesgo de *quedar en papel mojado*». In this context, the idiomatic expression indicates that the agreements risk remaining 【unfulfilled】.

Answer

unfulfilled (or ineffective, unenforced, unimplemented)
In Spanish journalistic discourse, the idiom «quedar en papel mojado» describes formal accords, decrees, or pledges that remain purely theoretical and are never put into practice or enforced.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the surrounding context and condition in the excerpt.
The text establishes a condition: without binding mechanisms for budgetary oversight («sin mecanismos vinculantes de fiscalización presupuestaria»), formal conservation treaties will lack real enforcement power.
Contextual clues highlight the disparity between signed commitments and the absence of practical execution.
2
Infer the figurative meaning of the idiom «quedar en papel mojado».
The expression evokes writing on soaked, useless paper, metaphorically describing laws, treaties, or resolutions that exist only on paper and are never enacted or respected in practice.
Journalistic writing frequently uses this idiomatic phrase to critique ineffective legislation or symbolic political agreements.
3
Identify valid English contextual equivalents.
Terms such as 'unfulfilled', 'ineffective', 'unenforced', or 'unimplemented' accurately complete the sentence.
These descriptors capture the failure of the written pact to produce real-world operational results.

Key Concept

Inferring the figurative meaning of journalistic idioms related to political and institutional agreements
Estimated Time:1m 15s
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Inferring Vocabulary and Idiomatic Expressions in Context

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