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Difficulty: MediumInferring Vocabulary and Idiomatic Expressions in Context

A journalistic article analyzing architectural preservation and seismic resilience in Mendoza, Argentina, reports: «A pesar del escepticismo inicial de varios urbanistas modernos, los recientes movimientos telúricos no lograron hacer mella en las edificaciones históricas reforzadas con técnicas vernáculas de quincha». In this context, what is the meaning of the idiomatic expression «hacer mella»?

  1. A
    To create decorative carvings or aesthetic indentations on the facade
  2. To cause noticeable damage or undermine structural integrityAnswer
  3. C
    To attract financial investment for municipal renovation projects
  4. D
    To completely eliminate the need for future safety inspections

Answer

To cause noticeable damage or undermine structural integrity
The correct response accurately reflects the figurative meaning of 'hacer mella' (to weaken, damage, or produce an adverse effect). In the context of an earthquake impacting reinforced buildings, stating that the tremors 'no lograron hacer mella' means they failed to undermine the structures' integrity or cause damage.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the syntactic and semantic structure of the surrounding sentence
The sentence sets up a contrast with 'A pesar del escepticismo' (Despite the skepticism), noting that recent earthquakes ('movimientos telúricos') failed to ('no lograron') negatively affect the historical buildings reinforced with vernacular techniques.
Contextual transition markers establish that the vernacular techniques succeeded in protecting the structures against earthquake forces.
2
Deduce the figurative meaning of the verbal idiom 'hacer mella'
The idiom 'hacer mella' means to make an adverse impact, cause damage, or diminish strength/integrity.
Since the earthquakes failed to impair the structures, 'no lograron hacer mella' translates to failing to inflict damage or weaken them.

Key Concept

Inferring Idiomatic Expressions in Journalistic Context
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Topics

Inferring Vocabulary and Idiomatic Expressions in Context

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