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Difficulty: MediumInferring Vocabulary and Idiomatic Expressions in Context

In an environmental essay discussing climate change adaptation in Central America, the author writes: 'Due to rising global temperatures, the native coffee plants have become increasingly sensible to prolonged periods of drought, forcing local farmers to alter their cultivation schedules.'

Based on the context of the passage, which of the following is the closest meaning of the word 'sensible'?

  1. A
    wise or showing good judgment
  2. highly sensitive or vulnerableAnswer
  3. C
    completely resistant or adaptable
  4. D
    logical or based on sound reasoning

Answer

highly sensitive or vulnerable
The correct answer is correct because in the context of the passage, the coffee plants are negatively affected by drought, requiring human intervention. This usage aligns with the Spanish false cognate 'sensible', which translates to 'sensitive' or 'vulnerable' in English.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the surrounding context of the sentence in which the target word appears.
The sentence notes that rising temperatures make coffee plants 'sensible' to drought, which in turn forces farmers to change their practices.
Understanding the cause-and-effect relationship in the sentence helps determine how the plants are responding to environmental stress.
2
Identify potential false cognates between English and Spanish that match the context.
The English word 'sensible' (usually meaning wise or logical) functions here as the Spanish false cognate 'sensible', which means sensitive or vulnerable.
Recognizing false cognates prevents literal translation errors and aligns the word with its contextual meaning.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the term that describes a state of vulnerability to environmental changes.
The option stating 'highly sensitive or vulnerable' fits the context perfectly, whereas options related to logic or wisdom are incorrect.
This step matches the derived contextual definition with the correct multiple-choice option.

Key Concept

Inferring Vocabulary and Idiomatic Expressions in Context
Estimated Time:1m 15s
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Inferring Vocabulary and Idiomatic Expressions in Context

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