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Question

Difficulty: MediumMultiple-Meaning Words

The lead instructor had to temper his demanding training regimen to prevent excessive physical fatigue among the trainees. What is the meaning of the underlined word in this sentence?

  1. A
    harden
  2. moderateAnswer
  3. C
    intensify
  4. D
    agitate

Answer

moderate
In this sentence, 'temper' is used as a transitive verb meaning to moderate, soften, or make less severe. The instructor must reduce the rigor of the training routine so that the trainees do not become overly exhausted.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence context and identify key clues.
The instructor needs to modify a 'demanding training regimen' specifically to 'prevent excessive physical fatigue.'
Contextual clues establish that the action involves lessening the intensity or severity of the program.
2
Evaluate the polysemous meanings of 'temper' against the context.
While 'temper' can mean heat-treating metals or refer to emotional disposition, its contextual definition here is to soften, tone down, or dilute.
Substituting 'moderate' maintains the logical goal of adjusting a strenuous regimen to reduce fatigue.

Key Concept

Identifying the contextual meaning of polysemous words using surrounding sentence clues
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Multiple-Meaning Words

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