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Question

Difficulty: EasyAntonym Context Clues

Despite the chemical solution being expected to remain stable throughout the heating process, the mixture became extremely volatile as the temperature rose. In this sentence, what does the underlined word volatile most nearly mean?

  1. A
    Calm and steady
  2. B
    Harmful and toxic
  3. Unstable and unpredictableAnswer
  4. D
    Loud and high in volume

Answer

Unstable and unpredictable
The sentence sets up an explicit contrast using the word 'Despite'. The mixture was expected to remain 'stable', but instead it became 'volatile'. Therefore, 'volatile' must mean the opposite of stable, which is 'Unstable and unpredictable'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the contrast marker and opposing clue in the sentence.
The preposition 'Despite' signals a contrast between the expectation of the solution remaining 'stable' and its actual state of becoming 'volatile'.
Recognizing the contrast transition indicates that the target word has an opposite meaning to the clue provided.
2
Determine the meaning opposite to 'stable'.
The opposite of 'stable' is 'unstable and unpredictable'.
Selecting the opposite of the known clue yields the correct definition of the target word.

Key Concept

Using contrast transition words like 'despite' to infer the meaning of an unfamiliar word from an explicit antonym clue.
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Antonym Context Clues

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