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Difficulty: MediumIdentifying Antonym and Contrast Context Clues

Read the following technical report on naval submarine trials:

During deep-submergence pressure trials, the experimental hull alloy remained remarkably impervious to corrosive seawater, whereas standard steel plating was vulnerable to oxidation. Furthermore, while the interior seals remained pliable despite freezing depths, older rubber gaskets grew brittle and cracked. Finally, instead of producing a sluggish response, the newly fitted hydraulic steering system was agile under heavy hydrodynamic loads.

Based on the contrast clues in the passage, match each highlighted term to its correct contextual meaning.

  • imperviousResistant to penetration and unaffected by corrosive forces
  • pliableFlexible and supple under pressure without cracking
  • agileNimble and capable of quick, efficient movement

Answer

impervious matches 'Resistant to penetration and unaffected by corrosive forces'; pliable matches 'Flexible and supple under pressure without cracking'; agile matches 'Nimble and capable of quick, efficient movement'.
Each match is established through explicit contrast indicators in the passage: 'impervious' contrasts with 'vulnerable' across 'whereas'; 'pliable' contrasts with 'brittle' across 'while'; and 'agile' contrasts with 'sluggish' across 'instead of'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Locate contrast signal words for each target term in the passage.
Identified 'whereas' for impervious, 'while'/'despite' for pliable, and 'instead of' for agile.
Contrast signal words establish opposing relationships between the target vocabulary and known benchmark descriptions.
2
Determine the opposing phrase for each target word to deduce its true definition.
'Impervious' opposes 'vulnerable to oxidation'; 'pliable' opposes 'brittle and cracked'; 'agile' opposes 'sluggish response'.
The contextual definition of each target word is the opposite of the condition described in the contrasting clause.
3
Pair each word with its corresponding contextual definition.
All three terms are successfully matched to their precise contextual definitions.
Matching each term to its positive equivalent verifies complete reading comprehension.

Key Concept

Identifying Antonym and Contrast Context Clues
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Identifying Antonym and Contrast Context Clues

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