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Question

Difficulty: HardAntonym Context Clues

Chief Vance was known to be exceptionally reticent during operational debriefs; conversely, his subordinate was outspoken and eagerly shared every detail. In this sentence, what is the meaning of the underlined word reticent?

  1. A
    Talkative and forthcoming with information
  2. Reserved and disinclined to speak freelyAnswer
  3. C
    Insecure and lacking professional confidence
  4. D
    Reluctant to retire from active service

Answer

Reserved and disinclined to speak freely
The transitional adverb 'conversely' establishes an antonym context clue. Because the subordinate is described as 'outspoken', the chief must exhibit the opposite quality, which is 'reserved and disinclined to speak freely'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the target word and its syntactic role in the sentence
The target word is 'reticent', an adjective characterizing the communication style of Chief Vance during debriefs.
Understanding the grammatical role and subject helps isolate the specific quality being evaluated.
2
Locate the contrast transition marker and the antonym clue
The transitional adverb 'conversely' sets up a direct contrast against the subordinate who is described as 'outspoken and eagerly shared every detail'.
Antonym context clues indicate that the target word has the opposite meaning of the contrasted phrase.
3
Derive the opposite of the clue and match with the correct option
The opposite of 'outspoken' is quiet, restrained, or reluctant to speak, which precisely matches 'Reserved and disinclined to speak freely'.
Applying the antonym clue directly reveals the contextual definition.

Key Concept

Using contrast transition markers to identify antonyms and deduce unfamiliar word meanings
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Topics

Antonym Context Clues

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