Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumAntonym Context Clues

While the previous division commander had been reserved and reclusive during staff briefings, the newly appointed officer was noticeably gregarious when interacting with the unit. What does the underlined word most nearly mean?

  1. A
    withdrawn and silent
  2. B
    domineering and arrogant
  3. sociable and outgoingAnswer
  4. D
    gracious and gentle

Answer

The word 'gregarious' most nearly means 'sociable and outgoing'.
The subordinating conjunction 'While' creates an explicit contrast between the former leader, who was 'reserved and reclusive', and the new leader, who was 'gregarious'. Therefore, 'gregarious' must mean the opposite of reserved, which corresponds directly to 'sociable and outgoing'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the contrast signal word and the descriptive clue provided in the sentence.
The conjunction 'While' introduces a contrast between the former commander's behavior ('reserved and reclusive') and the new officer's quality ('gregarious').
Recognizing the structural contrast marker clarifies that the target word must have a meaning opposite to 'reserved and reclusive'.
2
Determine the antonym of the known clue to find the definition of the target word.
The opposite of being reserved and reclusive is being sociable, friendly, and outgoing in group settings.
Antonym context clues allow the reader to deduce the target word's definition by inverting the referenced trait.

Key Concept

Using contrast markers and antonym context clues to deduce the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary.
Estimated Time:45s
Rate this question

Topics

Antonym Context Clues

More questions from this topic