Read the following passage from a geological survey report:
'During the survey of the northern plateau, technicians observed intermittent seismic tremors that disrupted sensitive recording equipment. To protect the sensors, the field crew excavated a subterranean testing station sixty feet below the bedrock. By routing power cables through existing fissures, engineers managed to circumvent the solid granite ridge without destructive blasting.'
Match each bolded term from the passage with its correct contextual definition based on its morphological components (roots and affixes).
- intermittentOccurring at periodic intervals with pauses in between
- subterraneanSituated, operating, or constructed beneath the surface of the earth
- circumventBypassing, going around, or finding a way past an obstacle
Answer
'intermittent' matches 'Occurring at periodic intervals with pauses in between', 'subterranean' matches 'Situated, operating, or constructed beneath the surface of the earth', and 'circumvent' matches 'Bypassing, going around, or finding a way past an obstacle'.
Each word is matched by breaking down its morphemes: 'inter-' (between) + 'mittere' (send) forms 'intermittent' (occurring with intervals in between); 'sub-' (under) + 'terra' (earth) forms 'subterranean' (under the earth); and 'circum-' (around) + 'vent' (go) forms 'circumvent' (going around an obstacle).
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Using Latin and Greek prefixes, roots, and suffixes in combination with surrounding context clues to determine the precise meaning of vocabulary words.
Estimated Time:1m 15s