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Question

Difficulty: HardMultiple-Meaning Words

Although the lead aerodynamicist initially doubted the feasibility of the experimental wing design, she agreed to entertain the technician's proposal during the technical review. As used in this context, which of the following is the most accurate meaning of the underlined word?

  1. A
    amuse
  2. B
    dismiss
  3. considerAnswer
  4. D
    host

Answer

consider
In the provided sentence, 'entertain' is used in its secondary sense meaning to hold in mind, contemplate, or give serious consideration to a proposal during an evaluation.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence context and structural transition clues.
The clause begins with 'Although the lead aerodynamicist initially doubted the feasibility...', signaling a contrast between initial skepticism and a subsequent willingness to examine the idea.
Identifying transition markers clarifies how the subject interacts with the object ('the technician's proposal').
2
Evaluate the polysemous target word against the professional setting.
In formal and academic contexts, 'entertain' means to contemplate, evaluate, or give serious consideration to an idea or proposal rather than providing amusement or social hosting.
Differentiating domain-specific secondary definitions prevents falling for common primary-definition distractors.

Key Concept

Determining the contextual definition of a polysemous word using contrast clues in a professional context.
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Topics

Multiple-Meaning Words

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