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Question

Difficulty: EasyAntonym Context Clues

Unlike the continuous surveillance conducted along the northern perimeter, patrols across the western sector were sporadic. In this sentence, what does the underlined word most nearly mean?

  1. A
    Steady and uninterrupted
  2. Occurring at irregular intervalsAnswer
  3. C
    Spontaneous and unplanned
  4. D
    Extremely hazardous

Answer

Occurring at irregular intervals
The sentence uses the contrast word 'Unlike' to compare the western patrols to the 'continuous' surveillance on the northern perimeter. Since 'sporadic' is contrasted with continuous, it must mean happening at irregular or infrequent intervals.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the contrast indicator and the antonym context clue.
The preposition 'Unlike' indicates an opposite relationship with the clue 'continuous'.
Contrast words signal that the target word has a meaning opposite to the described characteristic.
2
Determine the opposite of the context clue 'continuous'.
The opposite of 'continuous' (ongoing, non-stop) is irregular, occasional, or broken up.
Patrols that are not continuous occur at scattered or irregular intervals.
3
Match this opposite meaning to the definition of the underlined word 'sporadic'.
'Sporadic' means occurring at irregular, isolated, or scattered intervals.
Selecting the definition that corresponds to irregular frequency completes the contrast correctly.

Key Concept

Identifying word meaning using the antonym contrast clue 'Unlike'
Estimated Time:35s
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Topics

Antonym Context Clues

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