Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumTone and Inference Clues

The lead architect offered a tempered response to the extravagant design proposals, noting that practical budgetary limits and seismic safety must constrain their ambitious aesthetic vision.

Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word as used in the sentence?

  1. A
    hostile
  2. moderatedAnswer
  3. C
    hardened
  4. D
    unrestrained

Answer

moderated
The sentence describes balancing ambitious design aspirations against safety and budget constraints. In this context, 'tempered' means modified, restrained, or moderated by sobering realities.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the tone and context clues surrounding the underlined word.
The architect cites 'budgetary limits' and 'seismic safety' to 'constrain' ambitious vision, establishing a cautious, balancing tone.
Contextual tone helps determine whether the reaction is aggressive, unrestrained, or moderated by practical concerns.
2
Select the synonym that reflects restraint and balance.
'Moderated' directly aligns with the sense of tempering enthusiasm with practical constraints.
This rules out literal material-hardening definitions, extreme negative connotations, and antonyms.

Key Concept

Inferring word meaning from tone and restrictive context clues
Estimated Time:45s
Rate this question

Topics

Tone and Inference Clues

More questions from this topic