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Difficulty: MediumSynonym Context Clues

Due to a faulty sensor, the drone displayed erratic flight patterns—unpredictable and irregular movements that forced the operator to abort the mission. In this sentence, what does the word erratic most nearly mean?

  1. A
    Consistent
  2. B
    Erroneous
  3. UnpredictableAnswer
  4. D
    Rapid

Answer

Unpredictable
The sentence provides an explicit definition through a dash restatement: 'unpredictable and irregular movements.' Therefore, 'unpredictable' is the direct synonym of 'erratic' in this context.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Locate the target word and identify the surrounding punctuation clues in the sentence.
The target word 'erratic' is immediately followed by an em-dash (—) providing a direct explanatory restatement.
Dashes are commonly used in context clues to define or restate the meaning of an unfamiliar term.
2
Analyze the clarifying phrase following the dash.
The phrase 'unpredictable and irregular movements' defines the behavior of the flight patterns.
The paired synonyms 'unpredictable' and 'irregular' serve as explicit context clues for 'erratic'.
3
Match the restated definition to the available answer choices.
'Unpredictable' directly corresponds to the first descriptor in the clarifying phrase.
Matching the restated synonym confirms the precise meaning intended in this context.

Key Concept

Using dash restatements and paired synonym context clues to determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word in context.
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Synonym Context Clues

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