Each of the sentences below contains a bolded vocabulary word whose meaning is revealed through context clues. Match each bolded word from the left column to its precise contextual synonym or definition in the right column.
- During the severe supply shortage, the commander enforced an austere regimen that eliminated all luxury rations and nonessential expenditures.Severely strict and stripped of comforts
- The intelligence analyst rejected the informant's report as spurious after radar telemetry directly contradicted every claim made in the testimony.False and lacking genuine validity
- Although the mandatory physical conditioning was exhausting, it produced a salutary impact by substantially lowering injury rates during field operations.Beneficial and promoting health or improvement
- With critical communication lines severed and backup generators failing, the remote outpost maintained only a tenuous link to central command.Weak, uncertain, and easily broken
Answer
The correct pairings match each bolded word to its contextual definition: 'austere' matches 'Severely strict and stripped of comforts'; 'spurious' matches 'False and lacking genuine validity'; 'salutary' matches 'Beneficial and promoting health or improvement'; and 'tenuous' matches 'Weak, uncertain, and easily broken'.
Each bolded word is matched accurately based on explicit contextual evidence in the stem: 'austere' is signaled by the removal of comforts; 'spurious' is signaled by objective contradiction; 'salutary' is signaled by positive physical benefits; and 'tenuous' is signaled by failing infrastructure.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Determining word meaning through syntactic and semantic context clues such as contrast, cause-effect, and elaboration.
Estimated Time:2m 0s