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Difficulty: Very hardContext Clues for Synonyms

Contrary to the historically popular belief that the adult human brain is rigid and unchanging, modern neuroscientists have demonstrated that neural pathways remain highly plastic throughout a person's life, constantly rewiring and adapting to new experiences.

Which of the following most nearly means the word plastic as it is used in the sentence above?

  1. A
    artificial
  2. B
    superficial
  3. malleableAnswer
  4. D
    static

Answer

The correct answer is malleable.
The sentence uses the contrast phrase 'Contrary to' to oppose the idea of a 'rigid and unchanging' brain. Furthermore, it defines the target word by stating the pathways are 'constantly rewiring and adapting'. Therefore, the word describes something that can change shape or function. The word that best matches 'adaptable and changeable' is 'malleable'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence structure for context clues.
The sentence begins with the contrast phrase 'Contrary to', which sets up an opposition to the idea that the brain is 'rigid and unchanging'.
Identifying contrast transitions helps determine whether the target word is a synonym or antonym of surrounding descriptions.
2
Examine the direct defining clues provided after the target word.
The phrase 'constantly rewiring and adapting to new experiences' acts as a direct explanation of what it means for the pathways to be highly 'plastic'.
Authors often provide an explanatory phrase immediately following a difficult or domain-specific vocabulary word.
3
Evaluate the answer choices against the established meaning of 'adaptable and changeable'.
The word 'malleable' means capable of being altered or controlled by outside forces, which perfectly matches the context of a changing, adaptable brain.
Matching the synthesized contextual meaning with the correct synonym eliminates distractors based on secondary meanings.

Key Concept

Context Clues for Synonyms (Contrast and Restatement)
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Topics

Context Clues for Synonyms

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