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Question

Difficulty: HardSentence Equivalence: Contextual Synonym Pair Selection

Although early climate models treated regional ecosystem responses to thermal shifts as fundamentally __________, recent high-resolution simulations reveal a surprisingly complex web of non-linear feedback loops. Which of the following two choices, when inserted into the blank, complete the sentence in a way that produces equivalent overall meanings?

  1. straightforwardAnswer
  2. B
    erratic
  3. C
    transient
  4. uncomplicatedAnswer
  5. E
    immutable
  6. F
    ephemeral

Answer

The correct selections are 'straightforward' and 'uncomplicated', as both words complete the sentence to convey that initial climate models viewed ecosystem responses as simple, in contrast to recent findings showing high complexity.
The transition word 'Although' establishes a contrast between the early climate models and recent simulations that revealed a 'complex web of non-linear feedback loops'. The words 'straightforward' and 'uncomplicated' both correctly supply the meaning of simplicity required to complete the contrast, yielding two sentences with identical meaning.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze structural signals and context clues in the sentence stem.
The concession transition 'Although' signals a contrast between how early climate models treated ecosystem responses and what 'recent high-resolution simulations reveal'.
Identifying structural pivot words determines the required tone and polarity of the missing word.
2
Determine the required meaning for the blank.
The second clause describes a 'surprisingly complex web of non-linear feedback loops'. Therefore, the blank requires a word meaning simple, direct, or uncomplicated.
The contrast established by 'Although' demands a word opposite in meaning to 'complex'.
3
Evaluate option pairs for semantic equivalence and contextual fit.
'straightforward' and 'uncomplicated' both fit the required meaning of simple and produce coherent, equivalent sentences. 'transient' and 'ephemeral' form a synonym pair meaning fleeting, but do not fit the context.
GRE Sentence Equivalence requires selecting two words that not only fit the context logically but also yield equivalent overall sentence meanings.

Key Concept

Sentence Equivalence Contextual Synonym Selection
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Topics

Sentence Equivalence: Contextual Synonym Pair Selection

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