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Question

Difficulty: Very hardSecondary Meanings and Polysemy

While the central ministry attempted to institute standardized administrative procedures across all provincial outposts, traditional feudal customs continued to __________ in the remote highland regions, governing local commerce and conflict resolution without official interference. Which of the following words, if inserted into the blank, best completes the sentence?

  1. A
    vanish
  2. obtainAnswer
  3. C
    acquire
  4. D
    falter
  5. E
    intervene

Answer

The word 'obtain' best completes the blank.
The correct choice is 'obtain'. While most commonly used as a transitive verb meaning 'to get or acquire', 'obtain' has a secondary intransitive definition frequently tested on the GRE: 'to be prevalent, established, or customary; to hold true.' In the context of the passage, the word accurately describes how traditional feudal customs continued to be in effect in remote highland villages despite the central government's efforts.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze sentence syntax and structural signals
Identified the concession signal 'While', establishing a contrast between the central ministry's standardization efforts and the reality in remote highland regions.
Structural signals dictate whether the missing word must align with or oppose the primary clause's direction.
2
Determine the required contextual meaning for the blank
The blank requires a verb indicating that traditional customs remained prevalent, active, or established despite top-down administrative changes.
The clause notes that customs were still 'governing local commerce... without official interference'.
3
Evaluate option definitions, focusing on polysemy and secondary meanings
Recognized that 'obtain' has a secondary, formal intransitive definition meaning 'to hold true, exist, or be established/prevalent'.
Standard GRE questions test secondary definitions of high-frequency words rather than their common colloquial meanings.

Key Concept

Secondary Meanings and Polysemy
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Topics

Secondary Meanings and Polysemy

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