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Difficulty: HardSupport and Cause-Effect Clues

Far from being an isolated anomaly, the sudden surge in benthic oxygen depletion was directly ________ by the unprecedented spring runoff of agricultural nitrates; indeed, subsequent biogeochemical sampling confirmed that this nutrient influx served as the primary catalyst for the widespread hypoxic zone.

Which of the following words best completes the sentence?

  1. precipitatedAnswer
  2. B
    forestalled
  3. C
    mitigated
  4. D
    contextualized
  5. E
    exaggerated

Answer

precipitated
The sentence relies on a cause-and-effect relationship reinforced by the intensive support signal 'indeed'. The second clause explicitly characterizes the nutrient influx as the 'primary catalyst' for the hypoxic zone. Therefore, the blank requires a verb meaning 'brought about' or 'caused to happen', which is precisely the definition of 'precipitated'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze structural transition signals
Identified the semicolon followed by 'indeed' as an intensive support signal that elaborates on and reinforces the preceding assertion.
Structural signals determine whether the missing word reinforces or reverses the main clause.
2
Identify contextual keywords and logical relationship
Found 'primary catalyst' in the second clause, indicating that the runoff actively caused or triggered the surge in benthic oxygen depletion.
The blank requires a verb denoting active causation to mirror the function of a 'catalyst'.
3
Evaluate option choices against semantic requirement
Selected 'precipitated', which means to cause something to happen rapidly or unexpectedly, exactly matching the causal framework.
Other options either reverse the causal direction or provide insufficient intensity.

Key Concept

Support and Cause-Effect Clues in Text Completion
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Topics

Support and Cause-Effect Clues

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