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Difficulty: Very hardSecondary and High-Frequency Alternative Meanings

Read the following passage from a treatise on cognitive psychology:

"In his analysis of executive function during high-complexity task switching, Dr. Vance observed that requiring subjects to continuously monitor multiple competing sensory channels would severely tax their finite attentional capacity, eventually precipitating a pronounced degradation in cognitive performance."

In the context of the passage, the word tax most nearly means which of the following?

  1. A
    impose a financial levy or fee upon
  2. strain or place heavy demands uponAnswer
  3. C
    systematically measure or evaluate
  4. D
    invigorate or artificially enhance
  5. E
    partition or divide into categories

Answer

strain or place heavy demands upon
In this context, 'tax' is used in its secondary sense as a verb meaning to strain, overburden, or make heavy demands on a limited resource. The passage explains that forcing subjects to monitor multiple sensory streams strains their limited attentional capacity, leading to degraded performance.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence context surrounding the target word.
The target word 'tax' acts as a verb taking 'their finite attentional capacity' as its direct object, within a scenario describing continuous monitoring of competing sensory channels.
Understanding the grammatical role and immediate context is essential to determine which meaning of a polysemous word applies.
2
Evaluate surrounding clue words for tone and semantic direction.
The phrase 'finite attentional capacity' paired with 'precipitating a pronounced degradation in cognitive performance' indicates a negative, burdening effect on mental capacity.
Contextual clues demonstrate that the action causes fatigue or overextension of finite resources.
3
Select the definition matching this secondary contextual usage.
'Strain or place heavy demands upon' accurately fits the meaning of overworking finite attentional resources.
In academic prose, 'tax' frequently means to overburden or strain rather than its primary financial meaning.

Key Concept

Secondary Word Meanings in Context
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Secondary and High-Frequency Alternative Meanings

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