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Difficulty: MediumSecondary Meanings and Polysemy

Faced with an unprecedented environmental crisis and rapidly dwindling municipal reservoirs, the city council urged citizens to ________ their remaining water supplies rather than spending them recklessly. Which of the following words best completes the sentence?

  1. husbandAnswer
  2. B
    marry
  3. C
    squander
  4. D
    augment
  5. E
    neglect

Answer

husband
The correct option is 'husband'. While commonly used as a noun referring to a spouse, as a verb 'husband' means to manage prudently or conserve resources. This fits the contrast introduced by 'rather than spending them recklessly'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze structural clues and sentence logic
The phrase 'rather than spending them recklessly' indicates that the missing word must mean the opposite of reckless consumption—specifically, conserving or managing carefully.
Contrast clues set up a direct opposition between reckless usage and careful preservation.
2
Evaluate option definitions, focusing on secondary meanings
The verb 'husband' secondary definition is 'to use sparingly or economically; conserve'.
GRE Text Completion frequently tests secondary or tertiary meanings of common words.

Key Concept

Secondary Meanings and Polysemy
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Topics

Secondary Meanings and Polysemy

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