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Difficulty: Very hardSecondary Meanings and Polysemy

Despite the sudden influx of international grant funding intended to accelerate the ecological restoration project, the lead conservation scientist insisted that the team must carefully ________ their remaining technical resources, recognizing that over-expenditure in the initial phase would leave the initiative vulnerable to long-term operational failure.

Which of the following words best completes the sentence?

  1. A
    squander
  2. B
    publicize
  3. husbandAnswer
  4. D
    augment
  5. E
    dissipate

Answer

The word 'husband' best completes the sentence, as its secondary verb definition means to manage or use resources carefully and economically.
The correct choice is 'husband'. While most commonly encountered as a noun, as a verb 'husband' means to manage resources frugally and economically. Given the scientist's warning that over-expenditure in the early phase would cause long-term operational failure, the scientist insists that the team must carefully conserve their remaining technical resources.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence structure and identify contextual clues.
The sentence presents a contrast between a 'sudden influx of grant funding' and a warning that 'over-expenditure... would leave the initiative vulnerable to long-term operational failure'.
Recognizing the risk of over-expenditure indicates that the missing word must describe an action aimed at conserving or prudently managing resources.
2
Determine the required definition for the blank.
The target word must function as a verb meaning to conserve, save, or manage frugally.
This directly fulfills the scientist's demand to safeguard remaining technical assets.
3
Evaluate the choices for secondary definitions of polysemous words.
The word 'husband' functions as a verb meaning to manage prudently or conserve, fitting the context precisely.
Test takers often fall into a primary definition trap by expecting 'husband' to function only as a noun referring to a married spouse.

Key Concept

Secondary Meanings and Polysemy
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Secondary Meanings and Polysemy

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