Read the passage excerpt below carefully:
"In evaluating the diplomatic records of the treaty, historians noted that the envoy's calculated deference toward the monarch was not genuine humility, but a deliberate attempt to disarm imperial hostility. Although contemporaries derided his posture as servile, later archival analysis shows a measured strategy to secure trade concessions without provoking armed conflict."
Match each highlighted word from the passage on the left with its precise contextual meaning on the right.
- calculatedDeliberately planned and shrewdly aimed at achieving a specific result
- disarmAllay suspicion and neutralize hostility through conciliation
- servileExcessively submissive, obsequious, or lacking independence
- measuredCarefully considered, balanced, and restrained in expression
Answer
'calculated' matches with 'Deliberately planned and shrewdly aimed at achieving a specific result'; 'disarm' matches with 'Allay suspicion and neutralize hostility through conciliation'; 'servile' matches with 'Excessively submissive, obsequious, or lacking independence'; 'measured' matches with 'Carefully considered, balanced, and restrained in expression'.
Each word is matched to its precise contextual meaning based on the diplomatic scenario described in the passage: 'calculated' indicates strategic planning, 'disarm' signifies neutralizing hostility, 'servile' denotes excessive submissiveness, and 'measured' refers to a balanced and restrained approach.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Contextual Word Meaning and Register Interpretation