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Difficulty: HardVocabulary and Word Meaning in Context

Read the passage excerpt below:

"Despite official declarations praising the newly drafted labor policy for its progressive stance on worker welfare, economic analysts warn that the ambiguous clauses regarding overtime compensation effectively countenance exploitation by unethical employers."

As used in the text above, which of the following best captures the contextual meaning of the word countenance?

  1. A
    express
  2. tolerateAnswer
  3. C
    penalize
  4. D
    eliminate

Answer

The word 'countenance' in this context means 'tolerate' or 'permit'.
In this excerpt, 'countenance' serves as a verb meaning to give tacit approval to, sanction, or tolerate. The analysts warn that vagueness in overtime rules allows employers to exploit workers without fear of penalty, making 'tolerate' the precise contextual equivalent.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence structure and tone of the passage excerpt.
The contrast indicator 'Despite' sets up an opposition between official praise for worker welfare and economic analysts' warnings about ambiguous clauses.
Contextual clues reveal that the ambiguous clauses have a negative impact on worker protection.
2
Determine the grammatical role and contextual function of the target word.
'Countenance' acts as a transitive verb taking 'exploitation' as its direct object.
The sentence conveys that policy loopholes enable or sanction unethical behavior.
3
Substitute options into the sentence to verify semantic and syntactic fit.
Replacing the target word with 'tolerate' correctly yields 'effectively tolerate exploitation', preserving the intended critique.
'Tolerate' accurately reflects permitting or giving tacit support to an undesirable practice.

Key Concept

Contextual Vocabulary Meaning
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Topics

Vocabulary and Word Meaning in Context

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