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Question

Difficulty: EasyVocabulary and Word Meaning in Context

Read the passage excerpt below carefully:

"During the lengthy peace negotiations, the lead diplomat sought to temper his demands with conciliatory remarks to prevent a complete breakdown of communication."

As used in the passage excerpt above, what is the contextual meaning of the word temper?

  1. A
    display visible anger toward
  2. moderate or softenAnswer
  3. C
    withdraw completely from
  4. D
    intensify and reinforce

Answer

The word 'temper' in this context means 'moderate or soften'.
In this passage, 'temper' functions as a verb meaning to adjust, tone down, or moderate something by introducing a counterbalancing or softening element.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context of the target word in the passage excerpt.
The sentence mentions that the diplomat added 'conciliatory remarks' to prevent a 'complete breakdown of communication'.
Contextual clues reveal the intent to make the demands less severe or hostile.
2
Substitute the options into the sentence to test for semantic and grammatical fit.
Replacing 'temper' with 'moderate or soften' preserves the logical flow: softening demands with conciliatory remarks maintains dialogue.
The correct contextual synonym must fit both grammatically and logically.

Key Concept

Vocabulary and Word Meaning in Context
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Vocabulary and Word Meaning in Context

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