Read the passage excerpt below carefully:
"During the international summit, environmental experts assembled to deliberate on strategies for reducing urban pollution. The lead speaker warned against superficial measures that only conceal underlying problems rather than addressing root causes. Finally, the delegates resolved to sanction stringent penalties against companies that continue to breach safety standards."
Match each bolded word from the passage on the left with its precise contextual meaning on the right.
- deliberate (in "deliberate on strategies")discuss or carefully consider options
- superficial (in "superficial measures")shallow or lacking depth and thoroughness
- sanction (in "sanction stringent penalties")authorize or impose official penalties
Answer
'deliberate' matches with 'discuss or carefully consider options', 'superficial' matches with 'shallow or lacking depth and thoroughness', and 'sanction' matches with 'authorize or impose official penalties'.
Each word is matched to its intended meaning within the passage context: 'deliberate' functions as a verb meaning to carefully discuss options; 'superficial' refers to surface-level or shallow actions contrasting with root causes; and 'sanction' signifies officially imposing penalties.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Determining word meaning through surrounding textual context