Question

Difficulty: MediumVocabulary and Word Meaning in Context

Read the passage excerpt below carefully:

"During the archival preservation of rare sixteenth-century manuscripts, conservators observed that exposure to fluctuating humidity threatened to weather the delicate parchment. To prevent irreversible damage, experts moved quickly to check the spread of fungal spores. While prominent historians champion immediate public display of the recovered folios, the committee decided to table all exhibition plans until stabilization was complete."

Match each bolded word from the passage on the left with its precise contextual meaning on the right.

  • weatherWithstand, endure, or resist environmental degradation
  • checkRestrain, curb, or halt the progression of
  • championVigorously advocate, support, or promote
  • tablePostpone, defer, or put aside for future consideration

Answer

'weather' matches with 'Withstand, endure, or resist environmental degradation'; 'check' matches with 'Restrain, curb, or halt the progression of'; 'champion' matches with 'Vigorously advocate, support, or promote'; and 'table' matches with 'Postpone, defer, or put aside for future consideration'.
Each word is correctly matched based on its surrounding context in the passage. 'Weather' is used as a verb signifying endurance of environmental decay; 'check' functions as a verb meaning to halt or restrain growth; 'champion' acts as a verb for advocating a position; and 'table' serves as a verb meaning to defer or postpone action.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context surrounding 'weather'
The text describes environmental conditions (humidity) affecting parchment. 'Weather' here means enduring or suffering atmospheric decay.
Contextual clues like 'fluctuating humidity' indicate physical exposure and environmental endurance.
2
Analyze the context surrounding 'check'
The text discusses stopping 'the spread of fungal spores' to prevent damage. 'Check' here means to halt or restrain.
Preventing irreversible damage requires stopping the growth of spores.
3
Analyze the context surrounding 'champion'
Historians are urging the immediate public display of folios. 'Champion' here means to advocate or support strongly.
The sentence contrasts the historians' strong support for display with the committee's decision.
4
Analyze the context surrounding 'table'
The committee delayed plans 'until stabilization was complete'. 'Table' contextually means to postpone or defer.
The temporal condition ('until stabilization was complete') demonstrates that the plans were delayed.

Key Concept

Contextual Word Meaning (Polysemy)
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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