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Difficulty: EasyContextual Word Meaning and Vocabulary in Passages

Read the following passage carefully:

"The village head was renowned for his stern and icy demeanor. However, upon hearing of the youth's heroic deed, a rare smile thawed his rigid countenance, reassuring the gathered crowd."

In the passage above, what does the word "thawed" contextually mean?

  1. softened or relaxedAnswer
  2. B
    melted from frozen ice into water
  3. C
    increased in physical temperature
  4. D
    became hard and stern

Answer

In this passage, 'thawed' means 'softened or relaxed'.
The phrase 'a rare smile thawed his rigid countenance' uses 'thawed' metaphorically to indicate that the village head's stern and cold expression relaxed or softened upon hearing the good news.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the target word in the text
The target word 'thawed' describes the change in the village head's 'rigid countenance' when he smiled.
Contextual meaning depends on how the word functions within the sentence rather than its strict dictionary definition.
2
Analyze surrounding context clues
The text contrasts a 'stern and icy demeanor' with a 'rare smile' that reassured the crowd.
The shift from icy sternness to a reassuring smile indicates a easing or softening of demeanor.
3
Select the figurative meaning that best fits the sentence
'softened or relaxed' accurately captures the transition from a cold, rigid expression to a warm, smiling one.
Literally melting ice does not apply to human expressions; the author uses 'thawed' metaphorically.

Key Concept

Contextual Word Meaning in Unseen Passages
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Topics

Contextual Word Meaning and Vocabulary in Passages

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