Read the following short excerpt from an unseen passage carefully. Match each underlined vocabulary word on the left with its correct contextual meaning on the right:
"The old village storyteller was renowned for his *garrulous* nature during evening gatherings, often speaking for hours without pause. However, when questioned about his own past, he became remarkably *reticent*, offering only brief nods. Furthermore, his historical accounts were never *apocryphal*, as every tale was firmly rooted in verified kingdom records."
- garrulousExcessively talkative or wordy
- reticentReserved or restrained in speech
- apocryphalOf doubtful authenticity or fictitious
Answer
The word 'garrulous' matches with 'Excessively talkative or wordy', 'reticent' matches with 'Reserved or restrained in speech', and 'apocryphal' matches with 'Of doubtful authenticity or fictitious'.
Each word's contextual meaning is derived directly from surrounding sentence clues: continuous talking indicates garrulousness, quiet nodding indicates reticence, and contrast with verified records indicates that apocryphal means fictitious or doubtful.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Contextual Word Meaning and Vocabulary in Passages