Read the excerpt below carefully. Then match each bold word on the left with its precise contextual meaning on the right:
"During the diplomatic summit, the envoy sought to mollify the aggrieved delegates through a series of subtle concessions. Rather than attempt to vitiate the previous bilateral accord, she worked to graft new trade provisions onto the existing framework, taking care not to precipitate a premature collapse of the negotiations."
- mollifyto appease or soothe the anger of
- vitiateto spoil, impair, or invalidate
- graftto incorporate or attach onto an existing structure
- precipitateto cause or bring about prematurely
Answer
The correct pairings are: 'mollify' matches 'to appease or soothe the anger of'; 'vitiate' matches 'to spoil, impair, or invalidate'; 'graft' matches 'to incorporate or attach onto an existing structure'; and 'precipitate' matches 'to cause or bring about prematurely'.
Each match accurately reflects how the word functions within the diplomatic context of the passage. 'Mollify' relates to calming delegates, 'vitiate' to nullifying an accord, 'graft' to appending new clauses, and 'precipitate' to bringing about an outcome prematurely.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Contextual Vocabulary Determination in Prose Passages
Estimated Time:1m 30s