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Difficulty: HardVocabulary and Word Meaning in Context

Consider the following excerpt from an essay on urban sociology:

"In her critique of modern city planning, the researcher observed that local community identity is far from static; rather, it remains remarkably plastic, constantly reshaped by influxes of new cultural traditions and shifting economic realities."

In the excerpt above, what is the contextual meaning of the word plastic?

  1. adaptable and capable of being shapedAnswer
  2. B
    synthetic and manufactured from polymers
  3. C
    superficial and lacking in genuine authenticity
  4. D
    fragile and vulnerable to complete destruction

Answer

The word 'plastic' in this context means adaptable and capable of being shaped.
The sentence establishes a direct contrast between 'static' (unchanging) and 'plastic', followed immediately by the explanation that identity is 'constantly reshaped'. Therefore, the correct interpretation is that the community identity is malleable, flexible, and adaptable.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the structural contrast in the sentence
The semi-colon links 'far from static' with 'remains remarkably plastic', indicating that 'plastic' serves as a direct antonym to 'static'.
Contextual meaning is often revealed through antonymic relationships within the sentence structure.
2
Examine the surrounding descriptive context
The phrase 'constantly reshaped by influxes of new cultural traditions' clarifies how the identity behaves.
The clause following the target word explicitly elaborates on its specific function in the sentence.
3
Substitute candidate definitions into the excerpt
Replacing 'plastic' with 'adaptable and capable of being shaped' preserves both syntactic structure and semantic coherence.
Proper contextual substitution verifies that the chosen meaning aligns with the author's intended argument.

Key Concept

Contextual Word Meaning (Polysemy and Antonymic Contrast)
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Vocabulary and Word Meaning in Context

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