Question

Difficulty: MediumContextual Word Meaning and Vocabulary in Passages

Read the prose excerpt below and complete the statement with the word or phrase that best captures the contextual meaning of the underlined term.

Answer:Excerpt:
"The diplomat's speech was laden with grandiloquent promises, designed to mesmerize the impressionable crowd. Yet, discerning listeners recognized the underlying vacuity of his statements, realizing that beneath the polished rhetoric lay no substantive plan for reform."

In the passage above, the word "vacuity" contextually means 【emptiness】.

Answer

In the context of the passage, the word 'vacuity' means emptiness or lack of substance.
In the passage, 'vacuity' refers to the total lack of substance or real meaning behind the diplomat's elaborate speech, as reinforced by the phrase 'lay no substantive plan for reform'. Therefore, words such as 'emptiness' or 'hollowness' correctly convey this contextual meaning.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the passage context surrounding the word 'vacuity'.
The excerpt contrasts 'grandiloquent promises' and 'polished rhetoric' with 'discerning listeners' who realized there was 'no substantive plan for reform'.
Contextual clues like 'no substantive plan' directly explain what the listeners recognized in the statements.
2
Deduce the contextual definition of 'vacuity'.
The word 'vacuity' describes the empty, hollow nature of the speech despite its grand presentation.
Deriving meaning from context requires identifying how words function within the narrative contrast of surface appearance versus underlying reality.

Key Concept

Contextual Word Meaning and Vocabulary in Passages
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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