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Question

Difficulty: HardWords Commonly Confused and Homonyms

The prolonged nationwide strike served only to ________ the country's financial crisis, while the public official was dismissed after being exposed for his ________ practices. Which pair of words correctly completes the sentence?

  1. exacerbate / venalAnswer
  2. B
    exasperate / venial
  3. C
    exacerbate / venial
  4. D
    exasperate / venal

Answer

The pair 'exacerbate / venal' correctly completes the sentence because 'exacerbate' means to worsen a negative situation, and 'venal' describes corrupt or bribe-taking behavior.
The word 'exacerbate' specifically means to aggravate or worsen an existing bad condition (such as a financial crisis), while 'venal' describes a person or practice associated with corruption and bribery. Together, 'exacerbate / venal' accurately fulfill the contextual requirements of both clauses.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the first blank in context
The blank requires a verb meaning 'to worsen' or 'intensify' an abstract problem (the financial crisis). 'Exacerbate' means to make a bad situation worse, whereas 'exasperate' means to irritate a person.
Choosing the appropriate paronym based on whether the object is a situation or a person.
2
Analyze the second blank in context
The blank requires an adjective describing unlawful practices leading to an official's dismissal. 'Venal' means corrupt or open to bribery, whereas 'venial' means minor or pardonable.
Differentiating between paronyms with vastly different semantic severity.
3
Combine the contextual choices
The combination 'exacerbate / venal' satisfies both grammatical and semantic demands of the sentence.
Ensuring both words in the pair match their respective blanks.

Key Concept

Distinguishing between orthographically and phonetically similar paronyms in formal register contexts (exacerbate vs. exasperate and venal vs. venial).
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Topics

Words Commonly Confused and Homonyms

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