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Question

Difficulty: Very hardPhrasal Verbs and Prepositional Verbs

Which particle correctly completes the phrasal verb in the sentence below?

Answer:The board of directors cautioned that any attempt to gloss 【over】 the glaring accounting discrepancies would severely compromise the firm's public credibility.

Answer

The correct particle is 'over', forming the phrasal verb 'gloss over'.
The phrasal verb 'gloss over' means to deliberately avoid talking about something bad or to deal with it very quickly in order to make it seem less important. In this sentence, attempting to hide or downplay glaring financial discrepancies fits the context perfectly.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the contextual meaning of the sentence.
The context involves an attempt to minimize, hide, or ignore serious financial irregularities to protect credibility.
Understanding the surrounding context is necessary to select the correct particle for the verb 'gloss'.
2
Identify the particle that pairs with 'gloss' to mean 'to treat or represent something bad as less serious than it really is'.
Combining 'gloss' with the particle 'over' forms 'gloss over', which precisely carries this idiomatic meaning.
Particles such as 'through', 'upon', or 'at' do not create valid or standard phrasal verbs with 'gloss' in this context.

Key Concept

Particle selection for multi-word phrasal verbs
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Phrasal Verbs and Prepositional Verbs

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