Read the passage excerpt below carefully:
"During the investigative panel's hearing on the failed infrastructural project, the lead contractor claimed his firm had only committed 'minor administrative oversights'. However, the prosecution revealed that the budget had simply 'vanished into thin air', leaving behind 'a mountain of unpaid debts' and a local community 'left out in the cold'."
Match each figurative expression from the passage (Left Column) with its precise contextual meaning (Right Column).
- "minor administrative oversights"Euphemistic minimization of severe negligence and financial misconduct
- "vanished into thin air"Metaphorical depiction of complete, untraceable disappearance of funds
- "a mountain of unpaid debts"Hyperbolic expression emphasizing a staggering financial obligation
- "left out in the cold"Idiomatic representation of abandonment and exclusion from benefits
Answer
"minor administrative oversights" matches Euphemistic minimization of severe negligence and financial misconduct; "vanished into thin air" matches Metaphorical depiction of complete, untraceable disappearance of funds; "a mountain of unpaid debts" matches Hyperbolic expression emphasizing a staggering financial obligation; "left out in the cold" matches Idiomatic representation of abandonment and exclusion from benefits.
Each expression is paired based on its rhetorical function in the passage context: downplaying corruption represents euphemism ('minor administrative oversights'), complete untraceable loss is described metaphorically ('vanished into thin air'), overwhelming financial accumulation uses hyperbole ('a mountain of unpaid debts'), and socio-economic neglect is conveyed through idiomatic imagery ('left out in the cold').
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Contextual interpretation of figures of speech, idioms, and figurative expressions in comprehension texts.