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Question

Difficulty: EasyVocabulary and Word Meaning in Context

Read the passage excerpt below carefully:

"Although the minister was eager to implement the new economic policy immediately, his advisers urged him to temper his enthusiasm with caution, given the unpredictable market conditions."

In the passage above, what does the word temper mean?

  1. moderateAnswer
  2. B
    harden
  3. C
    destroy
  4. D
    publicize

Answer

In this context, the word 'temper' means to moderate or soften.
In the passage, the advisers recommend balancing or softening the minister's eagerness with caution. The word 'moderate' accurately captures this intended meaning of exercising restraint.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence context around the highlighted word
The minister is eager, but advisers suggest combining enthusiasm with caution due to market uncertainty.
Context clues indicate a balancing or softening action between eagerness and caution.
2
Substitute proposed definitions into the sentence
'Moderate' fits seamlessly: 'urged him to moderate his enthusiasm with caution'.
A valid contextual synonym must preserve the intended logical meaning of the passage.

Key Concept

Contextual Word Meaning
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Vocabulary and Word Meaning in Context

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