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Difficulty: MediumFigurative Language and Figures of Speech in Context

Read the passage excerpt below and fill in the blanks with the appropriate figures of speech used in the text.

Answer:During the official briefing on the industrial chemical spill, the spokesperson described the catastrophic breach as an 'unfortunate operational oversight'. This mild substitution to downplay a harsh reality is an example of a 【euphemism】. Later, the speaker remarked that the contaminated river was 'suffering in silence', which assigns human emotional capability to an inanimate body of water, illustrating 【personification】.

Answer

The first blank is 'euphemism' (or euphemistic expression) and the second blank is 'personification'.
A euphemism is used when the speaker softens a severe occurrence ('catastrophic chemical spill') by substituting mild words ('unfortunate operational oversight'). Personification occurs when human feelings ('suffering in silence') are attributed to an inanimate physical entity like a river.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Examine the phrase 'unfortunate operational oversight' in relation to a catastrophic chemical spill.
Identify that harsh or disturbing news is deliberately softened using polite or indirect language.
Substituting an agreeable or mild expression for one that may offend or suggest unpleasant reality is the defining function of a euphemism.
2
Examine the phrase 'suffering in silence' applied to a contaminated river.
Identify that human feelings ('suffering') and human behavioral traits ('in silence') are attributed to a natural element.
Endowing non-human entities, objects, or elements of nature with human attributes or feelings is personification.

Key Concept

Identifying euphemism and personification within context and understanding their functions in literary discourse.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Figurative Language and Figures of Speech in Context

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