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Question

Difficulty: MediumCollocations and Fixed Phrases

Read the sentence below carefully. Which word correctly completes the standard fixed phrase?

Answer:To ensure the university's research remained relevant, the department chair urged all senior faculty members to keep 【abreast】 of recent advancements in artificial intelligence.

Answer

The word 'abreast' correctly completes the fixed phrase 'keep abreast of', which means to stay informed about the latest developments or news.
The expression 'keep abreast of' is an established fixed collocation in standard English that means to remain up to date with new developments, knowledge, or information.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence context and structural frame.
The gap occurs in the structural frame 'keep _____ of', positioned before 'recent advancements'. Context indicates remaining updated with modern progress.
English prepositional and fixed phrases rely on strict lexical collocations.
2
Identify the standard English collocation that fits the meaning of staying updated.
'Abreast' uniquely combines with 'keep' and 'of' to form 'keep abreast of'.
Other near-synonyms like 'informed' or 'aware' require different syntactic patterns (e.g., 'stay aware of' or 'keep someone informed about').

Key Concept

Collocations and Fixed Phrases
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Collocations and Fixed Phrases

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