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Difficulty: Very hardVocabulary and Word Meaning in Context

Read the excerpt below carefully. What word best fills the blank to contextually mean managing or conserving resources with careful prudence?

Answer:Faced with an unprecedented contraction in export revenue, the cabinet advised the minister that the country must 【husband】 its dwindling foreign reserves to prevent an outright currency collapse.

Answer

The correct word to fill the blank is 'husband' (or contextually synonymous terms such as 'conserve', 'steward', or 'economize').
In formal English discourse, to 'husband' resources means to manage them with frugal care and careful economy. Within the passage, the surrounding contextual cues—dwindling reserves and preventing financial collapse—demand a verb that signifies careful preservation and stewardship.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context of the sentence
The sentence discusses economic hardship ('unprecedented contraction in export revenue') and a desperate policy measure needed to 'prevent an outright currency collapse'.
Understanding the surrounding financial crisis sets the precise semantic constraint for the required verb.
2
Determine the required contextual meaning
The missing word must describe the careful, frugal management and preservation of limited assets ('dwindling foreign reserves').
In formal and academic Use of English, particularly in JAMB UTME registers, words with specific secondary meanings are tested.
3
Identify the precise lexical fit
The verb 'husband' specifically denotes using or managing resources carefully and economically.
Substituting 'husband' satisfies both the syntactic structure (bare infinitive following 'must') and the exact contextual nuance required.

Key Concept

Contextual Word Meaning and Polysemy in Formal Registers
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Topics

Vocabulary and Word Meaning in Context

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