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Difficulty: HardContextual Word Meaning and Vocabulary in Passages

Read the poetic extract below carefully:

'Upon the desolate ramparts of the besieged fort,
The captain stood immured in his own silent grief;
No clarion call could rouse his frozen spirit,
Nor could the herald's blare afford relief.
He viewed the shattered gates with a phlegmatic eye,
Unmoved by panic, deaf to every desperate cry.'

Which of the following best captures the contextual meaning of the word phlegmatic as used in the passage?

  1. Calm and impassiveAnswer
  2. B
    Deeply sorrowful and tearful
  3. C
    Intensely hostile and aggressive
  4. D
    Trembling with terror

Answer

The correct answer is 'Calm and impassive', as the captain views the chaos around him without showing emotion or panic.
The correct answer is 'Calm and impassive'. The stanza establishes that despite the panic around the besieged fort, the captain remains detached and composed. Line 6 directly qualifies his 'phlegmatic eye' by describing him as 'Unmoved by panic', confirming that the word denotes a stoic, unemotional, and steady demeanor.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Locate the target vocabulary word within the passage extract
The word 'phlegmatic' appears in line 5 describing how the captain views the shattered gates.
Contextual meaning must be derived from the surrounding textual evidence.
2
Analyze surrounding clues and modifiers in adjacent lines
Line 6 directly elaborates on his gaze: 'Unmoved by panic, deaf to every desperate cry.'
Modifiers like 'unmoved' clarify that his stance is devoid of agitation or panic.
3
Synthesize clues to select the precise contextual definition
'Phlegmatic' refers to an unemotional, stoic, and calm disposition under extreme stress.
This aligns perfectly with the choice 'Calm and impassive'.

Key Concept

Deriving Contextual Meaning in Unseen Poetry
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Contextual Word Meaning and Vocabulary in Passages

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