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Difficulty: MediumFigurative Language and Figures of Speech in Context

Read the passage excerpt below:

"Following weeks of intense industrial disputes, the spokesperson announced that the negotiations had hit 'a modest speed bump', even as factories across three major industrial zones ground to a complete halt."

Which figure of speech is contained in the phrase 'a modest speed bump', and what does it reveal about the spokesperson's intent?

  1. Understatement, intended to minimize the perceived severity of the industrial deadlock.Answer
  2. B
    Hyperbole, intended to exaggerate the physical obstacles encountered during the talks.
  3. C
    Personification, intended to attribute human emotions and patience to the stalled negotiations.
  4. D
    Metaphor, intended to signal that all future negotiations have been permanently cancelled.

Answer

Understatement, intended to minimize the perceived severity of the industrial deadlock.
The correct option correctly identifies the figure of speech as understatement. In the passage, a widespread factory shutdown affecting three full industrial zones is described by the spokesperson as merely 'a modest speed bump'. Representing a major economic crisis as a trivial obstacle is a textbook use of understatement, intended to reduce public alarm and downplay the severity of the impasse.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the figurative expression in relation to the surrounding passage context.
The text states that factories in three major zones 'ground to a complete halt', which indicates a massive industrial disruption.
Contextual meaning depends on contrasting the speaker's words with the actual situation described.
2
Identify the literary device used in 'a modest speed bump'.
Referring to a major economic standstill as a 'modest speed bump' represents the situation as far less serious than it actually is, defining the device as understatement (litotes).
Understatement deliberately minimizes the importance or severity of an event.
3
Determine the spokesperson's communicative intent.
The spokesperson uses this understatement to manage public perception and lessen the apparent severity of the dispute.
Public relations statements during crises often employ understatement to downplay panic or criticism.

Key Concept

Identifying Understatement (Litotes) and Contextual Authorial Intent
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Topics

Figurative Language and Figures of Speech in Context

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