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Question

Difficulty: Very hardWords in Context: High-Utility Vocabulary

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

Answer:In historical sociology, the term 'path dependency' explains how early decisions and events constrain future choices, even when those original circumstances are no longer relevant. As institutional structures become self-reinforcing, they 【preclude】 alternative developmental pathways, locking a society into a specific historical trajectory.

Answer

preclude (or synonyms like foreclose, prevent, or block)
The passage describes path dependency as a process where early decisions constrain future options, and self-reinforcing institutional structures lock in a specific historical trajectory. Therefore, the blank must be filled by a word meaning to prevent, rule out, or make impossible. The words 'preclude' or 'foreclose' precisely convey this action of ruling out alternative pathways.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context of the passage to determine the relationship between institutional structures and alternative developmental pathways.
The passage explains that path dependency constrains future choices and locks a society into a specific historical trajectory as institutional structures become self-reinforcing.
This indicates that alternative developmental pathways are shut down or made impossible by the self-reinforcing nature of institutions.
2
Identify the grammatical role and agreement required for the blank.
The blank requires a plural verb that takes 'alternative developmental pathways' as its direct object and agrees with the plural subject pronoun 'they' (referring to 'institutional structures').
To ensure grammatical precision and syntactic alignment.
3
Select a high-utility academic word that means to prevent or rule out these alternative pathways.
The verb 'preclude' or 'foreclose' fits the meaning of making alternative pathways impossible or ruling them out in advance.
These words match the logical progression of the passage, where options are progressively restricted over time.

Key Concept

Identifying a word that is semantically and grammatically precise in a given academic context.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Words in Context: High-Utility Vocabulary

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