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Question

Difficulty: MediumWords in Context: High-Utility Vocabulary

For decades, historians assumed that the ancient city of Great Zimbabwe was built solely as a defensive fortress. However, recent archaeological excavations of residential areas and trade goods suggest that the site’s primary function was economic and social, thereby ________ the traditional view that its design was motivated exclusively by military concerns.

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

  1. underminingAnswer
  2. B
    corroborating
  3. C
    exposing
  4. D
    magnifying

Answer

undermining
The correct option is 'undermining' because it means to weaken or subvert. The passage sets up a contrast between the traditional belief that Great Zimbabwe was solely a defensive fortress and recent archaeological evidence suggesting it was primarily an economic and social hub. Therefore, the new evidence weakens or undermines the traditional view.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context and contrast clues in the passage.
The passage starts with a traditional view ('historians assumed... built solely as a defensive fortress') and introduces contrasting evidence using the transition 'However' ('recent archaeological excavations... suggest... economic and social').
Understanding the relationship between the two parts of the sentence is crucial to determining the tone and direction of the missing word.
2
Determine the required meaning of the blank.
Since the new findings ('economic and social') contradict the old view ('defensive fortress'), the blank must mean weakening, challenging, or subverting.
This allows us to select a word that logically connects the new findings with their effect on the old theory.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the word that means weakening or subverting.
'undermining' fits this meaning perfectly, while 'corroborating' is the opposite, and 'exposing' and 'magnifying' are contextually inappropriate.
Matching the pre-defined meaning to the choices ensures the selection of the most logical and precise word.

Key Concept

Identifying words in context by recognizing structural transitions and semantic relationships within a text.
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Topics

Words in Context: High-Utility Vocabulary

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