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Difficulty: MediumWords in Context: High-Utility Vocabulary

Although early twentieth-century educators often warned that learning two languages simultaneously would confuse young children and stunt their cognitive growth, modern research has thoroughly _______ this notion, demonstrating instead that bilingualism enhances executive function and mental flexibility.

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

  1. A
    corroborated
  2. refutedAnswer
  3. C
    overlooked
  4. D
    promoted

Answer

refuted
The correct answer is the word meaning to disprove or show to be false. The sentence uses 'Although' and 'demonstrating instead' to contrast past negative assumptions about bilingualism with modern findings of cognitive benefits, indicating that modern research has successfully disproven or 'refuted' the historical warning.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the contrastive relationship in the sentence.
The word 'Although' at the beginning of the sentence and 'demonstrating instead' later in the sentence signal a shift from past beliefs to contrary modern findings.
Understanding the logical direction of the sentence helps determine whether the missing word should be positive, negative, or neutral relative to the historical belief.
2
Evaluate the options based on the identified contrast.
The historical belief was that bilingualism is harmful, whereas modern research shows it is beneficial. The correct word must mean that modern research has disproven the historical belief. 'Refuted' matches this meaning.
Choosing 'refuted' precisely establishes the transition from the outdated warnings to the modern, supportive evidence.

Key Concept

Identifying contextual clues and logical transitions to select precise vocabulary.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Words in Context: High-Utility Vocabulary

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