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Zorluk: OrtaContextual Word Meaning and Vocabulary in Passages

Read the following prose extract carefully:

"When the new director assumed office, she found an institution bogged down by bureaucratic inertia. The staff, accustomed to decades of stagnant routines, reacted with subtle hostility to her proposed reforms, clinging tenaciously to outdated protocols."

Based on the context of the passage, what is the meaning of the word "inertia"?

  1. A
    The physical tendency of matter to remain at rest or in uniform motion
  2. Organizational resistance to progress and reluctance to adopt changesCevap
  3. C
    Rapid acceleration of administrative duties and structural reform
  4. D
    Systemic financial corruption within institutional management

Cevap

Organizational resistance to progress and reluctance to adopt changes
In the context of the excerpt, 'bureaucratic inertia' describes an institution hampered by stagnant routines and staff who actively resist new reforms. Therefore, 'inertia' figuratively signifies organizational resistance to progress and reluctance to adopt changes.

Adım Adım Çözüm

1
Examine the surrounding passage context for clues about the target word.
The term 'inertia' is directly linked to phrases like 'bogged down', 'stagnant routines', and 'clinging tenaciously to outdated protocols'.
Contextual meaning in unseen passages relies on the surrounding narrative descriptions.
2
Distinguish between literal dictionary definitions and figurative usage.
While physics defines inertia as resistance to physical movement, literary prose uses it metaphorically for human or institutional sluggishness.
Authors frequently extend technical terminology metaphorically to characterize social behavior.
3
Identify the option that captures this figurative meaning.
The definition identifying resistance to progress and reluctance to change accurately reflects the context of the text.
This meaning aligns precisely with the staff's hostile reaction to proposed reforms.

Anahtar Kavram

Contextual word meaning in unseen prose
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