Plastics are extremely ______; they can be molded into objects in several different ways (for example, by casting or extrusion) and formed into a variety of shapes.
Which word best completes the sentence?
- A. malleable
- B. obscure
- C. ominous
- D. vigorous
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: A
In this context, "malleable" refers to something that can be easily shaped or influenced, making it the most fitting choice for a sentence discussing adaptability or flexibility. Option B, "obscure," implies something that is not well-known or hard to understand, which does not align with the intended meaning. Option C, "ominous," suggests a sense of foreboding or threat, which is unrelated to the idea of adaptability. Option D, "vigorous," conveys strength or energy but lacks the nuance of flexibility that "malleable" provides. Thus, "malleable" is the most appropriate word to complete the sentence.
In this context, "malleable" refers to something that can be easily shaped or influenced, making it the most fitting choice for a sentence discussing adaptability or flexibility. Option B, "obscure," implies something that is not well-known or hard to understand, which does not align with the intended meaning. Option C, "ominous," suggests a sense of foreboding or threat, which is unrelated to the idea of adaptability. Option D, "vigorous," conveys strength or energy but lacks the nuance of flexibility that "malleable" provides. Thus, "malleable" is the most appropriate word to complete the sentence.
Other Related Questions
The final paragraph suggests that seeing the woman has caused the narrator to:
- A. face the negative feelings she has about her new home
- B. realize that she misses her mother more than she admits
- C. think about her own feelings about her family and background
- D. remember the reason she moved away from her home country
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: C
The final paragraph emphasizes the narrator's introspection triggered by seeing the woman, leading her to reflect on her own feelings about family and background. This deep connection to identity is central to her experience. Option A misinterprets the focus; while negative feelings may exist, the emphasis is on personal reflection rather than facing negativity. Option B suggests a specific emotion related to her mother, which is not explicitly indicated in the text. Option D implies a recollection of her reasons for moving, but the paragraph centers more on her current emotional state rather than past motivations.
The final paragraph emphasizes the narrator's introspection triggered by seeing the woman, leading her to reflect on her own feelings about family and background. This deep connection to identity is central to her experience. Option A misinterprets the focus; while negative feelings may exist, the emphasis is on personal reflection rather than facing negativity. Option B suggests a specific emotion related to her mother, which is not explicitly indicated in the text. Option D implies a recollection of her reasons for moving, but the paragraph centers more on her current emotional state rather than past motivations.
In sentence 13, the narrator most likely uses the image of 'a tightly woven fruit basket' to suggest that the rain is:
- A. a physical challenge that must be endured
- B. falling so heavily that she can barely see through it
- C. a reminder of the weather in harvest season
- D. important because it allows crops to survive
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: A
The image of "a tightly woven fruit basket" conveys the idea of resilience and endurance, suggesting that the rain is a challenge that must be faced. This metaphor implies that just like a tightly woven basket holds its contents together despite external pressures, the narrator must endure the rain's intensity. Option B misinterprets the imagery; while heavy rain can obscure vision, the metaphor focuses more on endurance than visibility. Option C incorrectly links the rain to harvest season, which is not implied in the context. Option D, while true about rain's importance for crops, does not capture the struggle suggested by the basket imagery.
The image of "a tightly woven fruit basket" conveys the idea of resilience and endurance, suggesting that the rain is a challenge that must be faced. This metaphor implies that just like a tightly woven basket holds its contents together despite external pressures, the narrator must endure the rain's intensity. Option B misinterprets the imagery; while heavy rain can obscure vision, the metaphor focuses more on endurance than visibility. Option C incorrectly links the rain to harvest season, which is not implied in the context. Option D, while true about rain's importance for crops, does not capture the struggle suggested by the basket imagery.
Which choice best describes the overall structure of the passage?
- A. The passage examines the effect of decreased environmental awareness on some animals' predation risk and then describes the strategies those animals use to increase their environmental awareness while sleeping.
- B. The passage distinguishes between bihemispheric slow-wave sleep (BSWS) and unihemispheric slow-wave sleep (USWS) and then explains why USWS is less beneficial than BSWS for animals such as mallards and penguins.
- C. The passage discusses the advantages for some animals of sleeping at the center of a group and then questions whether those advantages extend to colonial birds.
- D. The passage provides an extended description of how mallards typically sleep and then compares sleeping behaviors in mallards to those in penguins.
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: C
Choice C accurately captures the passage's structure, which begins by exploring the benefits of group sleeping for certain animals and then raises a critical inquiry regarding the applicability of these benefits to colonial birds. This dual focus on advantages and questioning reflects a balanced examination of the topic. Option A misrepresents the content by suggesting a focus on predation risk and strategies for environmental awareness, which is not the main theme. Option B incorrectly centers on a comparison of sleep types, neglecting the broader discussion of group sleeping benefits. Option D inaccurately emphasizes a detailed comparison of mallards and penguins, rather than the initial exploration of group sleeping advantages.
Choice C accurately captures the passage's structure, which begins by exploring the benefits of group sleeping for certain animals and then raises a critical inquiry regarding the applicability of these benefits to colonial birds. This dual focus on advantages and questioning reflects a balanced examination of the topic. Option A misrepresents the content by suggesting a focus on predation risk and strategies for environmental awareness, which is not the main theme. Option B incorrectly centers on a comparison of sleep types, neglecting the broader discussion of group sleeping benefits. Option D inaccurately emphasizes a detailed comparison of mallards and penguins, rather than the initial exploration of group sleeping advantages.
In context, the metaphor in the third sentence ('it was only a subplot in a historical drama of time, place, and people that had been playing for thousands of years') chiefly serves to:
- A. call attention to the age of the United States as a nation
- B. question the literary value of the writings by Lewis and Clark
- C. trivialize the accomplishments of the Lewis and Clark expedition
- D. place the Lewis and Clark expedition into a broad context
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: D
The metaphor emphasizes the Lewis and Clark expedition as part of a much larger historical narrative, illustrating its significance within the vast timeline of human events. This context helps readers understand that while the expedition was important, it is just one chapter in a much larger story. Option A incorrectly focuses solely on the age of the United States, missing the broader historical context. Option B misinterprets the metaphor by suggesting it critiques the literary value of the writings, which is not the focus. Option C wrongly implies that the metaphor diminishes the expedition's significance, whereas it actually situates it within a grander narrative.
The metaphor emphasizes the Lewis and Clark expedition as part of a much larger historical narrative, illustrating its significance within the vast timeline of human events. This context helps readers understand that while the expedition was important, it is just one chapter in a much larger story. Option A incorrectly focuses solely on the age of the United States, missing the broader historical context. Option B misinterprets the metaphor by suggesting it critiques the literary value of the writings, which is not the focus. Option C wrongly implies that the metaphor diminishes the expedition's significance, whereas it actually situates it within a grander narrative.