16Hit1600
Craft and StructureHardWord for making something worse

Craft and Structure practice question

Draining the marsh was meant to reduce flooding downstream, but by removing the land's capacity to hold water it only ____ the problem, and the floods of the following decade were the worst on record.

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

  1. A. exacerbatedCorrect
  2. B. alleviated
  3. C. postponed
  4. D. clarified

Answer: A. exacerbated

Meant to reduce flooding; the worst floods followed. It made the problem worse.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. alleviated
Alleviating would mean the floods lessened.
C. postponed
The floods came within a decade and were worse, not delayed.
D. clarified
Nothing about the problem became clearer.

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