16Hit1600
Craft and StructureVery hardWord meaning from context

Craft and Structure practice question

The philosopher's argument is ____ rather than sweeping: it makes a single narrow claim and defends that claim with unusual precision.

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

  1. A. modestCorrect
  2. B. grandiose
  3. C. ambiguous
  4. D. derivative

Answer: A. modest

'Rather than sweeping' sets the blank against breadth, and the colon confirms it: one narrow claim. An argument limited in scope is 'modest'.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. grandiose
'Grandiose' means ambitious and showy — close to 'sweeping', which the sentence contrasts with the blank.
C. ambiguous
'Ambiguous' means unclear. 'Unusual precision' rules that out.
D. derivative
'Derivative' means copied from others. Nothing in the sentence concerns originality.

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