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The columnist was so vehement in his opposition to the divisive issue
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21 Aug 2025, 00:42
21 Aug 2025, 00:42
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Question Stats:
72% (00:28) correct
27% (00:19) wrong based on 11 sessions
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The columnist was so vehement in his opposition to the divisive issue of fracking that even when he moderated his comments his piece was too (i) ________ for publication.
| Blank (i) |
|---|
| A. astute |
| B. volatile |
| C. incendiary | D. censored | E. inscrutable |
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Re: The columnist was so vehement in his opposition to the divisive issue
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21 Aug 2025, 00:58
21 Aug 2025, 00:58
1
Even when he toned it down, his writing was still too extreme / inflammatory to be published.
That’s exactly what incendiary (C) means.
so it's C.
That’s exactly what incendiary (C) means.
so it's C.
Re: The columnist was so vehement in his opposition to the divisive issue
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05 Sep 2025, 23:34
05 Sep 2025, 23:34
Expert Reply
The correct answer is C. incendiary.
The key to solving this sentence is the contrasting phrase "even when he moderated his comments." This implies that despite his attempts to tone down his writing, it was still too extreme to be published.
- C. incendiary: This word means tending to stir up conflict, or highly controversial and inflammatory. It fits perfectly with the idea that the columnist's writing was too hostile and provocative for publication, even after being moderated.
Let's look at the other options and why they don't fit:
- A. astute: This means having or showing an ability to accurately assess situations or people. This is a positive trait and doesn't fit the context of the piece being unfit for publication.
- B. volatile: This means liable to change rapidly and unpredictably, especially for the worse. While a person's emotions might be volatile, the word doesn't describe a published piece of writing in this context.
- D. censored: This is something that happens to the writing, not a quality of the writing itself. The sentence implies a quality that made it unfit for publication, not that it had already been censored.
- E. inscrutable: This means impossible to understand or interpret. The issue isn't that the writing was unclear; it's that it was too inflammatory.
The key to solving this sentence is the contrasting phrase "even when he moderated his comments." This implies that despite his attempts to tone down his writing, it was still too extreme to be published.
- C. incendiary: This word means tending to stir up conflict, or highly controversial and inflammatory. It fits perfectly with the idea that the columnist's writing was too hostile and provocative for publication, even after being moderated.
Let's look at the other options and why they don't fit:
- A. astute: This means having or showing an ability to accurately assess situations or people. This is a positive trait and doesn't fit the context of the piece being unfit for publication.
- B. volatile: This means liable to change rapidly and unpredictably, especially for the worse. While a person's emotions might be volatile, the word doesn't describe a published piece of writing in this context.
- D. censored: This is something that happens to the writing, not a quality of the writing itself. The sentence implies a quality that made it unfit for publication, not that it had already been censored.
- E. inscrutable: This means impossible to understand or interpret. The issue isn't that the writing was unclear; it's that it was too inflammatory.
