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The tranquility experienced by those who live in a country that enjoys
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18 Oct 2021, 10:11
18 Oct 2021, 10:11
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Question Stats:
72% (00:49) correct
27% (01:08) wrong based on 77 sessions
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The tranquility experienced by those who live in a country that enjoys__________over its neighbors often hides the conflicts created by this state of dominance.
| Two Answers |
|---|
| A. ascendancy |
| B. intractability |
| C. hegemony | D. obstinacy | E. derision |
| F. equilibrium |
Re: The tranquility experienced by those who live in a country that enjoys
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17 Nov 2021, 10:44
17 Nov 2021, 10:44
Expert Reply
OE
The country has “tranquility” and a “state of dominance”; therefore, it could be enjoying hegemony (dominance) or ascendancy (decisive advantage) over its neighbors
Re: The tranquility experienced by those who live in a country that enjoys
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03 Dec 2025, 06:42
03 Dec 2025, 06:42
### 1. Purpose of the question
This Sentence Equivalence problem tests **vocabulary precision for abstract nouns** and your ability to connect the blank with a **paraphrase later in the sentence** (“this state of dominance”), using structure rather than surface meaning.
---
### 2. Step-by-step solution
**a. Read the sentence without the options.**
Paraphrase: People living in a country that enjoys ______ over its neighbors feel tranquil, and that tranquillity often hides the conflicts caused by **this state of dominance**.
The key is the phrase at the end: **“this state of dominance.”** That is effectively a definition of the blank.
So we can think of it as an equation:
> blank ≈ “state of dominance over its neighbors”
**b. Predict a simple word.**
A country that enjoys *what* over its neighbors?
Prediction: **“power,” “supremacy,” or “dominance.”**
The blank follows “enjoys,” and is modified by “over its neighbors,” so it must be a **noun** that can take that prepositional phrase.
**c. Go through the options one by one.**
A. **ascendancy** – a position of power or controlling influence.
* “Ascendancy over its neighbors” = dominance over them.
* Matches our prediction. **Keep.**
B. **intractability** – stubbornness; difficulty to control or solve.
* You don’t “enjoy intractability over neighbors”; wrong collocation and meaning.
* **Reject.**
C. **hegemony** – leadership or dominance, especially by one state over others.
* Textbook fit with “over its neighbors” and “state of dominance.”
* **Keep.**
D. **obstinacy** – stubbornness.
* Again, this describes attitude, not a dominant position “over neighbors.”
* **Reject.**
E. **derision** – mockery, ridicule.
* A country can hold others in derision, but that is not the same as “state of dominance.”
* **Reject.**
F. **equilibrium** – balance, state of equal forces.
* The sentence explicitly talks about **dominance**, not balance.
* **Reject.**
The only pair that both fits the context and are close in meaning is:
> **A. ascendancy** and **C. hegemony**
> Both mean **political or strategic dominance**.
---
### 3. General Strategy Takeaway
* Look for **built-in definitions**: phrases like “this state of X,” “that quality,” or restatements after commas often tell you exactly what the blank means.
* Treat such restatements as an equation: **blank ≈ paraphrase later in the sentence.**
* Check that the blank’s word **fits grammatically** (here, a noun that can take “over its neighbors”).
This Sentence Equivalence problem tests **vocabulary precision for abstract nouns** and your ability to connect the blank with a **paraphrase later in the sentence** (“this state of dominance”), using structure rather than surface meaning.
---
### 2. Step-by-step solution
**a. Read the sentence without the options.**
Paraphrase: People living in a country that enjoys ______ over its neighbors feel tranquil, and that tranquillity often hides the conflicts caused by **this state of dominance**.
The key is the phrase at the end: **“this state of dominance.”** That is effectively a definition of the blank.
So we can think of it as an equation:
> blank ≈ “state of dominance over its neighbors”
**b. Predict a simple word.**
A country that enjoys *what* over its neighbors?
Prediction: **“power,” “supremacy,” or “dominance.”**
The blank follows “enjoys,” and is modified by “over its neighbors,” so it must be a **noun** that can take that prepositional phrase.
**c. Go through the options one by one.**
A. **ascendancy** – a position of power or controlling influence.
* “Ascendancy over its neighbors” = dominance over them.
* Matches our prediction. **Keep.**
B. **intractability** – stubbornness; difficulty to control or solve.
* You don’t “enjoy intractability over neighbors”; wrong collocation and meaning.
* **Reject.**
C. **hegemony** – leadership or dominance, especially by one state over others.
* Textbook fit with “over its neighbors” and “state of dominance.”
* **Keep.**
D. **obstinacy** – stubbornness.
* Again, this describes attitude, not a dominant position “over neighbors.”
* **Reject.**
E. **derision** – mockery, ridicule.
* A country can hold others in derision, but that is not the same as “state of dominance.”
* **Reject.**
F. **equilibrium** – balance, state of equal forces.
* The sentence explicitly talks about **dominance**, not balance.
* **Reject.**
The only pair that both fits the context and are close in meaning is:
> **A. ascendancy** and **C. hegemony**
> Both mean **political or strategic dominance**.
---
### 3. General Strategy Takeaway
* Look for **built-in definitions**: phrases like “this state of X,” “that quality,” or restatements after commas often tell you exactly what the blank means.
* Treat such restatements as an equation: **blank ≈ paraphrase later in the sentence.**
* Check that the blank’s word **fits grammatically** (here, a noun that can take “over its neighbors”).
