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There was a time when scholars did not (i) $\qquad$ the origin and nat
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04 Mar 2025, 00:57
04 Mar 2025, 00:57
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Question Stats:
50% (01:15) correct
50% (01:05) wrong based on 4 sessions
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There was a time when scholars did not (i) $\(\qquad\)$ the origin and nature of comets. In fact, no less a respected thinker than Aristotle (ii) $\(\qquad\)$ that comets were meteors trapped between the earth and moon and generated by the earth's rising temperatures. René Descartes's theories were even more (iii) $\(\qquad\)$ ; the French scientist and philosopher thought comets were messengers from other galaxies.
| Blank (i) | Blank (ii) | Blank (iii) |
|---|---|---|
| A. contemplate | D. rhapsodized | G. ostentatious |
| B. fathom | E. speculated | H. outlandish |
| C. descry | F. interrogated | I. innovative |
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There was a time when scholars did not (i) $\qquad$ the origin and nat
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04 Mar 2025, 02:34
04 Mar 2025, 02:34
1
the answers are B, E, H
contemplate means to think about, and if scholars didn't think about it how else would they even draw a conclusion
fathom means similar to understand, this fits the blank
if scholars weren't able to understand the concept of comets they could only draw or make assumption with the limited information
meaning they can only speculate
and if scholars can only speculate, most theories which are made up should be false and outlandish sounds like a correct fit to the third blank
innovative is related to something new, not a correct and ostentatious means to attract attention also not a correct fit
lemme know if this solution is helpful with kudos
contemplate means to think about, and if scholars didn't think about it how else would they even draw a conclusion
fathom means similar to understand, this fits the blank
if scholars weren't able to understand the concept of comets they could only draw or make assumption with the limited information
meaning they can only speculate
and if scholars can only speculate, most theories which are made up should be false and outlandish sounds like a correct fit to the third blank
innovative is related to something new, not a correct and ostentatious means to attract attention also not a correct fit
lemme know if this solution is helpful with kudos
Re: There was a time when scholars did not (i) $\qquad$ the origin and nat
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18 Mar 2025, 13:49
18 Mar 2025, 13:49
Expert Reply
OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
The correct answers are B, E, and H. Answer Blank (I):
"Fathom," choice B, means "comprehend," and the scholars discussed in this paragraph clearly did not comprehend the origin and nature of comets. Choice A, "contemplate," means "consider," and although these scholars were wrong about comets, they clearly spent time thinking about and considering comets. Choice C, "descry," means "reveal," which does not make much sense in this context.
Answer Blank (ii): The second sentence of the paragraph describes Aristotle's theory about comets, and "speculated" means "theorized." Choice D, "rhapsodized," means "to talk about with tremendous passion," which is not really what Aristotle is doing in this paragraph. Choice F, "interrogated," means "questioned intensely," which is not what he is doing either.
Answer Blank (iii): The final sentence makes a comparison between Aristotle's theory, which is wrong but not particularly strange, and the considerably stranger theory of Descartes. The correct answer should mean "very strange," and that is the definition of "outlandish." Choice G, "ostentatious," means "grandiose," which does not fit this context. Choice I, "innovative," means original." While Descartes's theory may be original, it is very far-fetched, and the positive connotations of "innovative" make the word inappropriate for this particular context.
The correct answers are B, E, and H. Answer Blank (I):
"Fathom," choice B, means "comprehend," and the scholars discussed in this paragraph clearly did not comprehend the origin and nature of comets. Choice A, "contemplate," means "consider," and although these scholars were wrong about comets, they clearly spent time thinking about and considering comets. Choice C, "descry," means "reveal," which does not make much sense in this context.
Answer Blank (ii): The second sentence of the paragraph describes Aristotle's theory about comets, and "speculated" means "theorized." Choice D, "rhapsodized," means "to talk about with tremendous passion," which is not really what Aristotle is doing in this paragraph. Choice F, "interrogated," means "questioned intensely," which is not what he is doing either.
Answer Blank (iii): The final sentence makes a comparison between Aristotle's theory, which is wrong but not particularly strange, and the considerably stranger theory of Descartes. The correct answer should mean "very strange," and that is the definition of "outlandish." Choice G, "ostentatious," means "grandiose," which does not fit this context. Choice I, "innovative," means original." While Descartes's theory may be original, it is very far-fetched, and the positive connotations of "innovative" make the word inappropriate for this particular context.
