Re: Although their (i) beauty suggests extreme fragility, butterflies hav
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03 Nov 2024, 00:30
The answers are A, F, and I.
The sentence highlights how, despite appearing delicate, butterflies have developed practical defenses. The blanks need to be filled with words that accurately reflect their appearance, defense mechanisms, and the strategies used to confuse predators.
Blank (i):
A. tremulous: Tremulous means shaking or quivering slightly, which suggests a sense of fragility and delicacy. This fits well with the sentence's description of the butterflies' beauty as seeming fragile.
B. inordinate: Inordinate means excessive, which does not convey the idea of fragility.
C. mincing: Mincing means affectedly dainty or refined, which is unrelated to the appearance of butterflies.
Blank (ii):
D. insidious: Insidious means subtly harmful or deceitful, which does not match the context of taste.
E. elusive: Elusive means difficult to catch or find, which does not align with the context of taste.
F. fulsome: Fulsome means abundant or generous; it also means overwhelming or over-the-top. Therefore, it can imply a strong or overwhelming flavor. This choice fits in the context of butterflies advertising a taste that would discourage predators.
Blank (iii):
G. maim: Maim means to wound or injure, which does not align with the idea of confusing or deceiving an enemy.
H. placate: Placate means to soothe or pacify, which does not fit the strategy described.
I. confound: Confound means to confuse or perplex, which fits perfectly with the idea of butterflies misleading their enemies with eye-shaped spots.