Read the sentence, looking for clues
The word "startling" is a detour roadsign indicating a contrast between what one
would expect a young child to say and the "insights" actually uttered. Thus,
although the child is speaking "ingenuously" ("without self-consciousness,"
"innocently," or "naturally") and "unwitting[ly]" ("without awareness"), she is
unknowingly saying things that make a lot of sense. The blank describes these
statements.
Predict an answer
The right answer will be something like "insightful."
Select the choice that most closely matches your
prediction
(D) incisive can refer to a "sharp" or "clear" remark, and when applied
to what someone says, often describes an astute analysis. This word fits the
sentence. (A) hapless means "luckless."
This is negative, so eliminate it. (B) farcical means "laughably inept"; such remarks would not be
described as "insightful." Although (C) whimsical, or "prone to fanciful changes," is often associated with
children, no clues in the sentence support this choice. If the child made (E)
irascible, or "angry," comments, she
might have startled the adults, but the sentence says nothing about the child's mood
or the tone of her statements.
Check your answer
Ingenuously, the young child made incisive statements, startling the adults with her unwitting
insights.
TAKEAWAY: If there's an unfamiliar word in the sentence, see if there are enough
other clues to help predict the meaning of the blank.
