Read the sentence, looking for clues
This sentence's straight-ahead roadsign, the semicolon, indicates that the theme
in one clause is mirrored in the other. The pundits felt the mayor wanted to "avoid
confrontation" and gave up her "already minimal resolve."
Predict an answer
The words need to reflect that the mayor gave in too easily and was weak or
cowardly.
Select the two choices that most closely match your
prediction
(B)
craven and (C)
timid both indicate lack of courage or
boldness, and these are the correct answers.
(A) temperate and (D) moderate are synonyms meaning "mild" and are
too neutral to reflect the fact that the mayor "easily relinquished" her position
to
"avoid confrontation." The words needed here must indicate that the mayor is weak
or
cowardly. Choice (E) self-serving is
incorrect because nothing in the context of the sentence shows that the mayor is
doing this for her own benefit. (F) radical is incorrect because it conflicts with the keywords in the
second clause. The mayor's resolve was already minimal, and she "easily" gave up;
radical, or extreme, therefore doesn't fit.
Check your answers to see if the sentence retains the
same meaning
Pundits were quick to say that the mayor's stance on environmental reform was far
too craven/timid; she easily relinquished her already
minimal resolve to avoid confrontation.
TAKEAWAY: Don't immediately focus on words in the choices that are strong synonyms
of each other. Sometimes there are two words that are more obviously synonyms than
the correct answers but that don't fit as well into the sentence.
