Question 104·Medium·Words in Context
Having been proven wrong in his earlier forecasts, the economist was ______ in his latest report, couching every projection in qualifications and caveats.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
For SAT Words in Context questions, always start by ignoring the answer choices and using the sentence itself to predict the rough meaning needed in the blank (for example, more cautious vs. more confident). Pay special attention to contrast or cause-and-effect signals (like “having been proven wrong…” and the clause after the comma here). Then, eliminate any options whose meanings clash with that predicted tone or logic, and finally choose the one remaining word that best matches how the sentence describes the person’s attitude or behavior.
Hints
Focus on what changed for the economist
Look at the phrase "Having been proven wrong in his earlier forecasts". After being wrong before, would the economist sound more bold and confident now, or more guarded?
Use the clue after the comma
Pay close attention to "couching every projection in qualifications and caveats." If someone adds lots of conditions and warnings to every prediction, what does that say about how boldly they are speaking?
Check each option against the tone of the whole sentence
Ask yourself for each choice: Does this word fit someone who is now adding many protections and warnings to avoid being wrong again, or does it suggest the opposite attitude?
Step-by-step Explanation
Use the first clause to predict the meaning
Look at the setup: "Having been proven wrong in his earlier forecasts" tells us the economist made mistakes before. Someone who has been publicly wrong in the past is usually less bold and more careful afterward, especially in the same kind of work (forecasts). So we expect a word describing a more guarded or careful attitude in his latest report.
Use the second clause for more clues
The sentence continues: "couching every projection in qualifications and caveats." To "couch" something in "qualifications and caveats" means he is surrounding each prediction with lots of conditions, warnings, and "maybes" instead of stating them boldly. This confirms that his tone is not confident or careless, but very guarded and careful about being wrong again.
Eliminate choices that don’t match the tone
Now test each option against that careful, hedging tone:
- dogmatic: means stubbornly certain and unwilling to consider other views. That would be overly confident, the opposite of someone adding many caveats.
- jubilant: means extremely happy or triumphant. Nothing in the sentence suggests he is celebrating; instead, he is worried about being wrong again.
- perfunctory: means done with little effort, interest, or thought, just to get it over with. But adding many qualifications and caveats shows extra thought and effort, not a quick, careless job. These three do not fit how the economist is writing now.
Match the remaining choice to the context
The remaining option, circumspect, means cautious and careful, especially about risks and possible problems. This exactly matches an economist who, after being wrong before, is now hedging every forecast with qualifications and caveats. So the correct answer is circumspect.