Question 111·Hard·Words in Context
The international initiative to map the entire fungal genome proved a(n) ______ undertaking: researchers had to sequence thousands of species, standardize disparate data sets, and design algorithms capable of filtering contaminant DNA from authentic samples.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
For SAT Words-in-Context questions, first read the whole sentence and highlight the key clues—especially any lists, contrasts, or explanations after a colon, comma, or dash. Decide what general idea (such as difficulty level, importance, tone, or size) the blank must express, then quickly sort the answer choices by their core meanings. Eliminate any words that contradict the context’s tone or focus (for example, words about money when the sentence is about effort), and only then compare the remaining options for the most precise fit—never rely on whether a word just “sounds smart” or familiar.
Hints
Look closely at the description after the colon
Reread the part after the colon: researchers had to sequence thousands of species, standardize data sets, and design complex algorithms. Ask yourself whether these sound like simple tasks or very demanding ones.
Think about the overall tone
Is the sentence emphasizing that this initiative was minor and routine, or that it was large and challenging? Use that feeling to guide what kind of adjective should fill the blank.
Check each option’s core idea
For each choice, ask: does this word describe how carefully something is done, how profitable it is, how important it is, or how challenging it is? Only one of those types of meanings fits the way the sentence presents the project.
Step-by-step Explanation
Use the sentence as a clue
Focus on what the sentence says about the initiative:
- They want to map the entire fungal genome.
- They must sequence thousands of species.
- They must standardize disparate data sets.
- They must design algorithms to filter contaminant DNA.
All of these details show that the project is very large and complex, not small or simple.
Identify the part of speech and general meaning needed
The blank describes the word “undertaking.” So we need an adjective that tells us what kind of undertaking this is.
From the description, ask yourself: Is this undertaking portrayed as easy and routine, or as large and very challenging? Clearly, the list of difficult tasks suggests something big and demanding.
Test each option’s basic meaning against the context
Go through the options and see if they match a large, demanding project:
- perfunctory: means something done quickly, with little care or interest, as a mere formality.
- lucrative: means producing a lot of money or profit.
- inconsequential: means unimportant or having little or no effect.
None of these ideas match the tone of a massive, complex scientific initiative; they either focus on carelessness, money, or lack of importance, which clashes with the description.
Choose the adjective that matches a huge, demanding task
The remaining choice, “herculean,” is an adjective that describes something that requires enormous strength, effort, or difficulty—exactly the kind of undertaking suggested by mapping entire genomes, sequencing thousands of species, and building new algorithms. So the correct answer is B) herculean.