Question 113·Medium·Words in Context
In her memoir, the author recounts how her grandmother's stories, though embellished over time, still served as a ______ thread connecting the family's present to its past. Propеrty оf Anікo.ai
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
For Words in Context questions, first read the entire sentence (or short passage) and identify what the blank is describing and whether the overall tone is positive, negative, strong, weak, etc. Then, instead of guessing from how the options sound, quickly recall or infer the meaning of each choice and test it in the sentence: Does it match both the literal situation and the tone? Eliminate words that are the wrong type of idea (for example, words about frequency where a description of strength is needed) or that clash with key clues, and choose the option that fits all parts of the sentence most naturally. Anikо - Freе SАТ Prep
Hints
Focus on the role of the stories
Look at the phrase "still served as a ______ thread connecting the family's present to its past." What job are the stories performing for the family?
Consider the sentence’s tone
Even though the stories are "embellished over time," the author presents them in a way that highlights their usefulness. Does the blank likely call this thread weak, irregular, just starting, or something else?
Think about each answer’s basic meaning
Ask yourself: Which choices are mainly about how often something happens, how strong something is, or whether something is just beginning? Then decide which type of idea fits best with a "thread connecting" two time periods.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the blank is describing
The blank describes what kind of "thread" the grandmother's stories form: "a ______ thread connecting the family's present to its past." So we need a word that characterizes this connecting thread between past and present.
Use the context and tone of the sentence
The sentence says the stories are "embellished over time" but still served as a thread connecting past and present. That phrase shows the stories continue to be effective and important in linking the family’s history to its current life. The word in the blank should therefore have a positive or strong sense, emphasizing that the connection truly works. Prοpertу оf Anіkο.аi
Test each answer choice against the sentence
Consider what each word means and how it would sound in the sentence:
- sporadic: happening at irregular intervals; occasional.
- tenuous: very weak, slight, or fragile; hardly holding together.
- unifying: bringing different parts together into a whole.
- incipient: just beginning to develop; in an early stage.
Now plug them into the sentence and ask if they describe the kind of ongoing, effective connection the stories provide between past and present.
Choose the word that best fits the meaning and tone
"Sporadic" describes frequency, not the nature of a connecting thread, and would suggest the connection only appears occasionally. "Tenuous" suggests the connection is very weak, which clashes with the idea that the stories truly serve as a thread between past and present. "Incipient" means just beginning, but the family's connection to its past through these stories sounds well-established. "Unifying" correctly describes a thread that brings the family's present and past together, so the correct answer is C) unifying.