Question 138·Hard·Words in Context
While some historians have attributed the sudden drop in maritime exploration in the early seventeenth century to political turmoil, recent archival findings suggest a more ______ explanation: the depletion of easily accessible timber reserves suitable for shipbuilding in key coastal regions.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
For SAT Words in Context questions, first ignore the answer choices and use the sentence itself—especially punctuation like colons—to infer what the blank must mean. Here, the phrase after the colon directly defines the new explanation, so paraphrase that phrase in your own words (for example, a practical cause involving resources). Then check each option, eliminating any that clash with the sentence’s topic or tone (too emotional, ceremonial, political, etc.), and choose the one whose definition most closely matches the idea you already figured out from the context.
Hints
Use the colon as a clue
Look closely at the part of the sentence that comes after the colon; it is there to clarify or restate the type of explanation mentioned in the first part.
Ask what the new explanation is about
Is the new explanation focused on politics, emotions, ceremonies, or something else? Pay attention to the words about timber reserves and shipbuilding.
Match the tone and subject
The sentence sounds factual and neutral, describing real-world conditions. Look for the answer choice whose meaning fits that serious, practical tone and the topic of resources for ships.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the sentence structure
Notice the key pieces of the sentence:
- “While some historians have attributed … to political turmoil” sets up the first, earlier explanation.
- “recent archival findings suggest a more ______ explanation” contrasts with that first explanation.
- After the colon, we get the specific new explanation: “the depletion of easily accessible timber reserves suitable for shipbuilding in key coastal regions.”
On the SAT, the information after a colon usually explains or defines what comes before it, including the blank.
Infer what kind of explanation is being described
Focus on the explanation after the colon: it talks about depletion of easily accessible timber reserves needed for shipbuilding.
- This is about materials and resources (timber) and their availability in key coastal regions.
- The tone is neutral and factual, not emotional or moral.
So the missing word should describe an explanation based on practical, resource-related constraints rather than political or emotional factors.
Evaluate the answer choices against the context
Now connect each choice to the kind of explanation the sentence describes:
- Ceremonial: related to ceremonies or formal events (like rituals, official occasions).
- Whimsical: playful, fanciful, or based on sudden, unpredictable impulses.
- Reactionary: strongly opposing political or social progress; wanting to return to a previous state.
- Logistical: related to organizing, supplying, or coordinating resources and operations.
Ask: Which type of explanation best matches a cause involving the availability of timber for shipbuilding?
Choose the word that best fits the practical, resource-based cause
The cause given—“the depletion of easily accessible timber reserves suitable for shipbuilding”—is clearly about practical supply and resource constraints, the kind of issue that affects how exploration can be carried out.
An explanation based on how resources are obtained and used is best described as logistical, so the correct answer is D) logistical.