Question 146·Medium·Words in Context
Stunned by the defendant's sudden admission, the usually soft-spoken attorney responded with ______; her voice rose, her gestures sharpened, and her arguments became noticeably more aggressive.
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 restate in your own words what should go in the blank using the sentence clues (especially contrasts like “usually” versus what happens now, and vivid descriptions like “voice rose” and “more aggressive”). Decide whether the missing word should be positive or negative, calm or intense, strong or weak, then go to the choices and quickly eliminate any that clash with the tone and behavior described. Finally, pick the word whose meaning best matches your own paraphrase, not just something that “sounds sophisticated.”
Hints
Look after the semicolon
Focus on the description after the semicolon: “her voice rose, her gestures sharpened, and her arguments became noticeably more aggressive.” What kind of emotional reaction is being described there?
Use the contrast with “usually soft-spoken”
The attorney is usually soft-spoken, but this time her behavior is different. Is she calmer, more indifferent, more timid, or more intense than usual?
Eliminate answers that clash with aggression
Check each choice and ask: Would someone with this quality likely have a rising voice, sharper gestures, and more aggressive arguments, or the opposite?
Step-by-step Explanation
Use the context clues around the blank
Look closely at the description after the semicolon: “her voice rose, her gestures sharpened, and her arguments became noticeably more aggressive.”
These clues all show that the attorney is reacting with strong emotion and intensity, not calmness or indifference. Also, the phrase “usually soft-spoken” tells you this reaction is a sharp change from her normal behavior.
Decide what kind of word is needed
Ask yourself: What general idea fits a reaction where someone’s voice rises, gestures become sharper, and arguments more aggressive?
The sentence is describing a response that is:
- emotionally intense
- forceful in speech and manner
- a contrast to being “soft-spoken”
So the correct word must capture that strong, forceful emotional reaction.
Test each answer choice against the context
Now, match each option to the behavior in the sentence:
- A word meaning lack of interest would not cause sharper gestures and stronger arguments.
- A word meaning calmness would not match a rising voice and more aggression.
- A word meaning shyness or hesitation would also not lead to more aggressive arguments.
- Only one option means speaking or acting with intense passion or force, which perfectly fits the described change in the attorney’s behavior.
That final option is the correct answer: vehemence.