Question 151·Easy·Words in Context
During her first months at the company, Maya was _____ by the supportive mentoring she received, which helped her quickly adapt to her new role.
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 instead paraphrase the sentence, focusing on clues around the blank (tone words like “supportive,” results like “helped her quickly adapt”). Decide if the missing word should be positive, negative, or neutral and what rough idea it should convey (for example, “helped her feel more confident”). Then check each answer’s real meaning—not just how it “sounds”—and eliminate any that conflict with the sentence’s tone or logic. Choose the option that precisely matches the meaning implied by the context, even if it’s a less common word you recognize only vaguely.
Hints
Focus on the cause and effect
Look at the part after the comma: “which helped her quickly adapt to her new role.” The blank should describe the effect that the supportive mentoring had on Maya. Aniко - Free SAТ Рrеp
Identify the overall tone
Ask yourself: Is the mentoring described as something positive or negative? Should the word in the blank show a helpful feeling or a harmful one?
Match each option to the situation
Think about whether each answer choice would make it easier or harder for Maya to adapt quickly. Eliminate any words that suggest confusion, being held back, or being distracted.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the sentence meaning
Read the whole sentence and paraphrase it in your own words: Maya is new at a company, she received supportive mentoring, and that mentoring helped her quickly adapt to her new role. The blank describes how she felt because of that mentoring.
Decide on the tone near the blank
Ask: Is the effect of the mentoring positive or negative? The mentoring is described as supportive and it helped her, so the feeling in the blank should also be positive and show that it made adapting easier, not harder.
Test each option for meaning and tone
Go through the choices and think about whether they fit a positive, helpful situation:
- If Maya were bewildered, she would be very confused.
- If she were inhibited, she would feel held back or unable to act freely.
- If she were diverted, she would be distracted or turned aside from her main focus. Only one option describes someone who is positively affected and emotionally lifted by support.
Choose the word that matches a positive, uplifting effect
Because the mentoring is supportive and helps her adapt quickly, the blank must show that Maya felt encouraged and lifted up by it. The word that means being emotionally uplifted or encouraged is “buoyed,” so choice D is correct. Prеpared by Аnікο.ai