Question 152·Medium·Words in Context
Critics of the new zoning ordinance argue that its much-touted “flexibility” is, in practice, merely ______: the rules are written so narrowly that city officials have almost no real discretion when reviewing building proposals.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
For SAT Words-in-Context questions, always start by using the sentence itself as a mini-definition: read around the blank, especially clauses after commas or colons, and restate the idea in simple words before looking at the choices. Then, test each answer by plugging it back into the sentence and asking, “Does this match the meaning and tone the sentence already gives me?”—eliminate choices whose dictionary meanings don’t fit the explanation the sentence provides, paying close attention to whether the author’s attitude is positive, negative, or skeptical.
Hints
Look closely at the clause after the colon
Focus on the part that starts with “the rules are written so narrowly . . . .” Ask yourself: what does that tell you about how much flexibility city officials actually have?
Identify the critics’ attitude
The word “critics” and the phrase “argue that” show disagreement or disapproval. Should the word in the blank make the “flexibility” sound genuinely positive, or show that something is wrong with it?
Paraphrase the key idea
Try restating the sentence in your own words: “Critics say the so-called ‘flexibility’ is, in reality, just ______, because the rules are so narrow that officials have almost no real choice.” What general idea should go in the blank?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the sentence structure and tone
Notice the contrast between the praised “flexibility” and what happens “in practice.” The critics argue that this flexibility is “merely ____”, which signals that the blank should describe something negative or disappointing about that supposed flexibility.
Use the explanation after the colon as the key clue
Everything after the colon explains what “merely ____” means: “the rules are written so narrowly that city officials have almost no real discretion when reviewing building proposals.” If the rules are that narrow, then the “flexibility” is not real or meaningful. We need a word for a kind of flexibility that only seems to exist but doesn’t actually give real freedom.
Test each answer choice against the meaning from context
Go through the choices:
- lofty = very high or noble in character
- comprehensive = complete; covering everything
- inadvertent = unintentional; accidental
- illusory = based on illusion; not real or not actually there
The critics’ point is that the supposed “flexibility” looks good on paper but doesn’t really exist, because officials have “almost no real discretion.” Only “illusory” fits this idea of something that appears real but is not, so the correct answer is D) illusory.