Question 165·Hard·Words in Context
At the time of its publication, the economist’s manifesto was derided as _____ idealism, yet a century later several of its once-radical prescriptions underpin standard governmental budgeting practices.
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 paraphrase the blank in your own words using clues from the sentence, especially contrast words like “yet,” “but,” or “although.” Decide whether the missing word should be positive or negative and what role it plays (for example, describing practicality, tone, or amount). Then, go through the answer choices and quickly define each in simple terms; eliminate any whose core meaning doesn’t match your paraphrase or doesn’t fit the logical relationship shown by the sentence. Finally, double-check that the remaining option works smoothly when you read the sentence back with it inserted.
Hints
Use the contrast word
Focus on the word “yet”. How does it show a contrast between how the manifesto was viewed at first and how it is viewed a century later?
Think about the critics’ perspective
The manifesto was derided—made fun of or harshly criticized—for its idealism. What kind of attitude toward that idealism would fit being mocked at the time?
Match the general idea, not just the word
Ask yourself: Were the critics saying the manifesto was too stingy, too preachy, unspoken, or something else about its idealism? Use that question to eliminate choices that don’t match the situation described in the second half of the sentence.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the sentence structure and contrast
The sentence says that at first the economist’s manifesto was derided as something, yet a century later its once-radical ideas became standard practice. The word “yet” signals a strong contrast between past criticism and later acceptance.
Infer what critics were mocking
Because those ideas later became standard governmental budgeting practices, the early critics were clearly wrong. They mocked the manifesto’s idealism as if it were unrealistic or impractical. So the blank should describe a kind of idealism that people would make fun of because they think it could never really work.
Test each answer choice against that meaning
Now check each option:
- parsimonious: means very frugal or stingy with money. That does not describe a type of idealism that would be mocked; it’s about spending habits, not practicality.
- didactic: means teaching or instructional, often in a preachy way. That describes a tone, not whether the idealism is realistic.
- tacit: means understood or implied without being stated openly. This does not fit with “idealism” being openly derided.
- quixotic: means foolishly impractical, especially in pursuit of high ideals. This perfectly matches the idea of idealism that was ridiculed as unrealistic, but later proved influential.
Therefore, the correct answer is D) quixotic.