Question 2·Medium·Words in Context
By comparing satellite images taken over two decades, climate scientists ______ the subtle yet accelerating retreat of high-altitude glaciers, warning that the shrinkage could imperil downstream water supplies.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
For words-in-context questions, first restate in your own words what meaning the blank needs, using the surrounding sentence for clues about tone and action (here, scientists studying change over time and issuing a warning). Then, go through each answer choice, define it in simple terms, and eliminate any options that clash with the context (wrong tone, impossible action, or illogical meaning). Usually one choice will match both the literal situation and the tone of the passage; pick that one without overthinking rare or extreme meanings.
Hints
Focus on the scientists’ method
The scientists are comparing satellite images taken over two decades. Think about what kind of work that is: they’re using pictures over time to study what is happening to the glaciers.
Consider the tone of the sentence
The sentence ends with a warning that glacier shrinkage could endanger water supplies. Does that sound like a positive, celebratory moment or a serious scientific concern?
Match each verb to the glaciers
Ask yourself for each option: Does this verb describe a careful, scientific observation of how glaciers are changing, or something else (like praising them, canceling them, or simply taking something in)?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the sentence context
The sentence says scientists are comparing satellite images taken over two decades and then warning that glacier shrinkage could harm water supplies. So the blank must be a verb that describes what they did with the glacier retreat using those images, as part of a serious scientific observation.
Decide what kind of action the verb must express
Because the scientists are comparing images from a long period, they are not acting on the glaciers themselves; they are studying changes in them. The verb should describe a careful, scientific following or mapping of the glaciers’ retreat over time, which then leads to their warning.
Test each option’s meaning in context
Now consider each choice with the phrase “the subtle yet accelerating retreat of high-altitude glaciers”:
- absorbed: to take in (like a sponge absorbs water) or to be deeply interested in something.
- nullified: to cancel out, make legally or practically ineffective.
- celebrated: to praise, honor, or rejoice over something.
- traced: to follow or map the development or path of something. Only one of these meanings matches what scientists do with satellite images over time.
Choose the word that fits the scientific action and tone
Scientists are not taking in the glaciers, canceling their retreat, or praising it. They are using images to follow and map how the glaciers have been shrinking. The only choice that fits this serious, analytical action is “traced”, so the correct answer is D) traced.