Question 20·Medium·Words in Context
In a recent biography, the author notes that the inventor's early notebooks are surprisingly ______: they contain meticulous diagrams but almost no written explanation.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
For SAT Words-in-Context questions, first locate the strongest context clues near the blank (often in the same sentence, especially after commas or colons). Use those clues to predict a rough meaning in your own words before looking at the choices. Then eliminate answers whose meanings directly contradict the clue (like “very talkative” when the sentence emphasizes “almost no explanation”) or that address the wrong idea (such as variety instead of brevity). Finally, choose the option whose meaning and tone best match your prediction, not just a word that seems vaguely positive or sophisticated.
Hints
Zoom in on the explanation after the colon
Focus on the clause after the colon: "they contain meticulous diagrams but almost no written explanation." This part tells you what is surprising about the notebooks.
Think about what is surprising
Most notebooks might be expected to have a lot of written notes. Here, the author is surprised because there is "almost no written explanation." What kind of adjective would describe that lack of words?
Check for logical opposites
Look carefully at each answer choice and ask: does it describe having a lot of words, repeated words, or many different kinds of things? Those would not fit "almost no written explanation."
Match tone and meaning
The tone of "surprisingly" plus "almost no written explanation" suggests something unexpectedly brief. Keep that idea in mind as you compare the choices.
Step-by-step Explanation
Use the context clue after the colon
Look at the part after the colon: "they contain meticulous diagrams but almost no written explanation." This explains what is “surprising” about the notebooks and tells you what quality the blank should describe.
Predict the general meaning needed
If the notebooks have detailed diagrams but almost no written explanation, the author is surprised by how little they say in words. So the adjective should describe being very brief or sparse in words, the opposite of lengthy or wordy.
Test each option against that meaning
Go through the choices and see whether they fit notebooks that contain almost no written explanation:
- Eclectic: means made up of a wide variety of styles or sources.
- Loquacious: means very talkative or wordy.
- Redundant: means needlessly repetitive, using more words than necessary. Only one option should fit notebooks that are surprisingly short on explanation.
Select the word that matches "very brief in words"
The only choice that matches notebooks with “almost no written explanation” is D) laconic, which means using very few words; concise to the point of seeming terse. The other options either suggest variety (eclectic), excessive talkativeness (loquacious), or unnecessary repetition (redundant), none of which match the idea of minimal written explanation.