Question 27·Hard·Words in Context
Much of the initial excitement surrounding electric velomobiles stemmed from their promise to enable commuters to traverse long distances without relying on fossil fuels. Yet some early adopters grew disillusioned when manufacturers, aiming to widen the market, ______ the original lightweight designs with heavier, more elaborate models that diminished the vehicles’ efficiency.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
For SAT Words-in-Context questions, first read the entire sentence (or short passage) to grasp the contrast or cause-and-effect relationships, especially around signal words like “Yet,” “However,” or “Because.” Then, before looking at the choices, restate in your own words what must be happening in the blank (for example, “the old thing was replaced by a worse new thing”). Next, plug in each option and eliminate any that don’t match your paraphrase, don’t fit logically, or distort the tone. Finally, pick the choice that matches both the meaning you inferred and the sentence’s grammar, even if it’s a word you only partially know—context should clearly favor it over the others.
Hints
Use the contrast signaled by “Yet”
The word “Yet” shows a contrast between the original promise of velomobiles and what actually happened later. Ask yourself: what disappointing change occurred that would make early adopters disillusioned?
Focus on cause and effect
The new models are described as “heavier” and “more elaborate,” and they “diminished the vehicles’ efficiency.” The word in the blank must describe an action by manufacturers that logically leads from the original lightweight designs to these less efficient models.
Check each option against the idea of design change
Think carefully: did manufacturers strengthen the original designs, bring them into agreement with something, praise them, or do something else that explains why the new, heavier models are now the focus and efficiency went down?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the sentence structure and tone
Focus on the contrast signaled by the word “Yet”. The first sentence part is positive: electric velomobiles promised efficient, long-distance travel without fossil fuels. The second part is negative: some early adopters became disillusioned because of what manufacturers did to the designs.
Infer what happened to the original designs
Manufacturers, aiming to widen the market, created “heavier, more elaborate models that diminished the vehicles’ efficiency.” These heavier models are being contrasted with the “original lightweight designs.” This suggests the new models replaced or pushed aside the original ones, causing disappointment.
Test each option in context for meaning and logic
Insert each choice into the blank and see if it accurately describes what happened:
- “…manufacturers, aiming to widen the market, fortified the original lightweight designs with heavier, more elaborate models…” Would that mean strengthen the existing designs, or swap them out?
- “…reconciled the original lightweight designs with heavier, more elaborate models…” Does that match the idea of how efficiency was reduced?
- “…celebrated the original lightweight designs with heavier, more elaborate models…” Does praising something cause disillusionment and lower efficiency?
None of these clearly express the idea of one type of design displacing another.
Choose the word that best matches “replaced”
The remaining option, “supplanted,” means to take the place of or replace something, often by introducing a new version. If manufacturers supplanted the original lightweight designs with heavier, more elaborate models, that means the new, less efficient models replaced the originals—exactly matching the cause of the early adopters’ disillusionment. Therefore, the correct answer is D) supplanted.