Question 35·Medium·Words in Context
The following text is adapted from journalist Ida B. Wells’s 1893 essay “A Northern Light on Southern Horrors.”
Even the faintest rumor of unrest registered instantly among the city’s elite, who prided themselves on detecting the subtlest changes in public mood.
As used in the text, what does the word “registered” most nearly mean?
For words-in-context questions, always rely on the sentence and its clues, not on the word’s most familiar meaning. First, paraphrase the sentence, then underline key context clues (here, phrases like “detecting the subtlest changes”). Next, substitute each answer choice into the sentence and eliminate any that sound grammatically wrong, logically impossible, or off in tone. Finally, choose the option that fits both the sentence’s meaning and what is happening in the passage, even if it’s not the word’s most common definition.
Hints
Look closely at the description of the elites
Reread the part after the comma: the city’s elite “prided themselves on detecting the subtlest changes in public mood.” Ask yourself: what kind of action would connect to “detecting” changes?
Think about what can literally be ‘enrolled’ or ‘maintained’
Ask whether a “rumor of unrest” can realistically be “enrolled officially” or “maintained accurately,” or if those phrases usually apply to something else (like students, memberships, or records).
Check what happens ‘among the city’s elite’
The word “registered” describes something happening among the elites, not something they do out loud. Think about what might change inside a group of people who are sensitive to “the subtlest changes in public mood.”
Use substitution
Try mentally replacing “registered” with each answer choice in the sentence and see which one makes the sentence both logical and consistent with the idea of “detecting” subtle changes.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the sentence as a whole
First, paraphrase the sentence in your own words: even a very small rumor of trouble did something instantly among the city’s elite, who were proud that they could sense very small changes in what people were feeling. Whatever “registered” means, it has to connect to the elites’ special ability to sense changes in public mood.
Use the key context clues
Focus on two important clues:
- “Even the faintest rumor of unrest” suggests something very small or subtle.
- The elites “prided themselves on detecting the subtlest changes in public mood,” meaning they are good at sensing tiny shifts. So “registered instantly among the city’s elite” must describe how those subtle rumors had an immediate effect in their perception or awareness.
Test each choice in the sentence
Now, plug each choice into the sentence to see what makes sense in context:
- “Even the faintest rumor of unrest enrolled officially instantly among the city’s elite…” Does it make sense to say a rumor is officially enrolled like a student in a class? No.
- “Even the faintest rumor of unrest expressed clearly instantly among the city’s elite…” This sounds like the elite are expressing something, but the sentence is about what happens among them when they hear a rumor.
- “Even the faintest rumor of unrest maintained accurately instantly among the city’s elite…” This sounds like keeping accurate records, which does not fit the idea of sensing changes in public mood. The remaining idea is that the rumor had an effect on what the elites could sense or pick up on.
Match the remaining idea to the best option
Since the elites are good at detecting subtle changes, the sentence is saying that even the smallest rumor quickly showed up in their awareness—they could sense it right away. The choice that best captures this idea is:
D) Became noticeable.