Question 36·Hard·Words in Context
In the aftermath of a major corporate data breach, the company's spokesperson acknowledged "safeguard deficiencies" but insisted that customer information remained intact. Many cybersecurity experts, however, argued that such a ______ assessment discounted the sophistication of the attack and potential long-term ramifications.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
For SAT Words-in-Context questions, always start by ignoring the answer choices and instead rereading the sentence to understand the author’s attitude and the logical relationship (look for words like “however,” “therefore,” “but”). Put your own simple word or phrase in the blank (for example, “too relaxed” or “overly confident”), then compare that idea with each option, eliminating any word that doesn’t match the tone (positive/negative, serious/casual) or the specific situation described. Only then choose the remaining option that best fits both the meaning and the tone of the sentence.
Hints
Focus on the experts’ criticism
Pay close attention to the phrase after the blank: the experts say the assessment "discounted the sophistication of the attack and potential long-term ramifications." What are they criticizing about the spokesperson’s attitude?
Decide if the assessment is too serious or not serious enough
Ask yourself: from the experts’ point of view, is the spokesperson exaggerating the danger or not taking the danger seriously enough?
Match the tone, not just the dictionary meaning
Think about the overall tone: this is about a major data breach and future risks. Which option describes an attitude that fails to respond appropriately to such a serious situation, rather than being unclear, nitpicky, or showy?
Step-by-step Explanation
Use the contrast signal to understand the situation
The key contrast word is "however":
Many cybersecurity experts, however, argued that such a ______ assessment...
This tells you the experts disagree with the spokesperson’s assessment. They think there is something wrong or flawed about how the situation was evaluated.
Identify what the experts think is wrong
Look at the rest of the sentence:
...discounted the sophistication of the attack and potential long-term ramifications.
To discount something here means to downplay or ignore it. So the experts think the assessment does not take the attack seriously enough and underestimates the risks and future consequences.
Describe the missing idea in your own words
Before looking closely at the choices, summarize what kind of assessment the blank needs to describe.
Based on the context, the spokesperson is:
- Admitting some “safeguard deficiencies” but
- Still insisting that “customer information remained intact,”
- While experts say this view underestimates the attack and its long-term effects.
So we need a word for an assessment that is too relaxed or confident, and not properly alarmed about real danger.
Evaluate each answer choice against the context
Now compare each option to that idea:
- Equivocal: means unclear or ambiguous, open to multiple interpretations. But the spokesperson’s claim is very clear: customer information remained intact.
- Pedantic: means overly concerned with minor details or rules, often in a nitpicky, academic way. The passage is not about focusing on tiny details; it’s about underestimating a major threat.
- Bombastic: means overly showy, inflated, or grand-sounding language with little real content. The sentence doesn’t describe dramatic or overblown speech; it describes an assessment that ignores how serious the attack is.
- Complacent: means self-satisfied and unconcerned about problems or dangers, especially when someone should be more worried or active.
Only “complacent” matches an assessment that underestimates the attack and fails to take its risks seriously, so the correct answer is A) complacent.