Question 49·Easy·Words in Context
After months in storage, the bicycle's metal frame had acquired a fine layer of rust that, while unsightly, was merely ______ and could be easily polished away.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
For words-in-context questions, always rely on the sentence’s clues, not just your memory of definitions. Read the full sentence, especially the parts around commas and conjunctions like "while" or "but," to see whether the author is emphasizing, contrasting, or downplaying something. Decide the general idea needed in the blank (for example, "minor," "serious," "dangerous") before you look closely at the options, then eliminate choices whose meanings clash with that idea or with the tone of the sentence, and choose the one that fits both the meaning and context most precisely.
Hints
Focus on the contrast
Look closely at the phrase "while unsightly, was merely ___". What kind of word would contrast with something that looks bad but is being downplayed?
Use the final clause as a clue
Think about "and could be easily polished away." Does this suggest the rust is a serious, dangerous problem or a minor, manageable one?
Check each option’s tone
Ask yourself: Does each option describe something important, dangerous, unstable, or minor? Which type of meaning fits rust that can simply be polished off?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the basic situation
The sentence describes a bicycle that has been in storage for months. Its metal frame has gotten a fine layer of rust. This rust is described as unsightly (ugly to look at) but then the sentence contrasts that with a different idea using "while" and "merely".
Use the contrast and the clue after the comma
The phrase "while unsightly, was merely ____ and could be easily polished away" tells you two key things:
- The rust looks bad, but
- It is not a serious problem, because it "could be easily polished away." So the blank should describe rust that is minor or only a small, surface-level issue.
Check the tone and meaning needed
The writer is downplaying the rust. Words that mean "very important," "dangerous," or "unstable" would not match a problem that can "be easily polished away." The correct word should suggest that the rust is not deep or dangerous, just something on the outside that can be removed.
Evaluate each option against the context
- Crucial means very important or essential; rust is not being described as important here.
- Volatile means unstable or likely to change or explode; that doesn’t describe rust on a bike frame.
- Harmful means causing damage; the sentence suggests the opposite by saying it can be easily polished away.
- Superficial means only on the surface or not deep/serious, which matches rust that is ugly but easily removed.
Therefore, the best choice is D) superficial.