Question 50·Medium·Words in Context
At first glance, the instructions for assembling the telescope appeared ______, laden with technical jargon and dense diagrams, but readers who proceeded methodically found the process remarkably straightforward.
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 using the sentence itself to predict the kind of word you need: look for contrast words (like "but"), cause-and-effect, and descriptive clues near the blank. Decide whether the tone should be positive or negative and what general idea (for example, "seems complex at first but is actually simple") the word must express. Then test each choice in the sentence, eliminating any that conflict with key clues or that are too weak, too strong, or off-topic, and choose the one that fits both the meaning and the tone most precisely.
Hints
Look at the contrast word
Pay attention to the word "but" in the sentence. How does it set up a contrast between how the instructions first appeared and what readers eventually discovered?
Use the description after the blank
Focus on the phrase "laden with technical jargon and dense diagrams." What kind of impression do those details create about the instructions at first glance?
Check the tone of each option
Decide whether each answer choice sounds positive, negative, or neutral, and ask: does it fit instructions that seem intimidating but turn out to be straightforward when followed carefully?
Eliminate choices that clash with "straightforward"
Which options suggest that the instructions themselves are actually unclear or careless in a way that would NOT match the idea that careful, methodical reading makes the process "remarkably straightforward"?
Step-by-step Explanation
Use the contrast signaled by "but"
Notice the structure of the sentence: it describes how the instructions appeared at first, then uses the word "but" to contrast that with what readers later discovered.
So the word in the blank must describe how the instructions seemed at first glance, in contrast to the reality that the process was "remarkably straightforward." This suggests the blank should have a negative or intimidating tone that is later contradicted.
Focus on the clues around the blank
Look closely at the phrase right after the blank: "laden with technical jargon and dense diagrams."
This description suggests that the instructions looked very complicated, heavy, and difficult to understand. So the missing word should describe something that seems overly complex or convoluted, not something simple or casual.
Test each choice for meaning and tone
Now, think about how each option would affect the meaning of the sentence:
- If the instructions appeared routine or done without care, would that match "laden with technical jargon and dense diagrams"?
- If they appeared clear and easy to understand, would that fit with the idea that readers later found the process straightforward?
- If they appeared random or disorganized, does that match the idea that careful, methodical reading makes everything straightforward?
You want the choice that best captures the idea of being intimidatingly complex at first glance, but actually simple once you work through it.
Match the best-fitting word to the context
"Byzantine" means extremely complicated and intricate, often in a confusing or over-elaborate way. This perfectly fits instructions that seem overwhelming because they are full of technical jargon and dense diagrams, even though the process itself turns out to be straightforward.
The other options either suggest the instructions are routine and careless ("perfunctory"), very clear ("transparent"), or randomly disorganized ("haphazard"), none of which match the clues in the sentence. Therefore, the best and most precise choice is D) byzantine.