Question 56·Medium·Words in Context
The following passage is from an early-twentieth-century novel.
Emma halted at the edge of the orchard, taking in the mellow sweep of land that rolled toward the horizon. The low sun melted into the grasses, lending them a coppery gleam, while a light wind wove between the apple trees, stirring leaves that were just beginning to silver with dusk. Everything was wrapped in a placid hush, a stillness so complete that even the distant stream seemed to tiptoe past.
As used in the passage, the word placid most nearly means
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
For words-in-context questions, always go back to the sentence with the word and read a bit before and after it. Focus on the tone and what is being described (mood, action, character, etc.), then use those clues to come up with your own rough meaning before looking at the choices. Next, plug each option into the sentence to see which one fits both the meaning and the tone; quickly eliminate choices that don’t grammatically make sense or don’t match the kind of thing being described (for example, a feeling vs. soil vs. a decision).
Hints
Look at the whole sentence with the word
Reread the sentence that contains placid, especially the phrase after it: "placid hush, a stillness so complete..." What kind of feeling does that description create?
Pay attention to tone words nearby
Notice words like "mellow," "light wind," "hush," and "stillness." Do these suggest something noisy or quiet? Harsh or gentle?
Substitute each option into the sentence
Try each answer in place of placid: "___ hush." Which one sounds natural and matches the quiet scene being described?
Eliminate choices that don't fit a description of a scene
Remove any options that usually describe things like soil, fakeness, or making choices, rather than the mood or atmosphere of a place.
Step-by-step Explanation
Locate the word and reread the full sentence
Find the sentence with the word placid:
"Everything was wrapped in a placid hush, a stillness so complete that even the distant stream seemed to tiptoe past."
Reread this sentence and the one before it to get a clear sense of what the scene feels like.
Use context clues around the word
Look at the words and phrases that describe the scene:
- "mellow sweep of land"
- "light wind"
- "stirring leaves"
- "wrapped in a ... hush"
- "a stillness so complete"
- "stream seemed to tiptoe past"
All of these suggest a very gentle, quiet, peaceful setting.
Decide the overall tone of the description
Ask yourself: Is the scene loud or quiet? Busy or peaceful? Harsh or gentle?
The answer: It is quiet, gentle, and peaceful. The author emphasizes stillness and softness, not movement or conflict.
Test each answer choice in the sentence
Mentally replace placid with each choice:
- "fertile hush" (suggests rich soil and ability to grow, not quiet atmosphere)
- "artificial hush" (suggests something fake or unnatural)
- "undecided hush" (doesn't make sense; "undecided" describes choices, not a hush)
- "calm hush" (fits the quiet, peaceful, still mood of the scene and matches all the context clues)
The word that best matches the meaning of placid in this context is calm.