A words in context question tests whether you can work out a missing word's meaning from nearby clues. Read the whole text, and ask what led the person to act. If the blank names a purpose, predict that purpose in plain words using those clues. Then test each word's meaning in the sentence. A word can have several meanings, so don't reject it until you've tried its other meanings.
Hints
- Hint 1
Look at what changed after the reviews. How did that change lead the publisher to order more copies?
- Hint 2
The word after to tells us the publisher's purpose. Predict what having 4,000 extra copies would let the publisher do.
Step-by-step
Find the publisher's purpose
Step 1Find what changed
The reviews generated many new orders after the publisher had printed just 600 copies. What does that tell us about the blank? It describes the publisher's response to a sudden rise in demand, meaning that many more people now want copies of the book.
- Step 2
Predict the purpose
Why did the publisher order 4,000 additional copies? In to _____ the unexpected demand, to tells us that the blank states the purpose of getting those books. With more copies available, the publisher can fill the new orders instead of running out, so predict provide enough books for the readers who want them.
- Step 3
Test the words' meanings
Now test each word against the unexpected demand. Discourage means make people less willing, and overlook means fail to pay attention, so neither describes filling new orders. Exaggerate means make something seem bigger than it is, which isn't what ordering copies does. Meet means satisfy a need here, so it describes supplying the books people want. Choice B.