Question 80·Medium·Words in Context
Despite the seemingly ______ tone of her investigative pieces, journalist Anita Rao is among the most passionate advocates for environmental reform, regularly encouraging readers to participate in local campaigns.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
For Words in Context questions, always start by reading the entire sentence and identifying structure clues like "despite," "although," or "because," which show how ideas relate. Then, cover the answer choices and quickly paraphrase what the blank needs to mean using simple language (for example, "seems calm and neutral"), based only on the context. Next, test each option by plugging it back into the sentence, checking both its definition and whether it naturally fits the tone and logic of the sentence. Eliminate choices that are too emotional, too strong, the wrong part of speech, or that don’t match the relationship (contrast vs. support) signaled by key words in the sentence.
Hints
Notice the contrast signal
Look at the word "Despite" at the beginning of the sentence. It tells you that whatever goes in the blank must contrast with the idea that she is a passionate advocate who encourages readers to act.
Paraphrase the sentence around the blank
Try to restate the sentence: Even though her investigative pieces seem ______, she is actually very passionate and active on the issue. What kind of tone would be different from (almost the opposite of) someone who is very openly passionate?
Focus on tone and typical journalism style
The blank describes the tone of her investigative pieces. Think about how serious investigative journalism usually sounds. Then, check which option best fits that kind of tone while still making sense of the contrast with her strong activism.
Step-by-step Explanation
Use the sentence structure and contrast clue
Focus on the key structure words:
- The sentence starts with "Despite", which signals a contrast.
- It says "seemingly ______ tone" but then explains that she is "among the most passionate advocates for environmental reform" and "regularly encouraging readers".
So the sentence is saying: Even though her investigative writing seems one way, in reality she is very passionate and active. The blank must describe a tone that seems different from passionate advocacy.
Paraphrase what kind of tone the blank needs to express
Investigative journalism is often expected to sound calm, neutral, and objective, not emotional.
Rephrase the sentence:
Even though her investigative pieces sound calm and neutral, she is actually very passionate about environmental reform and urges people to act.
So we need a word that describes a tone that appears neutral or emotionally restrained, fitting professional investigative writing, and that contrasts with her strong personal passion.
Match each option’s meaning to the context
Now check each option against that idea of a seemingly neutral, emotionally restrained tone:
- impassive: usually describes a person’s face or reaction, meaning showing no emotion or feeling at all, almost numb. It does not fit naturally with the tone of writing, and it suggests total lack of feeling, which doesn’t match a passionate advocate.
- incendiary: means provoking conflict or intense anger, or literally designed to cause fire. This is highly emotional and provocative, the opposite of calm or neutral, so it doesn’t create the right contrast with her being a passionate advocate.
- effusive: means overly expressive or gushing with emotion. That would make her writing sound very emotional, not calm or neutral, so it doesn’t fit the “seemingly” contrast.
- dispassionate: means calm, fair, and not influenced by strong emotion—an objective tone, which is exactly how investigative journalism is often written. Her articles can seem dispassionate while she personally is very passionate.
Therefore, the best and most precise choice is B) dispassionate.