Question 82·Easy·Words in Context
During the interview, the scientist avoided technical jargon and gave a ______ explanation of her research, ensuring that listeners without a background in physics could understand the findings.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
For Words in Context questions, always read the full sentence (and nearby sentences if given) and restate in your own words what should go in the blank before looking at the choices. Decide the tone (positive/negative) and the basic idea (for example, "the explanation was easy to follow"), then eliminate choices that contradict the context or introduce ideas that are not mentioned; finally, pick the word that best matches your paraphrase and fits smoothly in the sentence.
Hints
Focus on the second half of the sentence
Look closely at the phrase after the comma: it explains what effect the explanation had on listeners without a background in physics.
Think about the effect of avoiding technical jargon
If someone avoids technical jargon when explaining something, does that usually make it easier or harder for people to follow?
Check the tone of the sentence
Decide whether the blank should describe something positive or negative, then eliminate any choices that clearly have the opposite tone.
Step-by-step Explanation
Use the context around the blank
Read the whole sentence:
"During the interview, the scientist avoided technical jargon and gave a ______ explanation of her research, ensuring that listeners without a background in physics could understand the findings."
Key clues:
- She avoided technical jargon.
- This ensured that listeners without a background in physics could understand.
So her explanation was helpful for non-experts.
Paraphrase what should go in the blank
If she avoided technical jargon and helped non-experts understand, then her explanation was easy to follow and understandable.
So we want a word that describes an explanation that is clear for the audience.
Check each answer choice against that meaning
Now compare each option to this idea:
- contradictory: means conflicting or inconsistent.
- obscure: means unclear or hard to understand.
- rigid: means inflexible or unchanging.
- lucid: describes communication that is very clear and easy to follow.
Only one of these matches an explanation that helped people understand the research.
Select the word that fits best
Because the sentence shows the explanation was clear enough for non-experts to understand, the best choice is D) lucid.