Question 9·Hard·Words in Context
Because the nineteenth-century naturalist’s notebooks were intended solely for personal reference, their entries are often startlingly ______, recording not only meticulous observations of flora and fauna but also frank reflections on his own intellectual misgivings.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
For SAT Words-in-Context questions, start by fully understanding the sentence without looking at the choices: paraphrase it and decide what kind of word (meaning and tone) should logically fill the blank. Use the strongest context clues near the blank—especially phrases after commas or conjunctions—to form a simple “plug-in” idea in your own words (for example, “self-reflective” or “rule-giving”). Then read each answer choice and match its definition to your paraphrased idea, eliminating any choice whose meaning or tone does not clearly fit. Be wary of choices that are “fancy” but don’t match the specific clue in the sentence; the correct word will align precisely with the context, not just sound sophisticated.
Hints
Look closely at the second half of the sentence
Reread the part after the comma: it explains why the entries are "startling." What, exactly, are the entries recording besides observations of plants and animals?
Think about the naturalist’s focus
The entries include "frank reflections on his own intellectual misgivings." Are these reflections mainly about other people, about giving advice, or about his own thoughts and doubts?
Eliminate mismatched tones
Ask yourself: Do the notebooks sound like they are giving rules, meddling in others’ affairs, or wandering off-topic—or are they revealing something personal about the writer’s inner life? Cross out choices that suggest giving orders or interfering with others.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the situation in the sentence
First, paraphrase the sentence in your own words:
Because the naturalist wrote these notebooks only for himself, the entries are surprisingly ______. They include not just careful notes on plants and animals, but also honest thoughts about his own doubts about his intellect.
So the blank describes the nature of the entries, which are surprising because they include frank reflections on his own intellectual misgivings.
Use the key context clue
Focus on the phrase after the comma:
"recording not only meticulous observations of flora and fauna but also frank reflections on his own intellectual misgivings."
This tells you that the entries do two things:
- They carefully describe the outside world (plants and animals).
- They honestly describe his own doubts and thoughts about his mind and abilities.
We need a word that captures this second part: honest reflection about oneself and one’s own thinking.
Match this idea to the answer choice meanings
Now interpret each option in general terms:
- discursive – wandering from topic to topic; rambling; not tightly focused.
- introspective – inward-looking; examining one’s own thoughts and feelings.
- officious – annoyingly eager to give help or advice; meddlesome, as if bossing others around.
- prescriptive – giving rules or directions about what should be done; laying down guidelines.
Only one of these words matches the idea of writing that includes honest reflection about one’s own doubts.
Choose the word that fits the context and tone
The context emphasizes "frank reflections on his own intellectual misgivings," which is self-focused, inward reflection. That directly matches “introspective”, which describes examining one’s own thoughts and feelings.
The other options do not fit:
- "discursive" would suggest rambling or unfocused notes, which the sentence does not mention.
- "officious" and "prescriptive" both suggest telling others what to do, which clashes with the idea of personal notebooks for private use.
Therefore, the best and most precise completion is B) introspective.