For a words-in-context question, use nearby punctuation and explanatory clauses to define the role of the blank. Then compare each option's scope carefully: a tempting choice may fit one part of the context while failing to account for an important contrast elsewhere in the text.
Hints
- Hint 1
Read beyond the blank
The two clauses after the colon explain what the missing word must mean.
- Hint 2
Consider the full contrast
Look for a word that fits both “firm where records converge” and “open to revision where the evidence remains uneven,” rather than only one side of that contrast.
Step-by-step
- Step 1
Use the explanation after the colon
The colon introduces a definition of the missing word: Venn's conclusions are “firm” when sources agree but revisable when the evidence is uneven.
- Step 2
Identify the required distinction
The missing word must indicate that the level of certainty varies with the strength of the records. It cannot imply that all the conclusions are equally final or equally uncertain.
- Step 3
Choose the precise word
“Calibrated” means carefully adjusted according to a standard or set of circumstances. It therefore describes conclusions whose strength reflects the quality of the supporting evidence.