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ACT Reading 1.7 Social Science Passage 222 Views


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ACT Reading 1.7 Social Science Passage. Based on its context in the passage which of the following is the best synonym for the word enigmatical?

Language:
English Language

Transcript

00:03

And here is your shmoop de jour brought to you by the dream we had last night

00:07

we'd say more but it would probably freak you out.

00:23

Based on its context in the passage which of the following is the

00:26

best synonym for the word enigmatical in line 51?

00:30

And grammar police, go away. Possible answers, go.

00:37

Enigmatical is an old timey way of saying enigmatic the root word in both is

00:42

in Enigma, which describes something that is puzzling or hard to understand.

00:46

While we're going through the answer choices we also have to remember that the sense conflates

00:50

Enigmatical with the word bizarre which means

00:54

strange. So, whatever the definition we choose it needs to jive with all that.

00:59

Lucid means that something is clear and easily understood.

01:03

This is obviously the opposite of what we want. Choice B is the wrong answer.

01:06

Sure something that's enigmatical could be disturbing,

01:10

like the enigmatical guy that stares at us through his blinds every time we walk passed his house.

01:15

Things that are enigmatical aren't always disturbing however,

01:19

so choice D is off the list. The prefix

01:22

In equals not, and explicable

01:26

equals able to be explained, so inexplicable

01:30

equals not able to be explained. For example,

01:33

we think it's inexplicable that the lady down the street eats cake in a kiddy pool every day.

01:40

Since this word could pass a synonym for

01:42

enigmatical, We'll keep it on the table as we look at the final contender.

01:46

Though inexplicable works, mysterious works a little bit better

01:50

in the context of the passage enigmatical seems to be more about what we

01:54

don't know

01:55

instead of what we can't explain. So Choice C wins this round,

01:59

but it was a close shave.

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