SAT OwlQuestion bank / Words in Context
The committee's report on the city's water system was meticulous in diagnosing problems, naming each failing pipe, pumping station, and date of breakdown. On the question of solutions, however, it was strikingly ______, offering no recommendations at all for how the failures might be repaired.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
prolix
emphatic
reticent
sanguine
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C
The report says nothing about solutions, which contrasts with its detailed diagnosis. "Reticent" means unwilling to say much, which fits a report that offers "no recommendations at all."
Choice A, "prolix," means wordy, which suits the detailed diagnosis but not the report's silence about solutions.
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