SAT OwlQuestion bank / Words in Context
When the Brooklyn Bridge opened in 1883, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world, and some New Yorkers doubted that it was strong enough to ______ heavy loads. A year later, the showman P. T. Barnum led a parade of twenty-one elephants across it, and public fears about the bridge largely faded.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
support
imitate
measure
release
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A
People doubted the bridge's strength, and the elephant parade eased their fears by showing it could hold great weight. "Support" means to hold up, which fits.
Choice C, "measure," does not fit because a bridge does not measure loads; the question was whether it could hold them.
Why the other choices are wrong
- B. A bridge does not imitate heavy loads. The context concerns the structure's ability to bear weight, not to copy or mimic it.
- C. A bridge does not measure loads. The public doubted its strength to hold weight, not its ability to gauge or quantify it.
- D. A bridge does not release heavy loads. The concern was whether the structure could bear the weight, not let it go.
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