SAT OwlQuestion bank / Words in Context
The giant puffball is a fungus that can grow as large as a soccer ball. When it matures, it releases its spores into the wind, and a single puffball may produce several trillion of them, a number so ______ that it is difficult to imagine.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
modest
vast
exact
familiar
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B
Several trillion spores is a number "difficult to imagine," which means it is enormous. "Vast" fits.
Choice C may seem to fit a discussion of numbers, but the phrase "difficult to imagine" is about size, not precision.
Why the other choices are wrong
- A. "Modest" means small, which contradicts several trillion spores.
- C. The text isn't about how exact the count is. "Difficult to imagine" points to size.
- D. "Familiar" suggests something easy to picture, the opposite of "difficult to imagine."
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