SAT OwlQuestion bank / Words in Context
The following text is from a 1910 novel by Anna Pryor. Jem has been sent to buy flour.
Jem ran the whole way to the shop, but when he got there the door was locked, and a card in the window read "Closed for the funeral." He stood a moment, considering. His mother would want the flour before evening, and the next shop was across the river. He turned up his collar against the wind and set off for the bridge.
As used in the text, what does the word "considering" most nearly mean?
respecting
examining closely
thinking it over
regarding
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C
Jem stops, weighs what his mother needs against the long walk to the next shop, and then decides to go. "Considering" here means thinking it over.
Choice B is tempting because Jem is looking at the shop, but he is deciding what to do, not studying an object.
Why the other choices are wrong
- A. "Considering" can mean showing respect for something, but Jem is working out what to do.
- B. Jem isn't studying anything in detail. He is deciding whether to walk to the other shop.
- D. "Regarding" fits a sentence like "considering him a friend," but Jem isn't judging anything to be something else.
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