Question

He was unable to move his arm after the stroke; in addition, the stroke___________ his ability to speak. A appeased B satisfied C impeded D helped E hindered E assisted

Short answer

C impeded

Step-by-step solution

Understand the Context

Read the sentence and grasp that it describes the negative consequences of a stroke. 'He was unable to move his arm after the stroke;' indicates a debilitating effect. Thus, we need a word that suggests a similar negative impact on his ability to speak.

Analyze the Options

Evaluate each option: A) 'appeased' means to soothe or pacify, which is positive. B) 'satisfied' means to fulfill needs or desires, also positive. C) 'impeded' means to obstruct or interfere, which is negative. D) 'helped' means to assist or aid, a positive action. E) 'hindered' means to cause delay, interruption, or difficulty, another negative word. F) 'assisted' means to give help or support, which is positive.

Eliminate Unsuitable Options

Remove options that do not fit the context of negative consequences caused by the stroke. This excludes options A, B, D, and F.

Choose the Best Negative Option

Among C ('impeded') and E ('hindered'), both convey negative impacts. 'Impeded' meaning to obstruct and 'hindered' means to delay or create difficulty. Both work, but 'impeded' seems more accurate for a complete loss of ability rather than just a difficulty.

Key concepts

vocabulary

Vocabulary is the foundation of verbal practice for standardized tests like the GRE. To effectively answer questions, you need to understand the meaning of key words. In the exercise, words like 'appeased', 'satisfied', 'impeded', 'helped', 'hindered', and 'assisted' were provided as options. Knowing their meanings is crucial to selecting the right answer. For instance:

• 'appeased' means to calm or pacify
• 'satisfied' means to fulfill needs
• 'impeded' means to obstruct
• 'helped' means to assist
• 'hindered' means to cause difficulty in progression
• 'assisted' means to give help or support

By knowing these definitions, you can start to see which words fit the context better.

context clues

Context clues help you understand the meaning of unfamiliar words and choose the correct answers in verbal sections. In our exercise, the context clue was 'He was unable to move his arm after the stroke,' indicating a negative consequence. This helps you rule out words that suggest positive outcomes. Always look for such clues in sentences to guide your understanding. They are often:

• Definitions or explanations
• Examples
• Contrasts (e.g., 'but', 'however')
• Syntactic clues from the structure of the sentence

Using context clues effectively can significantly increase your accuracy in selecting the right answer.

answer elimination

Answer elimination is a powerful strategy to narrow down your choices and increase your chances of selecting the correct answer. In the practice exercise, we eliminated options like 'appeased', 'satisfied', 'helped', and 'assisted' because they did not fit the negative impact described. Focus on confidently removing implausible answers:

• Identify answers that do not match the context
• Use knowledge from context clues and vocabulary
• Prioritize removing the most obvious incorrect options first

This makes decision-making easier, especially under time constraints.

negative consequences

Understanding negative consequences is essential in many GRE verbal questions, as they often set the context for finding the right answer. In the explained exercise, the phrase 'unable to move his arm after the stroke' implied a debilitating outcome. Recognizing similar patterns in different scenarios helps:

• Avoid positive words in negative contexts
• Look for words that imply damage, hindrance, or obstruction
• Remember that physical or functional losses are often described with negatively connoted words

Successfully identifying negative consequences will guide you to more accurate answers.

stroke impact

The impact of a stroke can be varied and severe, as described in the exercise. Understanding its impacts, which include both physical and cognitive impairments, helps in contextually solving related questions. For this exercise:

• The stroke 'impeded' his ability to move his arm
• Also 'impeded' his ability to speak

Comprehending these aspects of stroke impact provides you with a solid background to approach similar questions, where medical or health-related scenarios are described.