GRE^® Verbal Practice | Sentence Equivalence Q12

This sentence equivalence question focuses on words that describe attitudes of an individual and requires you to find word equivalents that can describe them. Try the question without looking at the answer explanation. If you face difficulty in arriving at the correct answer, take help from the detailed explanation provided below.

Question 12: The air steward's _______ towards the plight of the passengers was evident when instead of attending to their needs, he was relaxing on a chair and reading a magazine.

1. concern
2. apathy
3. calumny
4. reticence
5. indifference
6. impudence

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Explanatory Answer

Meanings for the words given in this question are provided in the table. Before going through the detailed explanation, check whether you are able to arrive at the answer after knowing meanings for the words.

S No.	Word	Meaning
1	concern	worry or anxiety about something
2	apathy	lack of interest
3	calumny	insulting and critical. Slanderous.
4	reticence	not communicating. Silent
5	indifference	not interested in
6	impudence	bold and arrogant

The clue in this sentence is revealed when we analye the attitude of the steward. Instead of attending to the needs of the passengers, he was relaxing on a chair. This indicates that the air steward did not care about the plight of the passengers. He was not interested in helping or serving them. His attitude was apathetic or indifferent.

Choices B & E are the correct answers.