Two distractors in a one-blank TC item share a similar dictionary meaning but only one fits the sentence's tone. The best move is to
Apick the longer of the two distractors as the safer GRE answer.
Bpick whichever distractor is the more familiar everyday word.
Ccompare each distractor against the passage's overall tone.
Dskip the item and return to it after finishing the section.
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. compare each distractor against the passage's overall tone.
Tone traps survive a dictionary check because both options carry similar denotations; only the passage's mood discriminates between them. ETS's guidance is to verify the choice produces a passage that is 'logically, grammatically, and stylistically coherent'. Length and familiarity are unreliable. Skipping is reserved for items where logic itself is unclear, not for two-word ties on tone.
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