ShmoopTube

00:03

We're picking up what you're putting down. You want another vocab question...

00:08

Which word could fill in the blank so that the sentence below makes sense?

00:11

The old woman lived on the edge of the forest in a small, blank cottage that had been in

00:16

her family for generations.

00:19

Here are the potential answers.

00:27

Whatever word we choose to fill the blanks has got to be compatible with "small."

00:31

This requirement immediately rules out (C), because "extravagant" describes something

00:35

big and flashy. This is definitely more of a gingerbread house than a palace.

00:39

We can rule out "exquisite" for a similar reason. It usually describes something beautiful

00:44

and intricately designed.

00:45

(C) and (D) are officially condemned. The word we're looking for also has to get

00:50

along with the description of something old, because the sentence tells us the house has

00:54

been in the family for years.

00:56

This requirement let's us condemn (B) as well. A house that's been around for a while

01:00

would not be called "modern."

01:02

There's nothing in the sentence that says that the cottage isn't "conventional,"

01:07

but houses that have been around for a while usually have more character.

01:10

We're not looking for a McMansion here. Looks like (A) wins the day... since "quaint"

01:15

refers to something old-fashioned and unusual.

01:19

The answer is (A). A for "Anybody can find love when there's charming housing involved."

Full Transcript