Question

Which word is closest to the meaning of the underlined word as it is used in the paragraph? Use the thesaurus to find the correct meaning. Jane tends to her garden almost daily. Her flowerbeds are filled with an array of flowers. In one corner, she has a vegetable garden. Jane has added plant food to her garden soil to neutralize the effects of acid rain.

neutralize v. cancel, counteract, defeat, spoil

A. cancel
B. counteract
C. defeat
D. spoil

Answer 1

B. counteract

The purpose of the plant food is to provide the necessary nutrients that the acid rain wipes out. The plant food cannot provide a shield that cancels out the acid rain. It also does not have soldiers that attack the acid rain to defeat it. Also, spoil just doesn't work.