Question

which sentence uses an antonym clue to help the reader determine the meaning of the underlined word?

after the thieves were arrested, the police confiscated the contents of the house, taking away all the stolen items.
the former king was adored by the people for his reasonable decisions, but the new king was disliked for his arbitrary decisions.
though the team was usually hungry after practice, the coach was still surprised at how famished they were today.
the lead actors impulsive behavior, making up lines that werent in the script, caused the director to recast the role.

Explanation:

Analyze the question prompt

The question asks: "Which sentence uses an antonym clue to help the reader determine the meaning of the underlined word?" We need to find a sentence where the underlined word is contrasted with its opposite (an antonym) to reveal its meaning.

Evaluate the first option

Sentence: "After the thieves were arrested, the police confiscated the contents of the house, taking away all the stolen items."

• Underlined word: "confiscated"
• Context clue: "...taking away all the stolen items."
• Analysis: This is a synonym or definition clue because "taking away" explains what "confiscated" means. It is not an antonym clue.

Evaluate the second option

Sentence: "The former king was adored by the people for his reasonable decisions, but the new king was disliked for his arbitrary decisions."

• Underlined word: "arbitrary"
• Context clue: The sentence compares the former king's "reasonable decisions" with the new king's "arbitrary decisions," joined by the contrasting conjunction "but."
• Analysis: Using Context Clues, we see "reasonable" is set up as the direct opposite of "arbitrary" through this contrast. This is a clear antonym clue.

Evaluate the third option

Sentence: "Though the team was usually hungry after practice, the coach was still surprised at how famished they were today."

• Underlined word: "famished"
• Context clue: "usually hungry... surprised at how famished..."
• Analysis: This is a comparison or degree clue. "Famished" is an extreme form of "hungry," not its opposite.

Evaluate the fourth option

Sentence: "The lead actor's impulsive behavior, making up lines that weren't in the script, caused the director to recast the role."

• Underlined word: "impulsive"
• Context clue: "...making up lines that weren't in the script..."
• Analysis: This is an explanation or example clue that describes what the "impulsive behavior" looked like. It is not an antonym clue.

Answer:

• (A) After the thieves were arrested, the police confiscated the contents of the house, taking away all the stolen items.
• (B) The former king was adored by the people for his reasonable decisions, but the new king was disliked for his arbitrary decisions. (Correct answer)
• (C) Though the team was usually hungry after practice, the coach was still surprised at how famished they were today.
• (D) The lead actor's impulsive behavior, making up lines that weren't in the script, caused the director to recast the role.