Question

4
mark for review
despite the chaos around him, the diplomat remained ____, handling negotiations calmly and without visible stress.
a concrete
b volatile
c optical
d poised
e lackadaisical
f heartening
g acerbic

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze the context: the diplomat is handling negotiations calmly despite chaos. Let's define each option:

• A. concrete: relating to specific facts, not about calmness. Eliminate.
• B. volatile: unstable, opposite of calm. Eliminate.
• C. optical: related to light/vision, irrelevant. Eliminate.
• D. poised: calm, composed, matches the context of handling chaos calmly.
• E. lackadaisical: lazy, not about calmness. Eliminate.
• F. heartening: inspiring, not about personal calm. Eliminate.
• G. acerbic: sharp/critical, irrelevant. Eliminate.

Answer:

D. poised