Question

parkerton university press
student viewpoints
by chan sung lee

i was pleased to read that parkerton university is expanding its student common areas. the project will provide spaces on campus that support conversations in sign language used by our student body who are deaf or hard of hearing. however, the universitys plans lack one of the elements of good architectural design long used by the deaf community. elements of good architectural design for people who are deaf and hard of hearing should include the following:

adequate lighting
when people are signing with each other, it is critical they have proper lighting. they need enough light to see each others hands and facial expressions, but no overly bright light. it is also important to have no flashing lights that distract from signing.

proper building materials
whatever their level of hearing loss, people who are deaf or hard of hearing do sense sounds in ways that can be distracting. the higher the amount of hard surfaces in the building, the higher the level of distracting vibrations.

open space
hallways, seating arrangements, and dining areas must be spacious enough to allow for movement during signing. people also need to be able to face each other when signing. for these reasons, many common seating arrangements are not comfortable for the deaf community.

the university plans include considerations for adequate lighting and proper building materials, but unfortunately, they do not address this third element of adequate open space. i take my hat off to the university for developing better spaces for people who are deaf and hard of hearing, but i do hope they revise their plans to include all the above-mentioned elements of architectural design.

which phrase best matches the meaning of take my hat off to?

• encourage
• praise
• request
• represent

Explanation:

Analyze the context of the phrase

The author states: "I take my hat off to the university for developing better spaces for people who are deaf and hard of hearing..." This expresses admiration and approval for the university's positive actions.

Define the idiom

The idiom "take my hat off to [someone]" is a traditional gesture of respect, admiration, or praise for someone's achievements or actions.

Evaluate the options

• "encourage" means to give support, confidence, or hope.
• "praise" means to express warm approval or admiration, which directly matches the meaning of the idiom.
• "request" means to politely ask for something.
• "represent" means to stand for or act on behalf of.

Answer:

• encourage
• praise (Correct answer)
• request
• represent