"Hedged": One Word, Two Verdicts
The committee's summary described the trial results as "promising but preliminary." It noted that the sample included only 84 participants, recommended a limited pilot program rather than a broad launch, and cautioned that a statewide rollout would be premature. A reporter later wrote that the committee had "hedged," prompting the chair to object that the summary had in fact stated a clear recommendation.
1. In the reporter's sentence, what does "hedged" most nearly mean, and what does the word imply about the committee?
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In context, "hedged" means qualified a claim so as to avoid commitment - softening a conclusion to reduce exposure to being wrong.
The implication is evaluative, not neutral. Calling the summary hedged suggests the committee was evasive or unwilling to say plainly what it thought. Two details in the passage make that characterization contestable:
- The summary does not merely soften; it recommends a specific action (a limited pilot) and rules out another (statewide rollout). That is a definite position, not a dodge.
- The caution is tied to a stated reason - 84 participants - so it reads as calibrated rather than evasive.
That is why the chair objects: the reporter's word converts appropriate uncertainty into a character flaw.
2. Which replacement for "preliminary" best preserves the passage's meaning?
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"Not yet conclusive."
Test each option against the surrounding evidence:
- Not yet conclusive - matches the small sample and the recommendation to pilot rather than launch. ✔
- Introductory - describes sequence or format (an introductory chapter), not the strength of evidence; it would wrongly imply the results are merely a first installment.
- Unimportant - the opposite of "promising"; the committee clearly thinks the results matter enough to justify a pilot.
- Rough - implies poor quality or imprecision, whereas the concern is sample size, not sloppy measurement.
The reliable method: substitute the candidate and check it against every clue in the sentence. "Promising but introductory" would not explain why a statewide rollout is called premature; sample size explains it exactly.
3. The chair objects that the summary "stated a clear recommendation." Which details in the passage best support the chair?
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The strongest support is the recommendation clause itself: the summary "recommended a limited pilot program rather than a broad launch." Choosing one option over another is a definite position.
The caution about a statewide rollout being "premature" reinforces this - it draws a firm line, not a vague one. "Premature" is a judgment with a direction: not now, but the door is open later, under specified conditions.
Weaker support: the 84-participant figure. It explains why the committee was cautious, but an explanation for caution does not show that a clear recommendation was made - if anything it is the kind of detail the reporter would cite for "hedged." Distinguishing evidence that explains a criticism from evidence that answers it is the skill being tested here.