Vocabulary (Closest Meaning) – Choose the option that best matches the highlighted verb. Sentence: The claims of students look hollow when they “attribute” their poor performance to the difficulty of the examination.

Introduction / Context:
The verb “attribute … to …” means to regard something as being caused by or the result of something else. In formal registers, “impute … to …” is a close synonym that also means ascribe or credit (often with a negative nuance). We must pick the nearest equivalent.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Target structure: attribute X to Y.
• Context: students ascribe failure to exam difficulty.
• Options: infer, impute, inhere, inundate.

Concept / Approach:
“Impute” aligns with “attribute” in the causation/ascription frame. “Infer” is the reader’s conclusion from evidence; “inhere” means to exist essentially within; “inundate” means to flood or overwhelm. Only “impute” shares the grammatical pattern and meaning.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Substitute: “impute their poor performance to the difficulty …” reads naturally in analytical writing, confirming the equivalence.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• infer: Direction of meaning reversed; not “ascribe,” but “conclude.”
• inhere: No causal/ascriptive sense.
• inundate: Physical/metaphorical flooding; unrelated.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing reasoning verbs (infer) with causation/ascription verbs (attribute/impute). Watch the “X to Y” construction.

Final Answer:
impute