Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Elysium
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This one word substitution item asks you to find a word that means “a paradise with perfect bliss.” Many literary and poetic texts use mythological or symbolic names to describe idealised places of happiness. Knowing these terms helps you interpret advanced reading passages and appreciate figurative language used in poetry and prose.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
The phrase “paradise with perfect bliss” suggests a location or realm, not an action or speech. Among the given options, only Elysium names such a paradise. The others are derived from roots connected with nerves or praise and refer to either body structures or speeches. Separating terms for places from terms for actions or texts quickly narrows the options.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Interpret the phrase as describing something like heaven, an idealised realm of joy.
Step 2: Examine Elysium. In classical mythology, Elysium or the Elysian fields is the final resting place of the souls of the heroic and virtuous. In modern English, it denotes a place or condition of ideal happiness or paradise.
Step 3: Evaluate Epineurium. This is a specialised medical term relating to nerves and carries no meaning of bliss or paradise.
Step 4: Consider Encomium. This is a formal expression of high praise, such as a speech or written tribute. It does not describe a place.
Step 5: Consider Eulogium. This also refers to praise, especially in honour of someone who has died. Again, it is not a location of happiness.
Step 6: Therefore, Elysium is the only word that correctly captures the idea of a blissful paradise.
Verification / Alternative check:
Use the word in context: “For the poet, the island was an Elysium far from the troubles of the world.” This sentence clearly treats Elysium as a paradise. If you replace Elysium with Encomium or Epineurium, the sentence breaks down completely. Consulting dictionaries also shows that Elysium has extended into general English as a common word for a state or place of ideal bliss.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Epineurium belongs to medical anatomy, while Encomium and Eulogium belong to rhetoric and literature of praise. None of these terms refers to a place of eternal happiness. They cannot logically substitute for “paradise with perfect bliss” without changing the entire context of the sentence. They are included only to test whether you can distinguish between different word families beginning with similar sounds.
Common Pitfalls:
Candidates sometimes confuse Encomium and Eulogium with religious terms because they are used at ceremonies, but both words refer to speeches, not places. Remember that the suffix -ium is used in many contexts and does not always signal a similar meaning. Always match the grammatical role and semantic content of the phrase with the candidate word before answering.
Final Answer:
The correct one word substitute for “a paradise with perfect bliss” is Elysium, so the correct answer is option Elysium.
Discussion & Comments