Read the passage on how to write a good personal letter, with the example of Carlyle writing to his brother Alec about their mother, then answer the vocabulary question. In this passage the writer advises that a letter should be personal and not abstract. In this context, what does the word abstract most nearly mean?

Introduction / Context:
This question comes from a passage about how to write a good letter. The writer says that one should be personal rather than abstract and should include small, homely details that help the reader picture the scene. The example of Carlyle describing his mother sitting and writing from Scotsbrig shows exactly the kind of description that is praised. The question asks what abstract means in this context.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The passage advises approaching letter writing in a light and casual way.
• It tells the writer to be personal and not abstract.
• It suggests including small everyday details that loved ones at home can recognise.
• The example of Carlyle describes the room, the fire, the family members, and the evening atmosphere.
• Abstract is contrasted with vivid, concrete, and personal description.

Concept / Approach:
To interpret a word in context, we must look at how it is used in contrast with other terms. The passage clearly sets personal and concrete everyday details against something more general and impersonal. Abstract here does not mean summary; instead, it refers to ideas without physical detail or emotional connection. The correct option must capture this notion of being detached from real, tangible experience.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Note that the writer says you must be personal, not abstract. This shows that abstract is something opposite to personal and detailed. Step 2: Observe that the recommended details include specific sights and actions, such as the fire, the room, and the mother writing a last message. Step 3: Conclude that abstract here means writing only in general or theoretical terms, without such concrete details. Step 4: Compare this understanding with the answer choices and remove the options that do not fit the contrast. Step 5: Select the option that defines abstract as something not connected to physical reality or concrete description.

Verification / Alternative check:
To check your answer, see whether abstract could reasonably mean summary in this passage. The writer is not criticising summaries; instead, he is criticising distant, impersonal writing. Likewise, it does not mean not paying attention, because the focus is on style, not on the writer daydreaming. The option that says not having a physical reality and lacking concrete detail fits the contrast with vivid description and personal scenes.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Option A, a short summary, is a technical meaning of abstract, but it does not fit the idea of personal versus non personal style in the passage.
• Option B, not paying attention, describes a mental state such as being absent minded, which is not the issue being discussed.
• Option C, concrete and full of vivid physical detail, is the opposite of abstract as used here, and in fact describes what the writer wants letters to be.

Common Pitfalls:
Vocabulary questions in reading passages often use words that have more than one dictionary meaning. Many learners know only the meaning of abstract as a short summary of an academic paper and therefore choose that option automatically. The safe approach is always to read the surrounding sentences and ask how the word is being contrasted or explained in that specific context.

Final Answer:
In this passage, abstract refers to writing that is general, impersonal, and lacking in concrete, physical detail. Therefore, the correct option is Not having a physical reality and lacking concrete detail.