Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: descended
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question tests vocabulary and correct verb usage in context. The sentence describes Rita moving into a cellar, and the key is to choose a verb that accurately conveys movement and direction in relation to that space. The cellar is generally a room or storage area located below ground level, so the proper verb must align with the idea of going downwards.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
We need to match each verb with its meaning and see which one logically fits the idea of movement into a cellar. Ascend means to go up, descend means to go down, rescind means to cancel an order or law, and intend relates to purpose rather than physical movement. Only a verb that expresses downward motion toward a lower level is appropriate when entering a cellar.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Consider ascended. Ascended means moved up or climbed upwards. Since a cellar is lower than the main floor, this does not fit.Step 2: Consider rescinded. Rescinded refers to revoking, cancelling, or withdrawing a rule, decision, or agreement. It does not describe physical motion.Step 3: Consider descended. Descended means moved downwards from a higher place to a lower place, which is exactly how one moves into a cellar.Step 4: Consider intended. Intended is related to planning or having a purpose in mind, not to physically entering a cellar.Step 5: Therefore, the only contextually and grammatically suitable verb is descended, giving the sentence: Rita descended into the cellar.
Verification / Alternative check:
We can verify by thinking about ordinary usage. People usually say a person descends into a cellar or goes down into a cellar. Phrases like ascended into the cellar or rescinded into the cellar sound unnatural and incorrect, confirming that descended is the natural and idiomatic choice.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Ascended (option A) describes upward movement and directly contradicts the idea of going into a lower underground space. Rescinded (option B) is used in legal or formal contexts when cancelling policies or decisions, not for physical movement. Intended (option D) refers to having a plan or aim, which does not complete the sentence in a grammatically or semantically correct way when followed by into the cellar.
Common Pitfalls:
Some learners may choose ascended simply because it sounds formal or sophisticated, ignoring the meaning of the word. Others may not be fully sure of the meanings of rescinded or intended and guess randomly. A good strategy is always to pair the physical context (cellar as a lower place) with the basic meaning of the verb, since vocabulary questions often rely on very simple but precise definitions.
Final Answer:
The appropriate verb that best completes the sentence is descended, giving the correct sentence Rita descended into the cellar.
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