EAP Sentence Meaning 2

Question 1

What does the sentence 'The researcher's findings, while preliminary, suggest a promising avenue for future investigation' primarily convey?

Accepted Answer

The findings are early-stage but potentially worth pursuing.

Answer

The phrase 'while preliminary' signals the findings are not final, and 'promising avenue' indicates optimism about future research.

Question 2

Which interpretation best captures the meaning of: 'Access to higher education remains disproportionately skewed toward affluent demographics'?

Accepted Answer

Students from wealthier backgrounds have significantly greater access to higher education.

Answer

'Disproportionately skewed toward' means the distribution is unequal and favors a particular group.

Question 3

The sentence 'Correlation does not imply causation' is most relevant when a researcher:

Accepted Answer

Finds that two variables increase together and concludes one causes the other.

Answer

This principle warns against inferring a causal relationship merely because two variables are statistically related.

Question 4

What is the most accurate paraphrase of: 'The policy's efficacy is contingent upon consistent implementation'?

Accepted Answer

Whether the policy succeeds depends on how steadily it is carried out.

Answer

'Contingent upon' means dependent on, so effectiveness depends on consistent application.

Question 5

In academic writing, 'The literature is replete with contradictory claims regarding X' most likely means:

Accepted Answer

Published research on X presents many conflicting viewpoints.

Answer

'Replete with contradictory claims' means the existing research contains many disagreements or opposing positions.

EAP - English For Academic Purposes Practice Test