Appropriate technology holds the key to a nation’s development.

Modern. Dates the technology instead of judging its fit; something quite modern may be badly unsuited to the place it is put to work in.

Effective. Says the technology works, which is a different claim: a device can work perfectly and still be wrong for the setting.

Growing. Describes an increase and does not translate 'appropriate' at all.

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NDA (II) 2016 General Ability Test · Question 13 of 150

Question text verified against the official NDA question paper.

<u>Appropriate</u> technology holds the key to a nation’s development.

Q: What is the answer to NDA (II) 2016 GAT Q13?

B. Correct: B, 'Suitable'. 'Appropriate' means fitting for the purpose, the person or the occasion, and 'suitable' says the same thing in a plainer word. The sentence is about technology that fits a nation's needs, which is a judgement of fitness and not of age or power.

(a)Modern
(b)Suitable
(c)Effective
(d)Growing

Answer

Why

Correct: B, 'Suitable'. 'Appropriate' means fitting for the purpose, the person or the occasion, and 'suitable' says the same thing in a plainer word. The sentence is about technology that fits a nation's needs, which is a judgement of fitness and not of age or power.

Why the others are wrong

(a)
Modern: Dates the technology instead of judging its fit; something quite modern may be badly unsuited to the place it is put to work in.
(c)
Effective: Says the technology works, which is a different claim: a device can work perfectly and still be wrong for the setting.
(d)
Growing: Describes an increase and does not translate 'appropriate' at all.

Concept

'Appropriate' means suited to the purpose or the occasion. It is a judgement of fit, not of quality, size or newness.

All three wrong options are approving words, which is what makes them tempting in a sentence about development. Each praises a different property (newness, power, expansion) while 'appropriate' praises only fitness for the case in hand. Note also that the same spelling is a verb, 'to appropriate', meaning to take or set something aside for a use, and that the stress falls differently in the two words.

Key facts

'Appropriate' answers the question 'fitting for what?': appropriate dress, appropriate action, appropriate technology.
'Suitable', 'fitting', 'apt' and 'proper' are its close synonyms.
As a verb the same spelling means to take something for one's own use or to set funds aside for a purpose.

Study next

Words spelt alike but stressed differently: appropriate, separate, deliberateSynonyms of fitness: apt, fitting, proper, becomingReading a synonym option against the sentence rather than in isolationAdjectives of approval that are not interchangeable

Common traps

Picking the most flattering option instead of the closest one.
Confusing the adjective 'appropriate' with the verb 'to appropriate'.

Asked as a synonym item: pick the word most similar in meaning to the underlined word.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Practice

practice, not a real PYQ
Which word is closest in meaning to 'apt'?
- (a)quick
- (b)fitting
- (c)distant
- (d)hostile
Answer(b) fitting: an apt remark is one that fits the occasion.
practice, not a real PYQ
In 'the committee appropriated the funds', the word 'appropriated' means
- (a)distributed freely
- (b)set aside for a use
- (c)refused
- (d)audited
Answer(b) set aside for a use: as a verb, to appropriate is to assign or take something for a particular purpose.

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