Do not give him a responsible job, he is <u>immature</u>.
- (a)thoughtful
- (b)cautious
- (c)calculating
- (d)seasoned
Correct — D, 'seasoned'. 'Immature' says that a person has not yet grown into steadiness of judgement; 'seasoned' says the opposite — matured and made reliable by experience, the way seasoned timber has been left to dry and settle before it is used. In a sentence about who can be trusted with a responsible job, that is the reverse quality.
- (a)thoughtful — Means considerate or reflective, and a young, immature person can be both.
- (b)cautious — Names one habit of the careful rather than the settled maturity the item is after; timidity can look like caution at any age.
- (c)calculating — Means coldly self-interested. It reverses nothing in 'immature' and carries a disapproval of its own.
'Immature' is the absence of the judgement that comes with growth and experience; 'seasoned' is that judgement, gained over time.
'Mature' itself is not on the list, so the item is really asking which of four near-misses does the work. The test is whether the option names ripeness brought by experience, and only 'seasoned' does. The word comes from what happens to timber and to food that are left to develop before use, and it keeps that sense when applied to people — a seasoned officer, a seasoned campaigner. The other three describe manner or motive, and all three can be true of someone quite immature.
- 'Seasoned' means matured by experience — a seasoned traveller, a seasoned soldier.
- 'Calculating' means acting from cold self-interest, and it is a term of disapproval.
- In an antonym block the exact opposite may be missing, and the nearest available reverse is what is wanted.
- Looking for 'mature' and then settling for whatever sounds most positive.
- Choosing 'calculating' because it suggests thinking things through.
Asked as an antonym item — pick the word most nearly opposite in meaning to the underlined word.
No directly related past PYQ was found.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to 'novice'?
- (a)beginner
- (b)veteran
- (c)learner
- (d)apprentice
Answer(b) veteran — a novice is new to the work, a veteran long practised in it.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The phrase 'a seasoned campaigner' describes someone who is
- (a)newly appointed
- (b)much experienced
- (c)well paid
- (d)seasonally employed
Answer(b) much experienced — the seasoning here is maturity gained over time.