Hello @gregmat @HoldMyBeer
Could you please help me understand why the answer below is not C)?
The powers and satisfactions of primeval people, though few and meager, were _____ their few and simple desires.
B) commensurate with
C) substantiated by
Reasoning: My satisfactions will always be justified by the desires i have. If I have more desires I will be less satisfied and vice versa.
I’m neither Greg nor Beer, but I’d say that there is limited evidence for C, and that you are using outside knowledge. The fact that you included “reasoning”, with rationale outside of the question, should support this assertion.
For answer B, however, powers and satisfactions are “few and meager”, compared to the desires which are “few and simple”. Commensurate (corresponding in size or degree; in proportion) best describes this relationship, with directly stated evidence from the passage.
Well, that’s a relief! We’ve got enough Gregs and Beers in the world already. It’s high time we make room for the fantastic you! (˵ ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°˵)ﾉ⌒♡*:･。.
I will just expand the answer that bunion-airfare.0n provided :
“Commensurate with” means “in proportion to” or “corresponding in size, extent, or degree.”
“Commensurate with” means that the powers and satisfactions of primeval people matched their simple desires(proportional ). Even though these powers and satisfactions were limited, they were sufficient to meet their basic needs and wants.
On the other hand, “Substantiated by” means “supported or confirmed by.” Using this phrase would imply that the few and simple desires of primeval people somehow provided evidence or validation for their powers and satisfactions, rather than expressing that their powers and satisfactions were proportional to their desires.
The sentence’s intended meaning(acc. to me) is to show that the limited powers and satisfactions of primeval people were enough to satisfy their basic desires, which is better conveyed with the phrase “commensurate with.”
This is super helpful! Thanks a lot @HoldMyBeer @bunion-airfare.0n : )