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ASVAB · Vocabulary in Context

Read the passage and answer: The manager's NOVEL approach to scheduling surprised everyone, since no one had tried anything like it before. As used in the passage, NOVEL most nearly means:

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Correct answer

New and original

  1. A A long story
  2. B Difficult
  3. C New and original
  4. D Boring

Why this is the answer

In vocabulary-in-context questions, choose the meaning that fits how the word is used in the passage. The clue 'no one had tried anything like it before' tells you NOVEL here means new and original, not the unrelated meaning 'a book/long story.' Many words have multiple meanings, and the ASVAB tests whether you can use context to select the right one. The phrase about it being unprecedented confirms the 'new/original' sense. Always reread the sentence with each candidate meaning and pick the one the context supports.
Source: ASVAB Paragraph Comprehension — Vocabulary in Context

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About this topic: Vocabulary in Context

Vocabulary-in-context questions ask what a word means as used in the passage. Substitute each answer into the sentence; the one that keeps the sentence's meaning is correct, even if the word has other meanings elsewhere. This is one of 13 Paragraph Comprehension questions on vocabulary in context, each with a full explanation on a single study page.

New to this exam? Our ASVAB exam guide explains the format, scoring, and how to prepare.

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