Directions : Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions that…
2017
Directions : Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions that follow by selecting the most appropriate option.
Antarctica is an icy continent in the South Pole. It is covered by permanently frozen ground, is surrounded by water and is about 1.5 times longer than the United States. The world's largest desert is in Antarctica. 98% of the land is covered with a continental ice sheet; the remaining 2% of land is barren rock. Antarctica has about 87% of the world's ice. The South Pole is the coldest, windiest and driest place on Earth. The coldest temperature ever recorded on Earth was at the South Pole; it reached as low as $-128.6$ °F or $-88.0$ °C. On an average most of the Antarctica gets less than 2 inches of snow each year. Although scientific expeditions visit Antarctica, there are no permanent human residents. This is because of the extreme weather, which includes freezing temperature, strong winds and blizzards. There are about 4000 seasonal visitors to Antarctica. Antarctica hasn't always been located at the South Pole. It has drifted, like the other continents and has ranged from the Equator during the Cambrian period, about 500 million years ago to the South Pole. During the time of the dinosaurs, Antarctica was more temperate and housed dinosaurs and many other life-forms. Now there is very little indigenous life.
The word 'windiest' in the passage is a
- A.
second form of verb
- B.
superlative form of adjective
- C.
superlative form of adverb
- D.
positive form of noun
Attempted by 6 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Concept: Adjectives change form to show three degrees of comparison — positive (the base form, e.g. 'windy'), comparative (for two things, e.g. 'windier'), and superlative (for three or more, or to show the highest degree, e.g. 'windiest'). Most one- or two-syllable adjectives form the superlative by adding '-est' to the base adjective, with a y-to-i spelling change when the adjective ends in a consonant plus y.
Application: In the passage, 'windy' is the base adjective describing a quality of the place. Adding the superlative suffix '-est' (with the y-to-i change) produces 'windiest'. The sentence lists three parallel superlative adjectives — 'coldest, windiest and driest place on Earth' — each formed the same way, showing the South Pole holds the highest degree of each quality among all places on Earth. 'Windiest' is therefore the superlative form of the adjective 'windy', modifying the noun 'place'.
Cross-check — why the other readings don't fit:
Second form of a verb: the past-tense form (e.g. 'played', 'went') never takes an '-est' comparison suffix, so a verb reading is ruled out.
Superlative form of an adverb: adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, not nouns; 'windiest' modifies the noun 'place', which is an adjective's role.
Positive form of a noun: a noun's base form is uninflected (e.g. 'wind') and never carries a comparison suffix like '-est', since degree of comparison applies only to adjectives and adverbs.