The Clarion-Clapper Zone (CCZ) is a 1.73 million square mile abyssal or very deep plain located in the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Mexico. SAT test writers are very interested in the number of invertebrates inhabiting this region. Many puzzled students had difficulty choosing between a TENUOUS or INESTIMABLE as the best way to describe the region’s number of invertebrates.
TENUOUS has made frequent appearances on vocabulary in context questions. It describes a relationship that is very weak and therefore not secure or strong. In contrast, INESTIMABLE made its debut as a possible answer. INESTIMABLE describes something that cannot be estimated or measured. Given a choice between the familiar word TENUOUS and the unfamiliar word INESTIMABLE many confused students chose TENUOUS.
So which word is the most precise answer? As always, the passage provides a key clue. After describing a number of scientific details about the CCZ zone, the passage finally reveals that the region’s biota or animal and plant life is “poorly sampled.” This key phrase tells us that researchers don’t have enough information to estimate the number of invertebrates inhabiting the CCZ region. Given this contextual clue, INESTIMABLE is the most precise answer.
TENUOUS – describes a relationship that is weak and therefore not strong or secure
INESTIMABLE – describes something that cannot be estimated or measured