In the Harry Potter series, Vernon Dursley prides himself on being “perfectly normal, thank you very much.” An ANOMALY or deviation from the norm, is the last thing Dursley wants in his life. However, in the opening chapter of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Dursley notices several strange ANOMALIES or what he calls “funny stuff.” For example, he spots a cat that appears to be reading a map. He also notices several odd people who are dressed in colorful robes. And that is not all: flocks of owls can be seen flying during the daytime.
Unfortunately, SAT test writers have yet to show any interest in using Harry Potter to illustrate vocabulary words. But they are very interested in the relationship between the strength of a country’s democratic institutions and its ability to restrain inflationary pressures. Be patient – here’s the explanation:
Logically, the strength of a country’s democratic institutions should enhance its ability to limit inflationary pressures. But there is an ANOMALY. Although Belgium has strong democratic institutions, its inflationary rate in 2017 was higher than the rate of inflation in Equatorial Guinea, a country with much weaker democratic institutions.
Needless to say, this ANOMALOUS situation puzzled researchers. Don’t let it puzzle you! The situation described in the passage is ANOMALOUS because it doesn’t conform to what is logically expected.
ANOMALOUS – deviating from what is usual, normal, and expected