Answer the following question below and choose the option nearest in meaning to the underlined word or phrase…

Analyze the question: You need the word closest in meaning to "typical" in the sentence: "That type of response is typical of a lazy teacher." (The underlined word is understood to be "typical".)

Concept: "Typical of" means "showing the usual qualities of a person or group", that is, something that is expected of, or belongs to, that person or group. The synonym should therefore mean "distinctive of" or "representing the nature of".

Step-by-step solution:

• A. symptomatic: This means "being a sign of something, usually a problem or condition" (e.g., "The rise in crime is symptomatic of social decay"). It is close, but it points to a sign of an underlying problem, not to a trait that is expected of someone.
• B. characteristic: This means "a feature or quality belonging to a person or thing and distinguishing them". "Characteristic of" is a near-perfect match for "typical of". "That response is characteristic of a lazy teacher" means it is what you would expect from one.
• C. universal: This means "found everywhere or applying to all". It does not fit, because the sentence is not saying all teachers respond this way.
• D. incontestable: This means "cannot be disputed". It has nothing to do with "typical".

Answer: The best option is B. characteristic.

Tip: In "synonym" questions, put each option into the sentence and check whether the meaning stays the same. Note the collocation: both "typical of" and "characteristic of" use the preposition of, which is a useful clue. "Symptomatic" is a tempting distractor, but it usually signals a sign of a problem, not a typical trait.