from the list of words lettered A to D, choose the one that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the…

Analyze the question: The underlined word is affluence (it appears in the sentence "many people prefer affluence to ____"). We need a word that is opposite in meaning to affluence and that also fits the gap.

Explain the concept: Affluence means wealth, abundance, or a state of having plenty of money and resources. Its antonym is a state of lacking money or resources.

Go through the options:

• A. scarcity: means a shortage or lack of something. It is opposite to abundance, but it is not usually used to describe a person's financial state. "Prefer affluence to scarcity" sounds incomplete because we need to know scarcity of what.
• B. thrift: means careful spending and saving. It is not the opposite of wealth, since a wealthy person can be thrifty.
• C. waste: means careless use of resources. It is not opposite to affluence, because rich people can also waste.
• D. poverty: means the state of being poor. It is the direct opposite of affluence (wealth) and fits naturally: "many people prefer affluence to poverty."

Answer: D. My own working agrees.

Tip: In antonym-with-gap questions, check two things: (1) the word must be a true opposite, and (2) it must read naturally in the sentence. Link word families: affluence/wealth/riches versus poverty/penury/destitution.