Wherever I turned my view, there was perplexity to be disentangled, and confusion to be regulated; choice was to be made out of boundless variety. Which word helps determine the meaning of perplexity?

• A. disentangled
• B. wherever
• C. variety
• D. view

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is how context words reveal the sense of a tricky noun like perplexity. In this sentence perplexity is paired with “to be disentangled,” which directly casts perplexity as a kind of confusion or puzzling state that can be untangled or cleared up. That linkage makes sense of perplexity as a problem needing resolution rather than something like a spatial adverb, a range of options, or a perception. The other words don’t illuminate perplexity in the same way: wherever points to place, variety to abundance, and view to perception. So the word that helps determine the meaning is disentangled, because it shows perplexity as something to be resolved.