She was the most prolific painter I have ever met. She painted numerous major paintings each year and exhibited hundreds in several important galleries. Which word in the sentence gives the best clues to the meaning of prolific?

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Read this sentence:

She was the most prolific painter I have ever met. She painted numerous major paintings each year and exhibited hundreds in several important galleries.

Which word in the sentence gives the best clues to the meaning of prolific?

Select one:

a. Numerous

b. Major

c. Exhibited

d. Important

Answer:

The word that gives the best clues to the meaning of prolific is:

a. Numerous

Explanation:

It is common for writers to offer some sort of contextual explanation for an uncommon word they have used. It is both a way of developing the idea and message they wish to convey and a way of elucidating meanings.

In the passage, "She was the most prolific painter I have ever met. She painted numerous major paintings each year and exhibited hundreds in several important galleries," the writer talks of a prolific painter. Even if we do not know what prolific means, we can assume it is related to the explanation that comes right after it. In this case, it is the mention of the fact that she has painted numerous paintings. We can safely assume that prolific has a connection to the number of things someone makes or produces.

We would, in fact, be correct. The adjective prolific can be used to refer to a person, an animal, or a plant that produces a lot - products, offspring, or fruit, for example. It can also be used to refer to something that exists in abundance, something that is numerous. Therefore, prolific is directly connected to the word numerous.