Read the sentence, looking for clues
The semicolon in the sentence is a straight-ahead roadsign, so the second half of
the sentence will be a continuation of the first half. The words "these sayings"
immediately after the semicolon indicate that the first part of the sentence is also
concerned with the same sayings.
Predict an answer
The word in the blank must be a synonym for "sayings."
Select the two choices that most closely match your
prediction
(B)
adages means "old sayings or proverbs,"
and (C)
aphorisms means "old sayings or short
pithy statements." Both match the prediction and are correct.
(A) reliquaries, or "containers for
relics," does not refer to "sayings," so it is incorrect. (D) phylacteries, or "containers for scriptures,"
is incorrect because the sentence clearly refers to sayings and not scriptures or
their containers. (E) adumbrations, or
"foreshadowings or suggestions," is too specific; the sayings might have been
adumbrations, but they also might
not have been, and at any rate no other choice has the same meaning. (F) malapropisms, or "humorous misuses of words,"
are related to sayings but would not be considered "important," so (F) is also
incorrect.
Check your answers to see if the sentence retains the
same meaning
Confucian adages/aphorisms are the
extent of many Americans' understanding of Chinese philosophy; these sayings, though
important, are only one aspect of a highly developed philosophical system.
TAKEAWAY: Sometimes, the correct answer is simply a synonym of a word in the
sentence. Don't overthink sentences like these. Find the two synonyms and move
on.
