Question

in the columbus, ohio, school district, previous contract talks with teachers had dragged on for months, with the board refusing to budge on class - size caps and health benefits. this year, facing a statewide shortage of teachers and voters furious about canceled classes, board members arrived at the first session with a list of concessions, hoping that their more ______ stance would avert another strike.
2 mark for review
which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
a yielding
b steadfast
c punitive
d reckless

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze the context: Previously, the board refused to budge (was unyielding). This year, they have concessions, so their stance is now more flexible.

• Option A "yielding" means willing to give in or be flexible, which fits as they are making concessions (opposite of previous unyielding stance).
• Option B "steadfast" means firm, which is the opposite of what's needed (they changed from being firm).
• Option C "punitive" means intended to punish, irrelevant here.
• Option D "reckless" means careless, not related to the context of contract talks and concessions.

Answer:

A. yielding