Question

select all the correct answers.
read the following sentence.
despite their fervent excitement prior to the election, the majority of voters had a tepid reaction to the news that their candidate
had been elected.
in which of the following sentences does tepid have the same meaning as in the sentence above?
the university president’s remarks on student achievement were met with tepid silence
from his opponents on the board of trustees.
ecologists discovered that the river contained tepid water because it was warmed by the
nearby lava flow.
the orthodontist instructed the patient to eat only tepid foods for a month to avoid irritating
her sensitive gums.
employees had a tepid reception to new regulations which would protect their jobs but
require them to work more hours.
the instructions for the experiment stated that the tepid solution should be heated slowly
until it reached the boiling point.

Explanation:

To solve this, we first determine the meaning of "tepid" in the original sentence. The context (fervent excitement prior, but reaction to election news is tepid) shows "tepid" means lukewarm or unenthusiastic (in terms of emotion/response).

Analyzing each option:

1. "The university president’s remarks... tepid silence": "Tepid silence" implies a lukewarm, unenthusiastic response (no strong reaction), matching the original’s meaning (unenthusiastic reaction).
2. "Ecologists discovered... tepid water": Here, "tepid" refers to the temperature of water (warm), which is a literal, physical meaning (not emotional/response-based) → does not match.
3. "The orthodontist instructed... tepid foods": "Tepid" describes food temperature (not too hot/cold) → literal, physical meaning → does not match.
4. "Employees had a tepid reception... new regulations": "Tepid reception" means an unenthusiastic response (they are not excited about regulations that require more hours, even if it protects jobs) → matches the original’s meaning.
5. "The instructions... tepid solution": "Tepid" refers to the solution’s temperature (warm) → literal, physical meaning → does not match.

Answer:

A. The university president’s remarks on student achievement were met with tepid silence from his opponents on the board of trustees.
D. Employees had a tepid reception to new regulations which would protect their jobs but require them to work more hours.