Question

(n) state the exact meaning of the following five words as they are used in the material. (i) indifferent (line 32) 1 (ii) repelled (line 33) 1 (iii) morph (line 39) 1 (iv) consensus (line 46) 1 (v) droning (line 52) 1 fragrances marr was working on when i visited was one i will call magnus, intended for a popular detergent, whose scent was made by a competitor. that scent is, by broad consensus, exceptional: its such a good fragrance, marr told me, longingly. a contract for such a fragrance could be worth tens of millions of dollars. marrs new fragrance was already the result of years of work, and had been inspired by a scent he had come across a decade earlier. firmenichs laundry - testing laboratory resembled an immaculate laundromat, with washing machines droning along white walls. marr and miriam cota, a colleague, stood at a countertop as she handed him a series of plastic boxes, each containing white hand towels laundered with a different version of magnus. marr brought the towels gently to his nostrils. cota buried her nose in them. one scent was more sensual**, marr said, another more functional. to me, the towels smell like nothing. they moved on to damp cloth, the critical stage for detergents, where scents bloom. marr liked the version magnus 61, finding it full - bodied. cota preferred magnus 60 for its spice. marr thought it might be possible to get both effects. on his computer, he pulled up the formula for magnus 61 and began making adjustments in a new column titled magnus 610. a week later, marr and cota were testing magnus 610 alongside other versions. one here i like a lot, said marr. cota pointed to a box of towels washed in magnus 610. thats the one you like? i love it too! i could use it every day on everything. marr turned to me. i know when i smell a good fragrance, he said. you just instantly know. it probably happens once every two years. a person whose profession is to create perfume (nose in french) a build - up in fragrance intensity in use when you add water to a product or when it comes into contact with moisture such as sweat **relating to sensation or the senses

Explanation:

1. indifferent (line 32): The word describes the towels having no distinct smell, so it means unremarkable, lacking noticeable characteristics.
2. repelled (line 33): It refers to the scent being so unpleasant that it causes a feeling of disgust or aversion.
3. morph (line 39): In the context of adjusting the fragrance formula, it means to modify or transform the composition.
4. consensus (line 46): This refers to a general agreement among people that the competitor's scent is exceptional.
5. droning (line 52): It describes the continuous, low, monotonous sound made by the washing machines.

Answer:

(i) indifferent: Lacking distinct or noticeable qualities; unremarkable
(ii) repelled: Filled with a feeling of disgust or aversion
(iii) morph: To modify or transform the composition of something
(iv) consensus: A general agreement among a group of people
(v) droning: A continuous, low, monotonous humming sound