Question

read the sentence from the passage.

\one of the best places to conserve both water and energy at home is in your shower.\ (paragraph 4)

the word conserve comes from the latin prefix con-, meaning \together,\ and the root servare, meaning \to guard or keep.\ based on this, what is the meaning of conserve as it is used in the sentence?
a. make use of
b. protect from harm
c. keep together
d. use less of

Explanation:

To determine the meaning of "conserve" in the sentence, we analyze the word's components. The prefix "con -" means "together" and the root "servare" means "to guard or keep". In the context of conserving water and energy at home (like in the shower), the idea is to use less of them to preserve resources. Option A ("make use of") is about using, not conserving. Option B ("protect from harm") is too broad and doesn't fit the context of using less resources. Option C ("keep together") is a literal combination of the prefix and root but doesn't match the context of water and energy use. Option D ("use less of") aligns with the idea of conserving (guarding/keeping resources by using less) in this context.

Answer:

D. use less of