Question

read the excerpt from paragraph 5.

were there any good produced by war which could in any degree compensate its direful effects...

the suffix -ful usually indicates that a word is an adjective. what is the meaning of direful as it is used in this sentence?

○ inspiring awe
○ leading to disaster
○ foreshadowing evil intent
○ needing immediate attention

Explanation:

To determine the meaning of "direful" in the context of "war" and its effects, we analyze the root "dire" (meaning extremely serious, dreadful, or disastrous) and the suffix "-ful" (which forms an adjective meaning "full of" or "having the quality of"). The effects of war are typically disastrous. "Inspiring awe" is too neutral or positive. "Foreshadowing evil intent" focuses on intent, not effects. "Needing immediate attention" doesn't relate to the nature of war's effects. "Leading to disaster" aligns with the disastrous nature of war's effects, as "dire" implies disaster, so "direful" here means having qualities that lead to disaster.

Answer:

B. leading to disaster