Question

use your knowledge of context clues, word roots, and affixes to determine the meaning of the italicized words in this passage. at first, greece was ruled by an oligarchy. the problem with this type of government is that a few individuals can issue edicts, which are not agreed upon by everyone, but which everyone must follow. after a while, the oligarchy was extirpated and replaced by a democracy. oligarchy most likely means “a ”. edicts most likely means “ ”. extirpated most likely means “ ”.

Explanation:

For "oligarchy", the context mentions "a few individuals can issue edicts", which implies a form of government ruled by a small group. For "edicts", since they are issued by a few and must be followed by everyone, they are likely official orders. For "extirpated", the text says the oligarchy was replaced by democracy, so it means removed or destroyed.

Answer:

Oligarchy: a government ruled by a small group
Edicts: official orders
Extirpated: removed or destroyed