Indira Gandhi was the first female prime minister of India. She was a symbol of power. Her political background was very promising as her father was the first prime minister of independent India. From a young age, she formulated plans to get young people involved in the government. One of Indira's goals was to alleviate poverty and provide relief in the country. However, political unrest and the passing of laws that limited personal freedoms tainted her reputation at times.
Read this sentence from the passage.
However, political unrest and the passing of laws that limited personal freedoms tainted her reputation at times.
What does the word tainted mean in this context?
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transmitted
tarnished
complicated
suffered
tarnished
The word alleviate most likely means to
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relieve.
invade.
infuriate.
excused.
relieve.
Arianna's behavior was cryptic to say the least. The momentary bursts of laughter between her tears completely baffled us. Arianna, the peer advocate, had never been so out of touch with herself. As her best friend, I tried hard to lift her spirit. However, the grimace in her face at my every attempt to do so discouraged me. Arianna did not want to watch a movie, enjoy ice cream, or go for a walk. I could not watch Arianna sit frozen on her couch anymore, and I needed help rolling her out from the inertia. So I convinced the school counselor to pay Arianna a visit.
Which word or phrase in the paragraph helps the reader understand the meaning of the word grimace?
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attempt
advocate
discouraged
momentary
The word or phrase that helps the reader understand the meaning of the word "grimace" is "discouraged".
In this paragraph, the narrator tries to roll Arianna out from the inertia. What does inertia most likely mean?
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assistance
sorrow
inactivity
penalty