sentence equivalence

[sanaus]

The ascent of Mount Everest was first conquered nearly sixty years ago, but it nevertheless remains a symbol of...........struggle in the popular psyche, demanding incredible determination and physical endurance.
a) arduous
b) daedalean
c) colossal
d) adamant
e) herculean
f) gordian

[thepillow]

HI Sanaus,

To me it seems like the answers should be A (arduous) and E (herculean). Are those the answers given?

The reason I chose those answers is because the sentence tells us that climbing Everest still remains a symbol of a struggle that requires a lot of hard work. This is exactly what "arduous" and "herculean" mean. "Colossal" is a tempting choice but it refers more to the size of something than its difficulty.

[Pournima Ghule]

i think it is e) herculean and f) gordian

[thepillow]

i think it is e) herculean and f) gordian

Hi Pournima Ghule,

"Gordian" means intricate or complex (it's most common usage in English is in the expression "gordian knot", which refers to an extremely involved/complicated problem). However, the sentence tells us that climbing Everest requires " incredible determination and physical endurance", so we need words that have to do with strength, effort, etc. "Arduous" and "herculean" both have this meaning.

This doesn't mean that "gordian" makes no sense in the sentence, just that it's not the answer that most mirrors the description we're given. It is true that the ascent may be intricate, but that adds extra content to the sentence beyond what is explicitly stated.

Hope that helps!

[sanaus]

Hi Pillow,
Even I chose arduous and herculean as my answers but the answer is colossal and herculean
Sentence equivalence is getting tougher for me.

[thepillow]

Hi Pillow,
Even I chose arduous and herculean as my answers but the answer is colossal and herculean
Sentence equivalence is getting tougher for me.

Hi Sanaus,

Which book or website is the question from?

"Arduous" and "herculean" are definitely synonyms. I have just checked several dictionaries (to make sure I didn't confuse the words) and "arduous" is indeed listed as a synonym for "herculean".

However, I will admit that after thinking about the question a little bit more "colossal" may have more merit than I initially thought. The only way "colossal" can be correct instead of "arduous" is if whoever wrote the question thinks that "colossal" is more appropriate for describing something symbolic in the popular psyche. To call something a colossal struggle is definitely more awe-inspiring than calling it an arduous struggle. That said, it would be hard to conclusively argue for "colossal" over "arduous". So I don't think this is a very fair question.

[sanaus]

Hi Pillow,
it is from Kaplan new gre premier( 2011-2012).

[thepillow]

Hi Pillow,
it is from Kaplan new gre premier( 2011-2012).

Thanks Sanaus. In the book, does Kaplan give an explanation for their answer?

[sanaus]

Not really but they have written that colossal has the proper strength that you need for an adjective.
This is the only explanation given.