Question

He had achieved a doze when, just as morning began to come, he heard, far off in the jungle, the faint report of a pistol. Based on the previous passage, can you infer the meaning of report? A. to inform authorities about somebody or something B. make an official statement C. an account of something, as in the news D. a sharp, loud noise

Answer 1

Answer: Based on the previous passage, the meaning of "report" is D. a sharp, loud noise

Explanation: The word "report" can be used either as a verb or a noun. In that way, its meaning changes depending on the part of speech this word is representing. In the passage provided, "report" is used as a noun since it is being premodified by an adjective ("faint"). Moreover, as it is being postmodified by the prepositional phrase "of a pistol", "report" has been used with the meaning of a sudden loud noise: the noise of a pistol.

Answer 2

The correct answer is D. A sharp, loud noise

Explanation:

The meaning of a word can be determined according to the context in which the word is. In the case of the word "report" in the excerpt presented, this word is used in "he heard, far off in the jungle, the faint report of a pistol", this means the word "report" refers to the sound of a shotgun that is described by the narrator as faint and that seems to originate in a remote distance. According to this, it can be inferred "report" means "a sharp, loud noise" rather than an account, inform or similar.