Question

Choose the word that best fits the blank: 'The auditor's report was so ___ that even minor discrepancies in the accounts did not escape notice.'

• A. cursory
• B. vague
• C. meticulous
• D. biased

Hint:

Ask what quality a report must have if it catches even the smallest errors. Rule out any word that implies carelessness or lack of detail.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: The sentence's result clause is 'even minor discrepancies in the accounts did not escape notice', meaning nothing, however small, was missed.
Step 2: Work backward from this result to the quality of the report. A report that catches even minor errors must be extremely thorough and detail-focused.
Step 3: Eliminate options that describe an inattentive report: 'cursory' means hasty and superficial, which would let minor errors slip through, not catch them. 'Vague' means unclear or imprecise, also unlikely to catch fine details. 'Biased' describes unfairness, not thoroughness, and is unrelated to noticing discrepancies.
Step 4: 'Meticulous' means showing great attention to detail, which is exactly the quality needed to catch even minor discrepancies.
Correct option: (3) meticulous.