Question

Directions for questions 107 to 111: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.

The Celts may be taken as a starting point for a study of the long series of people whose arrival and settlement in Britain have contributed to its history. They provide a link between the prehistoric period, at the end of which they had emerged ...

(Passage of 230 words, from "The Celts" by Nora Chadwick, Penguin edition.)

What does the word "relegate" mean?

• A. To make importance
• B. To make less important
• C. Delegate
• D. Give poor treatment

Hint:

Recall "relegate" from its common use in sports, when a team is moved down a division.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Word.
"Relegate" comes from Latin roots meaning to send away or send back, and in modern English it is used when something or someone is pushed down to a lower rank, position, or level of importance.

Step 2: Key Approach.
The best way to fix a word's meaning is to recall it in a familiar sentence. Sports commentary often says a team was "relegated" after a poor season, meaning the team moved down a division, that is, given a lower standing.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation.
Applying that same sense here, the Celts in the passage have been "relegated" in importance in the historical record, meaning their significance has been pushed down or downgraded compared to other periods or peoples. Checking the options, "to make importance" is grammatically odd and means close to the opposite of the word, "delegate" is a different word entirely about handing over a task, and "give poor treatment" describes mistreatment rather than a change in rank or standing. Only "to make less important" captures the core sense of lowering someone's or something's status.

Step 4: Final Answer.
"Relegate" means to make less important, so the answer is option (b).