The concept
The blank · with clue extracted
"...the layers are ______, allowing for upward or downward movement based on merit or effort."
CContext
Society = layered by wealth, power, status
LLocate
"movement within strata" — the key clue
UUnderstand
Blank means "allows passage through"
EEvaluate
Test each choice in the blank
Predict before you peek"a word meaning 'allows passage through'"
permeable✓ pick
Allows passage through
visible—
Sight, not movement
equitable—
Fairness, not motion
theoretical—
Denies the layers
Word-in-context isn't a vocab quiz — it's a logic test. Every blank has a clue waiting in the surrounding sentences. Find the contrast, definition, example, or cause-effect cue and the right word picks itself. The wrong choices fit a related context but break the one in front of you.
Stat to remember:"However," "but," "unlike," and "instead" reverse the polarity of the blank — spot one and the answer must oppose the nearby idea.