The scientist's hypothesis was ------- by the experimental results, which failed to support any of her key predictions about the chemical reaction's behavior.
- vindicated
- substantiated
- refuted (correct answer)
- corroborated
Explanation: This question tests your ability to understand context clues and choose vocabulary that matches the logical relationship described in the sentence. When experimental results "fail to support" a scientist's predictions, you need to determine what this means for the hypothesis. The key phrase here is "failed to support any of her key predictions." This tells you the experimental evidence worked against the hypothesis rather than supporting it. When evidence contradicts or disproves a scientific theory, that theory has been refuted (C). The word "refuted" means to prove something wrong or false through evidence or argument. Looking at the incorrect choices: (A) "vindicated" means proven right or justified, which is the opposite of what happened since the results didn't support the predictions. (B) "substantiated" means supported with evidence or proof—again, this contradicts the information that the results failed to support the hypothesis. (D) "corroborated" means confirmed or supported by additional evidence, which also goes against the stated outcome. Notice how three of the four answer choices (A, B, and D) all mean roughly the same thing—that the hypothesis was supported or proven correct. This is a common pattern on vocabulary questions where multiple distractors cluster around one meaning while only one choice represents the opposite, correct meaning. Strategy tip: In sentence completion questions, pay close attention to signal words and phrases that indicate direction. Words like "failed," "however," "although," or "despite" often signal that you need a word with the opposite meaning from what might initially seem logical.