High School Placement Test (HSPT) Practice Test

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Study for the High School Placement Test with our HSPT quiz. Revise with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each offering hints and explanations. Prepare confidently for your exam!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

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Impair most nearly means:

direct
improve
stimulate
weaken

The correct answer is: weaken

The term "impair" means to weaken or diminish the quality, strength, or effectiveness of something. It suggests a negative impact that reduces the overall capability or functionality of an object, system, or person's abilities. For example, if someone has an injury that impairs their ability to walk, that injury has weakened their physical capability. This aligns perfectly with the meaning of "weaken," making it the correct choice in this context. On the other hand, the other options do not match the meaning of "impair." "Direct" implies sending something straight towards a target, "improve" suggests making something better, and "stimulate" means to encourage or provoke into action, all of which represent positive enhancements or actions, contrasting with the negative connotation of "impair."