سوال ۳ کنکور ارشد مهندسی کامپیوتر ۱۴۰۰
Choose the word or phrase (1), (2), (3), or (4) that best completes the sentence.
At first, the Savings Mart didn't do well, but after it lowered its prices and increased its advertising, the store began to ----------.
پاسخ صحیح: گزینهٔ A — prosper
The sentence sets up a contrast with the signal word but: the store did poorly at first, then it took positive actions (lowered prices, increased advertising). The blank therefore needs a verb meaning to become successful / thrive financially.
- prosper — to flourish, succeed, especially in business or money. Fits perfectly. ✓
- subside — to die down, become less intense (e.g., pain or a storm). This is the opposite of the intended meaning. ✗
- arise — to come into existence or get up; "the store began to arise" is not idiomatic for business success. ✗
- strive — to struggle or make great efforts; it describes effort, not the successful outcome the sentence implies. ✗
So the store began to prosper.
Exam trick: A contrast cue like but tells you the second half reverses the first. The store went from didn't do well to a positive result, so pick the clearly positive verb (prosper), not a struggle verb (strive) or a decline verb (subside).