This is the third part of our brand new Vocabulary Exercise Series meant for Civil Service Aspirants. If you haven’t practiced the previous one yet, click here to do so now.
Fill up the gaps with the suggested words given at the bottom.
That campaign involved a ——– of lies about the integrity of the voting process from the president, his allies and other elected Republicans. It included——— legal challenges that were laughed out of court even as they ——— doubt in the minds of a majority of Republicans about whether Joe Biden won fairly. It involved the president and his allies strong-arming state election officials to change the vote count outright. When it all failed, the president held a rally on the National Mall and sent the angry crowd to march on the Capitol and stop Congress from declaring Mr. Biden the winner of the presidency. The riot came at the cost of at least five lives and shook the confidence of the nation and the world in the stability of American democracy. (Sowed, Farcical, Barrage)
Each of these efforts amounts to an unprecedented assault on the rule of law. Taken together, they constitute a crime so —————– that it demands the highest form of accountability that the legislature can deliver. As regrettable as this moment is for the nation, there is no other option but to vote to ———– the president for a second time. (Impeach, Brazen)
Mr. Trump began —————– November’s election before the first vote was cast. Throughout the spring and summer, as the pandemic forced states to be more flexible with mail and absentee voting, he claimed repeatedly and without evidence that mail-in balloting would be ———- with fraud. (Undermining, Rife)
Questions … What do the following two expressions mean?
- Laughed out of court
- Strong-arming state election officials
Answers:
That campaign involved a barrage of lies about the integrity of the voting process from the president, his allies and other elected Republicans. It included farcical legal challenges that were laughed out of court even as they sowed doubt in the minds of a majority of Republicans about whether Joe Biden won fairly. It involved the president and his allies strong-arming state election officials to change the vote count outright. When it all failed, the president held a rally on the National Mall and sent the angry crowd to march on the Capitol and stop Congress from declaring Mr. Biden the winner of the presidency. The riot came at the cost of at least five lives and shook the confidence of the nation and the world in the stability of American democracy.
Each of these efforts amounts to an unprecedented assault on the rule of law. Taken together, they constitute a crime so brazen that it demands the highest form of accountability that the legislature can deliver. As regrettable as this moment is for the nation, there is no other option but to vote to impeach the president for a second time. [Source:NYT]
Answer to questions ..
Laughed out of court .. When the judge decides the case has no merit and is frivolous, he dismisses it instinctively. Such a scenario is explained by ‘laughed out of court’.
Strong-arming state electoral officials .. When people in very high positions coerce subordinate officers to d illegal things using verbal threats, blackmail etc, this expression is used.
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