Note: I found this question online and saw that the italicized words are "speculate", "strenuous", "exaggerate", and "vicinity".
Answer:
The sentence that best uses a synonym as a context clue to clarify the meaning of the word is option D. I know I left my laptop in the vicinity of the playing field, which is near the bleachers.
Explanation:
Options A through C do not present any context clues to clarify the meaning of the italicized words. The only possible option left is D, in which we have the word "vicinity". "Vicinity" means the area near or around something. In the sentence, we have the very synonym of "vicinity" being used as a context clue for its meaning when the speaker says, "which is near the bleachers." Therefore, even if the reader does not know what "vicinity" means, he can infer the meaning through the context clue.
