The writer wants to ensure that the connotations of the underlined portion of sentence 16 (reproduced below) are appropriate to
the context of the sentence. However, other countries, such as Canada and New Zealand, have successfully retired the penny without a significant increase in prices.
Which of the following versions of the underlined text would best accomplish this goal?
a. abandoned
b. discarded
c. ditched
d. disowned
e. as it is now
The word “retire” has a principal meaning of leaving or stopping one’s job at a particular age, but it also has a secondary meaning of withdrawing a unit of currency from circulation. Used in the context of a country discontinuing the penny, the word “retire” has a neutral and objective connotation and is therefore the most appropriate choice for the sentence.
