Question

As used in the passage, which of the following is the closest meaning to the statement "The culture of the conversation makes the words arcane"?

• A. Economists belong to a different culture.
• B. Only mathematicians can understand economists.
• C. Economists tend to use terms unfamiliar to the lay person, but depend on familiar linguistic forms.
• D. Economists use similes and adjectives in their analysis.

Answer 1

The correct option is C Economists tend to use terms unfamiliar to the lay person, but depend on familiar linguistic forms.

In the first paragraph, the author states, “the talk is hard to follow when one has not made a habit of listening to it for a while.” The author also mentions, “Underneath it all (the economist's favorite phrase) conversational habits are similar”. This is said in option (c) as well; unfamiliar terms make it arcane whereas the conversational part is similar. None of the other options (a), (b) and (d) can be inferred from the passage.
Hence, the correct answer is option (c).