Sentence Equivalence

[asishkm]

Hi Tommy,

The question is:
The powers and satisfactions of primeval people, though few and meager, were ______ their few and simple desires.

(a) simultaneous with
(b) commensurate with
(c) substantiated by
(d) circumscribed by
(e) restrained by
(f) at par with

I can make out two pairs - (b),(f) and (d),(e). I think both these pairs can be appropriate in this case.

However, the answer given is (b),(f) only. Presumably it has something to do with the word "though"? although I fail to understand the reason behind it.

[tommywallach]

Hey Asish,

Where is this question from? The sentence doesn't make any sense. This is not a legal meaning/usage of satisfaction. Ignore this one (and the source it came from). Gosh I hope it's not us!

-t

[asishkm]

Nope, not you guys!

Could you suggest some improvement in the sentence so it makes some sense?

I do intend to ditch that source though soon, however the source claims that its questions (apart from the 3 blank text completion) are actual questions that appeared on the GRE (based on student memory).

That is precisely the reason I asked if you could suggest some change in wording to make it more plausible of a question (since human memory is often terrible).

By the way, I have to thank you for the awesome work that you do on the forums (for free!). Even the past questions and your analysis on various AWA questions has helped me immensely. (I hope that previous sentence was correct.)

- Asish

[tommywallach]

Hey Asish,

Maybe something like:

Though primeval people's needs were few and meager, those needs __________ their power to satisfy them.

Or something. I wouldn't trust anyone trying to base question writing on memory. Yuck.

But I'm glad you've found it helpful here! (And don't worry, I am in fact paid to do this!).

-t