Question

Which group of words best helps the reader understand the meaning of the word cumulative in this sentence? Many people consider global warming, also called climate change, to stem directly from the cumulative impact of air, land, and water pollution, as well as other human activities.

Answer 1

One possible group of words that best helps the reader understand the meaning of the word cumulative in this sentence is increasing by successive additions. This group of words matches the first definition of cumulative given by the OxfordDictionaries1 and the Merriam-Webster Dictionary2. It also captures the idea that the impact of pollution and human activities is not a one-time event, but a gradual and continuous process that adds up over time. Another possible group of words that could help the reader understand the meaning of cumulative is formed by or resulting from accumulation, which is the second definition given by the Dictionary.com3 and The Free Dictionary4. This group of words emphasizes that the impact of pollution and human activities is a collective or aggregate outcome of many individual or separate parts or elements.

Step-by-step explanation: