Look at the word in bold. "Anyway," Jonas pointed out, "have you ever once known of anyone—I mean really known for sure, Asher, not just heard a story about it—who joined another community?" "No," Asher admitted reluctantly. "But you can. It says so in the rules. If you don't fit in, you can apply for Elsewhere and be released. My mother says that once, about ten years ago, someone applied and was gone the next day." Then he chuckled. "She told me that because I was driving her crazy. She threatened to apply for Elsewhere." "She was joking." "I know. But it was true, what she said, that someone did that once. She said that it was really true. Here today and gone tomorrow. Never seen again. Not even a Ceremony of Release." Jonas shrugged. It didn't worry him. How could someone not fit in? The community was so meticulously ordered, the choices so carefully made. Even the Matching of Spouses was given such weighty consideration that sometimes an adult who applied to receive a spouse waited months or even years before a Match was approved and announced. All of the factors— disposition, energy level, intelligence, and interests—had to correspond and to interact perfectly. Jonas's mother for example, had higher intelligence than his father; but his father had a calmer disposition. They balanced each other. Their Match, which like all Matches had been monitored by the Committee of Elders for three years before they could apply for children, had always been a successful one. Like the Matching of Spouses and the Naming and Placement of new children, the Assignments were scrupulously thought through by the Committee of Elders. He was certain that his Assignment, whatever it was to be, and Asher's too, would be the right one for them. He only wished that the midday break would conclude, that the audience would reenter the Auditorium, and the suspense would end. As if in answer to his unspoken wish, the signal came and the crowd began to move toward the doors. From Lois Lowry, The Giver. Copyright 1993 by Lois Lowry What is the meaning of meticulously as used in the passage? (2 points) Responses strangely and suspiciosly strangely and suspiciosly precisely and carefully precisely and carefully reluctantly and strenulously reluctantly and strenulously permenently and irreversibly

Answer 1

The meaning of "meticulously" as used in the passage is "precisely and carefully." This word conveys the idea that the Matching of Spouses and other decisions in the community are done with great attention to detail and thorough consideration.