The professor's argument turns on a fine distinction between two senses of "interest": one denoting mere curiosity, the other a stake in the outcome. Once the senses are kept distinct, what had looked like a single problem dissolves into two.
As used in the text, what does the word "stake" most nearly mean?
- Acheck_circle
personal investment
- B
thin steak
- C
wooden post
- D
wager
Explanation
The author contrasts curiosity with having an investment in the outcome — the "stake" of personal involvement, not the post, gambling, or homophone senses.