The journalist's investigation revealed that the company had been concealing evidence of environmental violations for years. Internal documents showed executives knew about the contamination but chose not to report it.
As used in the text, what does the word "concealing" most nearly mean?
revealing
hiding
studying
creating
Correct Answer: B
Choice B is the best answer. The passage states executives "knew about the contamination but chose not to report it," indicating deliberate suppression of information. "Hiding" captures this sense of keeping something secret.
Choice A is incorrect because "revealing" is the opposite of not reporting. Choice C is incorrect because "studying" doesn't imply keeping information secret. Choice D is incorrect because "creating" doesn't relate to suppressing existing evidence.