In the sentence about the weatherman, 'account for' most nearly means what?

• A. Measure it.
• B. Justify it.
• C. Ignore it.
• D. Deny it.

Answer: (B)

The main idea being tested is understanding how "account for" is used to explain reasons or justify something. In the sentence about the weatherman, it means to provide the reasons or justification for his forecast—how he arrived at it and why it should be believed. It isn’t about measuring something, nor about ignoring or denying it. Those options don’t fit the sense of asking for an explanation or justification, so the meaning closest to the intended sense is to justify it.