36. Which of the following words contains only closed syllables?
Answer: D
Contest contains only closed syllables.
The word "contest" is made up of syllables that end in consonants, making it a word that contains only closed syllables.
A) Behind
"Behind" contains an open syllable (the first syllable "be-") that ends in a vowel sound, thus it does not qualify as containing only closed syllables.
B) Nobody
"Nobody" includes an open syllable (the first syllable "no-") which ends in a vowel sound, disqualifying it from being a word with only closed syllables.
C) Paper
"Paper" has an open syllable ("pa-") that ends with a vowel sound, so it does not consist solely of closed syllables.
D) Contest
"Contest" is composed of two syllables, both of which are closed. Each syllable ends in a consonant, making this word the only option that adheres to the requirement of containing only closed syllables.
Conclusion
"Contest" is definitively the correct answer because it meets the criteria of having only closed syllables, while all other options contain at least one open syllable, thus failing to satisfy the question's requirements. This distinction is crucial in understanding syllable structure in phonetics.