Question

Read the sentence below and use context clues to determine the meaning of the word buffer: Trees around your house provide a buffer from the summer heat and keep heating bills low in the winter. What does buffer mean in this context? Attack or assault Cushion or protection Opposition or rejection Safety or assistance

Answer 1

The correct answer is Cushion or protection.

Indeed, these trees protect the house from the heat during summer because they protect it from the very hot sun rays. They also protect the house from the extreme cold of the winter because they keep  a lot of the cold wind and the snow from ever reaching the home. They act thus like a thermic cushion and help protect the house from the rigors of elements.