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Question

Difficulty: HardTone Consistency

Early motion pictures were recorded on cellulose nitrate film, a highly volatile medium that decays rapidly under standard conditions. To preserve these cultural artifacts, archivists must store them in specialized vaults with sub-freezing temperatures. Without these strict interventions, these irreplaceable historical records will inevitably succumb to degradation.

Which of the following choices best replaces the underlined portion of the passage?

  1. NO CHANGEAnswer
  2. B
    bite the dust from
  3. C
    submit themselves before the inevitability of
  4. D
    succumb under

Answer

The original phrasing 'succumb to' best maintains the tone of the passage and is idiomatic.
The original phrasing 'succumb to' fits the formal, academic tone of the passage perfectly and uses the correct idiomatic preposition 'to'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the tone established by the surrounding sentences in the passage.
The passage contains formal terms such as 'volatile medium,' 'cultural artifacts,' and 'strict interventions,' which establish a formal and academic tone.
Understanding the paragraph's tone is necessary to determine which word choice will maintain consistency.
2
Evaluate the options to identify which one matches the established formal tone and is grammatically correct.
The phrase 'succumb to' is formal and idiomatically correct. The phrase 'bite the dust' is too informal, 'submit themselves before the inevitability of' is overly dramatic and wordy, and 'succumb under' uses an incorrect preposition.
This allows the selection of the single option that is both stylistically consistent and grammatically accurate.

Key Concept

Tone Consistency
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Topics

Tone Consistency

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