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Difficulty: MediumAnalyzing Contextual Tone and Valence Clues

Rather than providing a purely neutral appraisal of the municipal initiative, the urban planning committee's report proved to be surprisingly ________, subtly weaving favorable commentary into its statistical evaluation.

Which of the following two options, when inserted into the sentence, produce completed sentences that are logically coherent and equivalent in meaning?

  1. laudatoryAnswer
  2. B
    dispassionate
  3. commendatoryAnswer
  4. D
    vituperative
  5. E
    analytical
  6. F
    thorough

Answer

The two words that complete the sentence with logically equivalent meanings expressing praise are 'laudatory' and 'commendatory'.
The sentence structure hinges on the contrast signal 'Rather than providing a purely neutral appraisal', indicating that the blank must describe a non-neutral report. The downstream clue 'subtly weaving favorable commentary' establishes that this non-neutral direction is positive and approving. The words meaning praising or expressing approval are 'laudatory' and 'commendatory'. Together, they form an exact synonym pair that completes the sentence logically.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze structural contrast clues in the sentence stem
The opening contrast phrase 'Rather than providing a purely neutral appraisal' signals that the blank must represent a departure from neutrality.
Contrast transitions dictate that the character of the report is opposite or distinct from being neutral.
2
Identify valence clues in the elaboration clause
The phrase 'subtly weaving favorable commentary into its statistical evaluation' establishes a positive, approving valence for the blank.
The tone clue explicitly mentions 'favorable commentary', requiring words that mean expressing praise or approval.
3
Select the pair of options that share the required meaning and tone
Both 'laudatory' and 'commendatory' mean expressing praise and commendation.
Inserting either word yields a sentence stating that the report was surprisingly praising, creating coherent and equivalent meanings.

Key Concept

Analyzing Contextual Tone and Valence Clues in Sentence Equivalence
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Topics

Analyzing Contextual Tone and Valence Clues

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