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Difficulty: Very hardSupport and Cause-Effect Clues

Complete the passage by filling in the blanks with terms that accurately maintain the causal relationship and logical coherence established by the structural signals.

Answer:The archivist contended that the sudden proliferation of pseudonymous political pamphlets was directly 【precipitated by】 the institutional instability following the monarch's unexpected abdication; consequently, the censorship board's subsequent attempt to suppress non-sanctioned texts proved entirely 【counterproductive】, serving only to exacerbate public disaffection.

Answer

Blank 1 is correctly completed by 'precipitated by' (or semantic equivalents denoting origin/cause), and Blank 2 is correctly completed by 'counterproductive' (or semantic equivalents indicating that an action backfired).
The passage builds a continuous causal chain across two clauses. In the first clause, the rapid increase in pamphlets is described as stemming from institutional instability, making 'precipitated by' the precise contextual fit. In the second clause, the transition word 'consequently' links the board's suppression attempts to an unintended escalation of public anger; thus, describing the board's action as 'counterproductive' accurately captures that backfiring relationship.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the causal framework established in the first clause to determine the requirement for Blank 1.
The phrase 'following the monarch's unexpected abdication' outlines an antecedent condition that sparked the sudden surge in pamphlets. Blank 1 requires a passive causal participle phrase such as 'precipitated by' or 'engendered by' to express that the instability generated the proliferation.
The context sets up a direct causal mechanism linking political unrest to publication activity.
2
Evaluate the cause-and-effect transition 'consequently' to determine the logic for Blank 2.
The semi-colon followed by 'consequently' signals that the second clause describes the direct result of the censorship board's efforts. The clarifying participial phrase 'serving only to exacerbate public disaffection' reveals that the censorship had the opposite of its intended effect. Blank 2 therefore requires an adjective meaning backfiring or failing, such as 'counterproductive' or 'self-defeating'.
The result (exacerbating disaffection) directly proves that the intervention achieved a outcome inverse to suppression.

Key Concept

Support and Cause-Effect Clues in Text Completion
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Topics

Support and Cause-Effect Clues

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