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Difficulty: Very hardSentence Equivalence: Contextual Synonym Pair Selection

Although the historiographer's monograph was initially celebrated for offering an __________ account of the diplomatic negotiations, subsequent scrutiny revealed that her analysis leaned heavily on standard, long-publicized archival materials.

Which TWO of the following answer choices, when inserted into the blank, produce completed sentences that are equivalent in meaning?

  1. unprecedentedAnswer
  2. novelAnswer
  3. C
    meticulous
  4. D
    painstaking
  5. E
    orthodox
  6. F
    pedantic

Answer

The correct choices are 'unprecedented' and 'novel'. Both words denote something original or not previously known, which provides the necessary semantic contrast to the subsequent clause describing the reliance on standard, long-publicized materials.
The sentence relies on a contrast structure initiated by 'Although'. The second half of the sentence reveals that the monograph used 'standard, long-publicized archival materials' (implying a lack of original finding). To create the contrast, the initial celebration must have assumed the work was highly original. Both 'unprecedented' and 'novel' mean original or previously unseen, thereby completing the sentence with equivalent meaning.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze structural signals and overall sentence polarity.
The concession transition 'Although' at the start of the sentence signals a contrast between the initial praise of the monograph and the later revelation of its contents.
Identifying pivot words dictates whether the blank requires alignment with or opposition to surrounding context.
2
Determine the contextual meaning required for the blank.
The second clause states that scrutiny showed the analysis 'leaned heavily on standard, long-publicized archival materials'. Therefore, the initial celebration must have praised the monograph for being original, groundbreaking, or unprecedented.
The blank must contrast 'standard, long-publicized' with a word meaning innovative or new.
3
Evaluate the option choices for synonym pairs and contextual fit.
'unprecedented' and 'novel' both mean original and new, fitting the context and creating equivalent sentence meanings. 'meticulous' and 'painstaking' form a synonym pair meaning careful/thorough, but fail to provide the contrast regarding novelty. 'orthodox' contradicts the contrast signal, and 'pedantic' lacks a matching pair.
Only words that both fit the sentence tone and share equivalent meaning produce sentence equivalence.

Key Concept

Sentence Equivalence: Contextual Synonym Pair Selection
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Sentence Equivalence: Contextual Synonym Pair Selection

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