Examkin

Question

Difficulty: HardContrast and Reversal Clues

Read the passage below and determine the word that logically completes the blank based on the contrast pivot signal.

Answer:While early twentieth-century palaeontologists characterized the transitional fossil as an anatomical 【chimera】, recent biomechanical modeling demonstrates that its seemingly incongruous features actually formed a remarkably cohesive functional apparatus.

Answer

The blank must be filled with a noun signifying an incongruous mixture, structural contradiction, or piecemeal assembly, such as 'chimera', 'pastiche', or 'anomaly'.
The contrast pivot 'While' signals a directional shift between the initial view of the fossil and modern biomechanical evidence showing a 'cohesive functional apparatus'. The missing word must describe an ill-fitting or artificial assemblage, making terms like 'chimera', 'pastiche', or 'anomaly' contextually precise.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the contrast structural signal in the sentence.
The subordinating conjunction 'While' at the start of the sentence establishes a contrast between the historical characterization by early palaeontologists and the recent biomechanical findings.
Contrast signals indicate that the idea in the first clause must logically oppose the idea in the main clause.
2
Analyze the context clue in the main clause.
Recent modeling proves that the fossil's traits 'formed a remarkably cohesive functional apparatus.'
Because of the contrast signal 'While', the word in the blank must represent the opposite of 'cohesive functional apparatus'—something disjointed, incongruous, or ill-assorted.
3
Deduce the semantic requirement for the blank.
The target word must denote an anatomical oddity, composite hybrid, or mismatched assemblage (e.g., 'chimera', 'pastiche', 'hodgepodge', or 'anomaly').
Describing the fossil as a 'chimera' or 'anomaly' directly contrasts with the newly recognized functional integration and cohesion.

Key Concept

Contrast and Reversal Clues
Rate this question

Topics

Contrast and Reversal Clues

More questions from this topic