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Question

Difficulty: EasyMulti-Blank Dependency Tracking

Which words best complete the passage below by maintaining logical and semantic coherence across the blanks?

Answer:Despite the historian's reputation for 【thoroughness】, her recent monograph on medieval diplomacy was surprisingly 【cursory】, presenting sweeping generalizations unsupported by archival evidence.

Answer

Blank 1 requires a noun indicating scholarly care or rigor (such as 'thoroughness' or 'meticulousness'), while Blank 2 requires an adjective indicating a lack of detail or depth (such as 'cursory' or 'superficial').
The sentence uses the contrast signal 'Despite' to link the historian's reputation with the flaw in her monograph. The description 'presenting sweeping generalizations unsupported by archival evidence' requires Blank 2 to express shallow or hurried work (e.g., 'cursory'). To complete the contrast, Blank 1 must express the opposite quality of careful, rigorous scholarship (e.g., 'thoroughness').

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify structural contrast indicators
The opening word 'Despite' indicates a reversal between the historian's established reputation (Blank 1) and the actual nature of her recent publication (Blank 2).
Recognizing contrast signals establishes the opposite orientation between the two blanks.
2
Analyze explicit contextual clues for the second blank
The trailing clause 'presenting sweeping generalizations unsupported by archival evidence' explicitly defines the work as shallow or hurried, pointing to answers like 'cursory' or 'superficial' for Blank 2.
Solving the blank with explicit context clues provides the benchmark for resolving dependent blanks.
3
Determine the dependent meaning for the first blank
Since Blank 2 is defined as superficial, and 'Despite' sets up a direct contrast with her reputation, Blank 1 must represent meticulous attention to detail (such as 'thoroughness' or 'meticulousness').
Tracking inter-blank dependency guarantees semantic coherence across the sentence.

Key Concept

Multi-Blank Dependency Tracking
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Topics

Multi-Blank Dependency Tracking

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