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Difficulty: HardLeveraging Secondary and Obscure Word Definitions

Although the literary critic acknowledged the author's meticulous historical research, she found the prose itself strikingly ________, lacking the dynamic imagery and emotional depth that characterized the writer's previous masterworks.

Select the TWO options that, when inserted into the sentence, produce completed sentences that are similar in meaning.

  1. pedestrianAnswer
  2. prosaicAnswer
  3. C
    erudite
  4. D
    scholarly
  5. E
    florid
  6. F
    grandiloquent

Answer

The correct selections are 'pedestrian' and 'prosaic', as both words contextually mean uninspired or lacking artistic vitality, completing coherent and equivalent sentences.
The sentence structure uses the concession word 'Although' to set up a contrast between the commendable historical research and the disappointing quality of the prose. The blank is elaborated by the phrase 'lacking the dynamic imagery and emotional depth', indicating a need for words meaning dull or uninspired. 'Prosaic' directly fits this meaning. 'Pedestrian', while most commonly used as a noun for a walker, functions adjectivally here in its secondary sense of dull, commonplace, or uninspired. Together, 'pedestrian' and 'prosaic' create two sentences with identical, coherent meanings.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze structural signals and contextual logic in the stem
The concession transition 'Although' establishes a contrast between the positive quality ('meticulous historical research') and the missing aesthetic quality, reinforced by the elaboration clause 'lacking the dynamic imagery and emotional depth'.
Identifying sentence polarity requires contrasting the research quality with a negative stylistic evaluation of the prose.
2
Determine the required target meaning for the blank
The blank requires an adjective signifying dull, uninspired, ordinary, or lacking creative spark.
The context explicitly defines the blank as describing prose that fails to engage emotionally or visually.
3
Evaluate option definitions, focusing on secondary meanings
While 'pedestrian' commonly denotes a person walking, its secondary obscure definition means dull or uninspired. 'Prosaic' is a direct synonym for uninspired or ordinary.
GRE Sentence Equivalence frequently relies on secondary definitions of high-frequency words to test nuanced vocabulary mastery.
4
Verify pair equivalence and eliminate false synonym distractors
'Erudite' and 'scholarly' form a synonym pair related to research, but fail context logic. 'Florid' and 'grandiloquent' distort the missing stylistic element.
Selecting valid synonym pairs requires strict alignment with the contextual contrast signal.

Key Concept

Leveraging Secondary and Obscure Word Definitions
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Topics

Leveraging Secondary and Obscure Word Definitions

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