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Difficulty: MediumSentence Equivalence: Contextual Synonym Pair Selection

Although the museum curator initially praised the newly acquired Renaissance portrait for its vibrant brushwork, subsequent laboratory analysis proved the attribution to be __________, revealing that extensive overpainting had disguised a much later origin. Which two of the following answer choices, when inserted into the blank, produce completed sentences that are similar in meaning?

  1. spuriousAnswer
  2. apocryphalAnswer
  3. C
    authentic
  4. D
    fastidious
  5. E
    meticulous
  6. F
    plausible

Answer

The choices 'spurious' and 'apocryphal' both correctly complete the sentence, producing sentences with equivalent meaning indicating that the attribution of the portrait was false.
The sentence relies on the contrast signal 'Although' to set up an opposition between the initial belief that the painting was genuine and the subsequent discovery that it was from a later period. The words 'spurious' and 'apocryphal' both mean false or of questionable authenticity, which fits the context precisely and maintains semantic equivalence.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze structural signals and context clues in the sentence stem.
The opening word 'Although' establishes a contrast between the curator's initial praise and the subsequent laboratory analysis.
The laboratory analysis revealed extensive overpainting and a later origin, indicating that the initial attribution to the Renaissance era was incorrect.
2
Determine the required tone and meaning for the blank.
The target word must mean false, counterfeit, or of doubtful authenticity.
The blank describes an attribution that was disproved by scientific evidence.
3
Evaluate the answer choices to identify a contextual synonym pair.
'spurious' (false/fake) and 'apocryphal' (of doubtful authenticity) both fit the required meaning and form a coherent synonym pair.
Selecting both words yields two sentences that convey the exact same meaning.

Key Concept

Sentence Equivalence: Contextual Synonym Pair Selection
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Topics

Sentence Equivalence: Contextual Synonym Pair Selection

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