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Difficulty: Very hardElaboration and Restatement Clues

Complete the sentence by filling in each blank with the word that best fits the context clues provided in the passage.

Answer:The legal historian’s study of medieval jurisprudence was thoroughly 【paraphrastic】—that is, far from advancing a novel theoretical framework, the volume functioned as a strictly 【reiterative】 text, doing no more than restating established statutory precedents in slightly altered terminology.

Answer

Blank 1 is correctly filled by 'paraphrastic' (or 'derivative') and Blank 2 is correctly filled by 'reiterative' (or 'tautological').
The sentence uses the restatement signal '—that is' alongside the clarifying clause 'doing no more than restating established statutory precedents in slightly altered terminology' to define both blanks. Blank 1 describes a work that rephrases prior material ('paraphrastic' or 'derivative'), while Blank 2 characterizes a text that repeats existing concepts ('reiterative' or 'tautological').

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the structural transition and elaboration markers in the sentence.
The em-dash followed by 'that is' signals an explicit restatement and elaboration of the thought in the first clause.
Understanding punctuation markers like em-dashes and restatement phrases ('that is') reveals that the second half of the sentence directly defines the target words.
2
Determine the required tone and meaning for Blank 1 based on the contrastive phrase 'far from advancing a novel theoretical framework'.
Blank 1 requires an adjective meaning unoriginal, rephrased, or derived from existing texts, such as 'paraphrastic' or 'derivative'.
The phrase 'far from advancing a novel theoretical framework' indicates that the work lacks original theory and relies on rephrasing existing material.
3
Determine the required meaning for Blank 2 using the concluding descriptive clause 'doing no more than restating established statutory precedents'.
Blank 2 requires an adjective signifying repetitive restatement or redundancy, such as 'reiterative' or 'tautological'.
The final clause explicitly defines the nature of the text as one that continuously restates established rules without adding original insights.

Key Concept

Elaboration and Restatement Clues
Estimated Time:2m 0s
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Topics

Elaboration and Restatement Clues

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