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Difficulty: HardEliminating False Synonyms and Topically Related Distractors

Although evolutionary biologists long suspected that the orchid's intricate floral architecture evolved to attract specialized pollinators, recent genetic mapping suggests that these structural adaptations were surprisingly ______ , arising instead as unintended side effects of metabolic shifts during rapid speciation. Select the two options that produce completed sentences identical in meaning.

  1. fortuitousAnswer
  2. adventitiousAnswer
  3. C
    advantageous
  4. D
    beneficial
  5. E
    ornamental
  6. F
    morphological

Answer

The two words that correctly complete the sentence with equivalent meanings are 'fortuitous' and 'adventitious'.
The sentence uses the contrast word 'Although' and the clarifying phrase 'arising instead as unintended side effects' to show that the orchid's features were not deliberately evolved adaptations, but rather accidental occurrences. The words 'fortuitous' and 'adventitious' both mean happening by chance or unintentionally, yielding two completed sentences with identical meaning.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze structural clues and sentence direction
The sentence begins with the concession signal 'Although', setting up a contrast between the long-held belief (that floral architecture evolved purposefully for attraction) and recent genetic findings. The phrase 'arising instead as unintended side effects' indicates that the blank must describe something accidental, unplanned, or occurring by chance.
Establishing the target meaning and tone is necessary before evaluating vocabulary options.
2
Identify candidate words fitting the context
'Fortuitous' (occurring by chance) and 'adventitious' (accidental/unplanned) both match the context of an unintended side effect.
Sentence Equivalence requires selecting words that maintain logical sentence coherence.
3
Evaluate remaining options for false synonym pairs and topical traps
'Advantageous' and 'beneficial' form a synonym pair but fit the initial hypothesis rather than the contrasting finding. 'Ornamental' and 'morphological' relate topically to floral traits and biology but lack synonym pairs and do not convey the idea of chance.
Eliminating invalid synonym pairs and unpaired topical distractors guarantees semantic equivalence.

Key Concept

Eliminating False Synonyms and Topically Related Distractors
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Topics

Eliminating False Synonyms and Topically Related Distractors

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