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Difficulty: MediumMulti-Blank Dependency Tracking

Read the passage below:

While many contemporary critics dismissed the novelist's late prose as (i)________, more recent scholarship suggests that this perceived lack of structure was not an accidental failing, but rather a deliberate technique designed to (ii)________ the chaotic and non-linear nature of memory.

Which of the following pairs of word choices correctly completes the blanks in the passage in a logically coherent manner?

  1. (i) amorphous, (ii) mirrorAnswer
  2. B
    (i) amorphous, (ii) belie
  3. C
    (i) fastidious, (ii) mirror
  4. D
    (i) lucid, (ii) mirror
  5. E
    (i) fastidious, (ii) mitigate

Answer

The correct completion is (i) amorphous and (ii) mirror.
The option containing '(i) amorphous, (ii) mirror' is correct because 'amorphous' (shapeless, unorganized) accurately echoes the clue 'perceived lack of structure', and 'mirror' (to reflect or correspond to) logically explains why an author would deliberately use an amorphous structure to represent chaotic memory.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze structural transition signals and context clues for Blank (i).
The opening concessionary word 'While' signals a contrast between past critics and recent scholarship. Furthermore, the phrase 'perceived lack of structure' directly defines the negative attribute assigned to the prose by contemporary critics.
Blank (i) requires a word meaning formless or lacking definite structure, which points directly to 'amorphous'.
2
Evaluate inter-blank dependency to determine the required valence and meaning for Blank (ii).
The second clause re-evaluates the 'perceived lack of structure' as a 'deliberate technique' aimed at capturing 'the chaotic and non-linear nature of memory'.
If the prose itself is non-linear and chaotic, the author's intentional technique must be aiming to reflect or copy that nature. Therefore, Blank (ii) requires a verb meaning to reflect or mimic, pointing to 'mirror'.
3
Verify joint coherence across both blanks simultaneously.
Combining 'amorphous' and 'mirror' produces a coherent narrative: critics saw the work as shapeless ('amorphous'), but scholars realize this shapelessness was intended to reflect ('mirror') memory's own chaotic form.
Cross-verifying the pair ensures logical harmony across clauses rather than treating the blanks as independent items.

Key Concept

Multi-Blank Dependency Tracking
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Multi-Blank Dependency Tracking

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