problems from BB test 14

[kfree]

Hi TMians,
could you include your reason for your selection? Thx a zillion
Kfree


1. Even those who disagreed with Carmen's views rarely faulted her for expressing them, for the positions she took were as ______ as they were controversial.
(A) complicated (B) political (C) subjective (D) commonplace (E) thoughtful


2. New research on technology and public policy focuses on how seemingly _____ design features, generally overlooked in most analyses of public works projects or industrial machinery, actually _____ social choices of profound significance.
(A) insignificant .. mask
(B) inexpensive .. produce
(C) innovative .. represent
(D) ingenious .. permit
(E) inopportune .. hasten

3. Paradoxically, Robinson's excessive denials of the worth of early works of science fiction suggest that she has become quite _____ them.
(A) reflective about
(B) enamored of
(C) skeptical of
(D) encouraged by
(E) offended by

4. Johnson never _____ to ignore the standards of decent conduct mandated by company policy if _____ compliance with instructions from his superiors enabled him to do so, whatever the effects on his subordinates.
(A) deigned .. tacit
(B) attempted .. halfhearted
(C) intended .. directed
(D) scrupled .. literal
(E) wished .. feigned

[rumen]

First one(C) something that is subjective is also controversial
second(A) but In my opinion it should be(social choices OF profound significance), may be there is a typo.
Third (B)Paradoxically, to her denials she likes SF early works
Fourth(D) Johnson has no scrupules in violating good conduct if it makes him look better in the eyes of his bosses, and he does not care about his subordinates

[kfree]

Rumen, there IS a typo. I am sorry. I double checked for mistyped words, I didn't notice this :o

[rumen]

Hallo kfree, can you post the answers some time later.....I am interested in 3) especially

[kfree]

Hi, rumen,
I will give the correct answers first. Then, I will post my answers, which were wrong, and its logic. I am trying to figure out what went wrong when I get the answers wrong. Hopefully, this will be a good training.

1. E
2. A
3. B
4. D

[sitato]

can anybody explain the question 1 & 2 ?
I can't understand that why the answer is thoughful and insignificant in such sentences, thanks a lot~!

[rumen]

For the first one I have no clue, because I think that subjective also fits in, for the second," features, generally overlooked" reveals that first blank should contain something like unimportant or dispensable, or insignificant ,"actually" and " profound significance" imply that these seemingly insignificant design features , disguise or conceal, or mask something that is important

[kfree]

Hi guys,
I actually find Sentence Completions very difficult.

Originally posted by kfree


1. Even those who disagreed with Carmen's views rarely faulted her for expressing them, for the positions she took were as ______ as they were controversial.
(A) complicated (B) political (C) subjective (D) commonplace (E) thoughtful

I think the cue of this question is "rarely faulted". The blank explains why the position she took is rarely faulted. What is fault (as a verb)? That is "to find fault in". What is the feature of a "position" that cannot have fault to be find? A thoughtful position.

refutal of other selections:
(A) complicated.... doesn't make sense
(B) political.... This was my answer. I later realize that political can't be used to describe position
(C) subjective.... subjective is to have personal views. This does not support "rarely faulted".
(D) commonplace .... this goes against : "disagree with".

2. New research on technology and public policy focuses on how seemingly _____ design features, generally overlooked in most analyses of public works projects or industrial machinery, actually _____ social choices of profound significance.
(A) insignificant .. mask
(B) inexpensive .. produce
(C) innovative .. represent
(D) ingenious .. permit
(E) inopportune .. hasten

The main cue in this sentence is "seemingly". This shows that this sentence is trying to express a idea that seems like something but is actually something else.

The secondary cue is : "generally overlooked in most analyses of public works projects or industrial machinery"--(hint-A)--and "profound significance"--(hint-B). The first blank should match with (hint-A) and be the contrary to (hint-B).

I have trouble using information from the second blank at all. But the information from the first blank alone is sufficient to solve this problem.

3. Paradoxically, Robinson's excessive denials of the worth of early works of science fiction suggest that she has become quite _____ them.
(A) reflective about
(B) enamored of
(C) skeptical of
(D) encouraged by
(E) offended by

The beginning word: "paradoxically" means that this sentence is expressing two opposite meanings. The blank is to express the type of feeling that will definite not cause the person to try and give "excessive denials".

(A) reflective ... could have excessive denials..... (This was my choice)
(B) enamored ... well, makes sense. we will not give something excessive denials if with are infatuated with it.
(C) skeptical ... we will definitely give a lot of denial to something that we are skeptical about
(D) encouraged ... ??!!?? I don't know.... wierd.
(E) offended ... like (C)

4. Johnson never _____ to ignore the standards of decent conduct mandated by company policy if _____ compliance with instructions from his superiors enabled him to do so, whatever the effects on his subordinates.
(A) deigned .. tacit
(B) attempted .. halfhearted
(C) intended .. directed
(D) scrupled .. literal
(E) wished .. feigned

This one is actually too hard for me. It contains difficult grammar as well as difficult words.
My guess is that based on "whatever the effects on his subordinates" the first blank should be not worry about "breaking the rules of good conducts". But I have trouble figuring out the second blank.


Well, I am still working on SC. I hope that I have at least sufficient skills and abilities to crack almost all the SC on my exam.

And, rumen, I am very sorry for the delay in my reply.