Blank (i)

The first clause describes a "careless reader" who might "dismiss the treatise... as little more than a (i) _______ rehashing of familiar territory." The phrase "rehashing of familiar territory" suggests the work is being criticized as unoriginal, stale, or worn out. The blank must mean worn out from overuse; lacking freshness.
- A. desultory - Lacking a plan or purpose; aimless, random. A "desultory rehashing" would mean an unfocused rehashing - possible, but the core criticism of "rehashing" is about staleness, not aimlessness. Incorrect.
- B. threadbare - Worn thin from overuse; stale; hackneyed. "A threadbare rehashing" perfectly captures the charge that the work merely recycles old material. Correct.
- C. truculent - Aggressively hostile; belligerent. A "truculent rehashing" makes little sense rehashing is not an act of aggression. Incorrect.

Blank (ii)

The "but" signals a rebuttal: "such a verdict crumbles upon closer inspection: the interpretative framework the author erects from her field observations amounts to nothing less than a (ii)
________ ." The phrase "nothing less than" signals something extraordinary. The contrast with "threadbare rehashing" demands that the framework is highly original, groundbreaking, or innovative. The blank must mean a major innovation; a breakthrough.
- D. meticulously documented addendum - A carefully recorded minor addition. "Addendum" suggests something small and supplementary - the opposite of "nothing less than." Incorrect.
- E. conceptual breakthrough - A major advance; a groundbreaking innovation. "Nothing less than a conceptual breakthrough" perfectly captures the rebuttal to the charge of being threadbare. Correct.
- F. wholesale repudiation of the prevailing consensus - A complete rejection of the dominant view. While this could be important, the contrast is with unoriginality, not with agreement. A work can repudiate consensus yet still be derivative. Incorrect.