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For all her brilliance, Ada was undone by a(n) $\qquad$ that led her t
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21 Sep 2025, 23:29
21 Sep 2025, 23:29
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For all her brilliance, Ada was undone by a(n) ________ that led her to disparage those who took any speculation too seriously, averring that the philosophical mind worked best when it did not attach itself too strongly to any one line of thought.
| Blank (i) |
|---|
| A. arrogance |
| B. insouciance |
| C. misconception | D. extravagance | E. agnosticism |
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Re: For all her brilliance, Ada was undone by a(n) $\qquad$ that led her t
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04 Oct 2025, 11:29
04 Oct 2025, 11:29
Expert Reply
Let's break this down.
The sentence says Ada was "brilliant" but "undone" by something that made her "disparage those who took any speculation too seriously."
She believed that "the philosophical mind worked best when it did not attach itself too strongly to any one line of thought."
So the missing word is the attitude or belief that caused her to look down on people who strongly committed to one idea.
- A. arrogance - possible, but it's more about superiority in general; the sentence focuses on her specific attitude toward attachment to ideas.
- B. insouciance - means casual lack of concern; this fits well because she thinks one shouldn't attach strongly to any thought - a kind of intellectual casualness.
- C. misconception - not quite; the sentence doesn't say she was wrong, just that this trait "undid" her.
- D. extravagance - unrelated to the idea of intellectual detachment.
- E. agnosticism - in the religious sense, not quite; but in a broad sense, it means not committing to a belief - possible, but "insouciance" better captures the casualness and the slight irresponsibility that "undid" her.
Between B and E, "insouciance" fits the "did not attach itself too strongly" idea more naturally - it implies a lighthearted disregard, which matches "disparage those who took any speculation too seriously."
Correct answer: B. insouciance
The sentence says Ada was "brilliant" but "undone" by something that made her "disparage those who took any speculation too seriously."
She believed that "the philosophical mind worked best when it did not attach itself too strongly to any one line of thought."
So the missing word is the attitude or belief that caused her to look down on people who strongly committed to one idea.
- A. arrogance - possible, but it's more about superiority in general; the sentence focuses on her specific attitude toward attachment to ideas.
- B. insouciance - means casual lack of concern; this fits well because she thinks one shouldn't attach strongly to any thought - a kind of intellectual casualness.
- C. misconception - not quite; the sentence doesn't say she was wrong, just that this trait "undid" her.
- D. extravagance - unrelated to the idea of intellectual detachment.
- E. agnosticism - in the religious sense, not quite; but in a broad sense, it means not committing to a belief - possible, but "insouciance" better captures the casualness and the slight irresponsibility that "undid" her.
Between B and E, "insouciance" fits the "did not attach itself too strongly" idea more naturally - it implies a lighthearted disregard, which matches "disparage those who took any speculation too seriously."
Correct answer: B. insouciance
gmatclubot
Re: For all her brilliance, Ada was undone by a(n) $\qquad$ that led her t [#permalink]
04 Oct 2025, 11:29
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