OE


“As opposed” indicates a reversal between what happened in Boehm’s undergraduate years and during his doctoral program, which is also indicated by the switch from “hedonism,” or pleasure-seeking, to “earnest devotion,” probably to academic studies, as this devotion “led to academic laurels.” The first blank should either match “hedonism” or contrast “devotion,” and the second blank should match “earnest devotion” or be something related to academic success. The best answers are “apathy,” indifference or lack of interest, and “diligence,” commitment or hard work. “Studiousness” would be a good fit for the second blank, but is an opposite trap in the first blank. There are no clues to suggest that he was deceitful, or exhibiting “duplicity.” In the second blank, “morality” might feel right: if your personal view is that “hedonism” is immoral, this would provide the contrast required. However, pleasure-seeking is not by definition immoral, any more than “morality” would necessarily lead to academic laurels. “Detachment” means indifference, so it’s a near synonym of “apathy”; it’s another opposite trap that would work well in the other blank, but not in blank (ii).