Thank you Carcass. This does help. In retrospect, my choice boiled to something like ..scholarly scholar.. which is obviously nonsensical.

OE


This is a two-blank Text Completion question, so determine which blank is easier. Try starting with the first blank. Determine who/what the blank in the sentence is describing. The first blank describes certain professors. Now determine what else gives insight into the word for the blank. The passage states that the professors insist that video games will never be a proper object of study. The transition word [w]hile also indicates that these professors are different from more heterodox academics. The opposite of heterodox academics would be “orthodox,” so that’s a good word for the blank describing the professors. Choice (A), pedantic, meaning scholarly in a narrow-minded way, is a good match for the blank so keep (A). Progressive and erudite may describe professors generally, but do not match the word for the blank, so eliminate (B) and (C). Now work with the second blank. Determine who/what the blank in the sentence is describing. The second blank describes how the rising generation views the opinions of their pedantic colleagues.

Now determine what else gives insight into the word for the blank. The sentence describes the rising generation as more heterodox, so they likely see these views as “overly conservative.” Choice (D), antediluvian, which means oldfashioned, is a good match so keep (D). Choice (E), pusillanimous, and (F), jejune, are both poor matches for the blank, so eliminate (E) and (F).

We actually have another definition for pedantic which is unimaginative. Being fussy is the other definition. So pedantic fits best

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