OE


The use of the word even implies that the missing word goes one step beyond humble in describing these companies beginnings. Frugal is not entirely out of the realm of possibility - it means economical in use or expenditure - but ask yourself if it works in the context of the passage as a whole. The sentence has nothing to do with money, so frugal is probably not the best answer. Bogus, on the other hand, is unwarrantedly negative; we have no reason to think that these companies have origins that are counterfeit or not genuine. Mundane, however, works well with the second half of the sentence; it means banal or earthly, which a rice cooker surely is.

As for the second blank, we are looking for a quality - distinct from vision - that could help get a business off the ground. It is not inconceivable that presumption (bold or insolent behavior) could help a young business survive, but it is a somewhat negative that the sentence as a whole does not justify. You should eliminate sophistry for the same reasons; it means a tricky but generally fallacious method of reasoning. This leaves you with tenacity (perseverance), which is the correct answer.