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That the web may seem some (i) ______ phenomenon, hardly rooted in the
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28 Oct 2025, 23:55
28 Oct 2025, 23:55
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49% (00:46) correct
49% (00:44) wrong based on 14 sessions
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That the web may seem some (i) _______ phenomenon, hardly rooted in the physical world, is a notion clearly (ii) ________ by the existence of "server farms," sprawling forests of metal that, figuratively speaking, provide the backbone of the Internet.
| Blank (i) | Blank (ii) |
|---|---|
| A. ethereal | D. buttressed |
| B. ephemeral | E. betrayed |
| C. faddish | F. unsupported |
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Re: That the web may seem some (i) ______ phenomenon, hardly rooted in the
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12 Nov 2025, 01:25
12 Nov 2025, 01:25
Please provide the full explanation.
Re: That the web may seem some (i) ______ phenomenon, hardly rooted in the
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05 Dec 2025, 11:59
05 Dec 2025, 11:59
Expert Reply
Analysis
1. Analyze the Structure and Relationship:
- The sentence sets up a contrast between an initial "notion" (that the web seems like a certain kind of phenomenon) and a "reality" (the existence of server farms).
- The notion is that the web seems (i) _______ phenomenon, hardly rooted in the physical world.
- The reality (server farms, "sprawling forests of metal") clearly (ii) ______ this notion.
2. Determine Blank (i) - The Nature of the Phenomenon:
- The phenomenon is one that is "hardly rooted in the physical world." We need a word meaning intangible, non-physical, or ghostly.
- A. ethereal: (Adj.) Extremely delicate and light; heavenly or spiritual. (Fits the "hardly rooted in the physical world" idea.)
- B. ephemeral: (Adj.) Lasting for a very short time. (Focuses on duration, not tangibility.)
- C. faddish: (Adj.) Intensely fashionable for a short time. (Focuses on popularity, not tangibility.)
- Choice for (i): ethereal.
3. Determine Blank (ii) - The Relationship to the Notion:
- The existence of large, physical server farms must contradict, undermine, or disprove the notion that the web is ethereal (non-physical).
- D. buttressed: (Verb) Supported or strengthened. (Opposite of what is needed.)
- E. betrayed: (Verb) Revealed or showed, often unintentionally. (Doesn't quite capture the force of the contradiction.)
- F. unsupported: (Verb) Disproved or shown to be false. (Synonymous with "undermined" or "contradicted." Fits the idea that the physical server farms show the notion to be untrue.)
4. Final Check:
- "That the web may seem some ethereal phenomenon, hardly rooted in the physical world, is a notion clearly unsupported by the existence of 'server farms,' sprawling forests of metal..."
- This sequence makes perfect sense: The physical reality of the server farms proves the non-physical notion to be false.
The correct pair is ethereal and unsupported.
1. Analyze the Structure and Relationship:
- The sentence sets up a contrast between an initial "notion" (that the web seems like a certain kind of phenomenon) and a "reality" (the existence of server farms).
- The notion is that the web seems (i) _______ phenomenon, hardly rooted in the physical world.
- The reality (server farms, "sprawling forests of metal") clearly (ii) ______ this notion.
2. Determine Blank (i) - The Nature of the Phenomenon:
- The phenomenon is one that is "hardly rooted in the physical world." We need a word meaning intangible, non-physical, or ghostly.
- A. ethereal: (Adj.) Extremely delicate and light; heavenly or spiritual. (Fits the "hardly rooted in the physical world" idea.)
- B. ephemeral: (Adj.) Lasting for a very short time. (Focuses on duration, not tangibility.)
- C. faddish: (Adj.) Intensely fashionable for a short time. (Focuses on popularity, not tangibility.)
- Choice for (i): ethereal.
3. Determine Blank (ii) - The Relationship to the Notion:
- The existence of large, physical server farms must contradict, undermine, or disprove the notion that the web is ethereal (non-physical).
- D. buttressed: (Verb) Supported or strengthened. (Opposite of what is needed.)
- E. betrayed: (Verb) Revealed or showed, often unintentionally. (Doesn't quite capture the force of the contradiction.)
- F. unsupported: (Verb) Disproved or shown to be false. (Synonymous with "undermined" or "contradicted." Fits the idea that the physical server farms show the notion to be untrue.)
4. Final Check:
- "That the web may seem some ethereal phenomenon, hardly rooted in the physical world, is a notion clearly unsupported by the existence of 'server farms,' sprawling forests of metal..."
- This sequence makes perfect sense: The physical reality of the server farms proves the non-physical notion to be false.
The correct pair is ethereal and unsupported.
