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Unlike most other serious journals, which drain money from their owner
[#permalink]
Updated on: 06 May 2026, 12:12
Updated on: 06 May 2026, 12:12
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Question Stats:
14% (01:16) correct
85% (01:08) wrong based on 7 sessions
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Unlike most other serious journals, which drain money from their owners, the Quarterly has long been (i) _______ . The journal's formula, however, is not without defects, which have become more conspicuous in recent years. It has always been learned and (ii) ______ , though not consistently engaging or readable. (iii) ______ , coupled with a pronounced reluctance to take risks, has long shaped its pages.
| Blank (i) | Blank (ii) | Blank (iii) |
|---|---|---|
| A. lucrative | D. authoritative | G. A diligence |
| B. viable | E. lively | H. A caution |
| C. compromised | F. fashionable | I. A torpor |
- Part of the project: GRE Hard and Tricky Verbal Practice: NEW Questions Daily
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Re: Unlike most other serious journals, which drain money from their owner
[#permalink]
07 May 2026, 04:00
07 May 2026, 04:00
Expert Reply
1. Logical Walkthrough
The rewritten sentence preserves the original's two-level contrast:
- The alphabetical arrangement is unusual, but it is not itself _______ - so the blank must mean bad or troublesome
- The real problem is that an unexplained editorial _______ surrounds the selection criteria meaning the editors are being quiet about their reasons
- Yet the sentence also says some _______is plainly at work - so there is a reasoned standard, even if it is withheld
The final clause is the key: something deliberate and selective must have guided the editors, which is exactly what discretion captures. The challenge is therefore not the existence of a rationale but the refusal to state it openly.
2. Blank-by-Blank Justification
Blank (i) - A. objectionable:
The sentence says the alphabetical arrangement is "not itself" _______ . That means the blank must name a negative judgment. "Objectionable" fits perfectly: the arrangement may be odd, but the author explicitly denies that it is inherently objectionable. "Idiosyncratic" would describe the arrangement's uniqueness, but not its evaluative status. "Consequential" misfires because the passage is not saying the order is especially important; it says the order is not the main issue.
Blank (ii) - E. reticence:
The phrase "equally opaque editorial _______ " requires a noun meaning withholding or silence. "Reticence" is the best fit: it describes restrained or reluctant speech, which matches the idea that the editors have not explained themselves. "Aura" is too vague and does not imply concealment. "Discretion" in this slot would be too positive and too much like prudent judgment rather than silence.
Blank (iii) - F. discretion:
The sentence ends by saying some ______ is clearly being used in the selection of authors. "Discretion" means careful judgment and selective restraint, exactly what one would expect if editors made choices according to a standard they did not fully disclose. This fits the hiddenrationale idea. "Reticence" cannot work here because one is not "employing" silence in the same way one employs discretion.
The rewritten sentence preserves the original's two-level contrast:
- The alphabetical arrangement is unusual, but it is not itself _______ - so the blank must mean bad or troublesome
- The real problem is that an unexplained editorial _______ surrounds the selection criteria meaning the editors are being quiet about their reasons
- Yet the sentence also says some _______is plainly at work - so there is a reasoned standard, even if it is withheld
The final clause is the key: something deliberate and selective must have guided the editors, which is exactly what discretion captures. The challenge is therefore not the existence of a rationale but the refusal to state it openly.
2. Blank-by-Blank Justification
Blank (i) - A. objectionable:
The sentence says the alphabetical arrangement is "not itself" _______ . That means the blank must name a negative judgment. "Objectionable" fits perfectly: the arrangement may be odd, but the author explicitly denies that it is inherently objectionable. "Idiosyncratic" would describe the arrangement's uniqueness, but not its evaluative status. "Consequential" misfires because the passage is not saying the order is especially important; it says the order is not the main issue.
Blank (ii) - E. reticence:
The phrase "equally opaque editorial _______ " requires a noun meaning withholding or silence. "Reticence" is the best fit: it describes restrained or reluctant speech, which matches the idea that the editors have not explained themselves. "Aura" is too vague and does not imply concealment. "Discretion" in this slot would be too positive and too much like prudent judgment rather than silence.
Blank (iii) - F. discretion:
The sentence ends by saying some ______ is clearly being used in the selection of authors. "Discretion" means careful judgment and selective restraint, exactly what one would expect if editors made choices according to a standard they did not fully disclose. This fits the hiddenrationale idea. "Reticence" cannot work here because one is not "employing" silence in the same way one employs discretion.
gmatclubot
Re: Unlike most other serious journals, which drain money from their owner [#permalink]
07 May 2026, 04:00
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