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The Transcribe Bentham initiative, which enlists the public to deciphe
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22 Jun 2026, 23:34
22 Jun 2026, 23:34
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Question Stats:
80% (01:00) correct
20% (00:46) wrong based on 10 sessions
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The Transcribe Bentham initiative, which enlists the public to decipher the philosopher's notoriously illegible manuscripts, quickly became the benchmark against which all subsequent crowdsourced archival projects are measured. The volunteers' productivity was so prodigious that they (i) ________ the project directors by completing nearly a century's worth of transcription in under eighteen months. (ii) ________ by this astonishing display of (iii) ________, the scholarly team began pursuing editorial questions that had never before seemed tractable.
| Blank (i) | Blank (ii) | Blank (iii) |
|---|---|---|
| A. flabbergasted | D. heartened | G. dispatch |
| B. vindicated | E. exasperated | H. indolence |
| C. preempted | F. disarmed | I. reticence |
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Re: The Transcribe Bentham initiative, which enlists the public to deciphe
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24 Jun 2026, 04:00
24 Jun 2026, 04:00
Expert Reply
Blank (i)
The sentence states: "The volunteers' productivity was so prodigious that they (i) ______ the project directors by completing nearly a century's worth of transcription in under eighteen months." The word "prodigious" means "remarkably great, extraordinary." Completing a century's work in eighteen months would astonish, amaze, or shock the directors. The blank must mean greatly surprised; astonished.
- A. flabbergasted — Greatly astonished; astounded; dumbfounded. "They flabbergasted the project directors" perfectly captures the amazed reaction. Correct.
- B. vindicated - Proved right; cleared of blame. Volunteers did not prove the directors right they amazed them. Incorrect.
- C. preempted - Took action before someone else; forestalled. Volunteers did not preempt the directors — they surprised them. Incorrect.
Blank (ii)
The third sentence states: "(ii) _____ by this astonishing display of (iii) ______ , the scholarly team began pursuing editorial questions that had never before seemed tractable." The phrase "began pursuing" indicates a positive, energized response. The team was encouraged, inspired, or lifted by the volunteers' performance. The blank must mean encouraged; inspired; uplifted.
- D. heartened - Encouraged; given hope; cheered. "Heartened by this astonishing display" perfectly captures the positive, energizing effect. Correct.
- E. exasperated - Irritated intensely; frustrated. This is a negative emotion - contradicts "began pursuing new questions." Incorrect.
- F. disarmed - Won over; defused hostility. Does not fit the context of being inspired to pursue new research. Incorrect.
Blank (iii)
The display that heartened the team was one of "(iii) ______ ." The volunteers completed a century's worth of work in eighteen months - this demonstrates speed, rapidity, or promptness. The blank must mean speed; quickness; promptness in action.
- G. dispatch - Speed, rapidity, promptness in completing a task. "An astonishing display of dispatch" perfectly captures the volunteers' remarkable speed. Correct.
- H. indolence - Laziness; avoidance of work. This is the opposite of what the volunteers displayed. Incorrect.
- I. reticence - Reserve; reluctance to speak or act. This is the opposite of eager, productive volunteer participation. Incorrect.
The sentence states: "The volunteers' productivity was so prodigious that they (i) ______ the project directors by completing nearly a century's worth of transcription in under eighteen months." The word "prodigious" means "remarkably great, extraordinary." Completing a century's work in eighteen months would astonish, amaze, or shock the directors. The blank must mean greatly surprised; astonished.
- A. flabbergasted — Greatly astonished; astounded; dumbfounded. "They flabbergasted the project directors" perfectly captures the amazed reaction. Correct.
- B. vindicated - Proved right; cleared of blame. Volunteers did not prove the directors right they amazed them. Incorrect.
- C. preempted - Took action before someone else; forestalled. Volunteers did not preempt the directors — they surprised them. Incorrect.
Blank (ii)
The third sentence states: "(ii) _____ by this astonishing display of (iii) ______ , the scholarly team began pursuing editorial questions that had never before seemed tractable." The phrase "began pursuing" indicates a positive, energized response. The team was encouraged, inspired, or lifted by the volunteers' performance. The blank must mean encouraged; inspired; uplifted.
- D. heartened - Encouraged; given hope; cheered. "Heartened by this astonishing display" perfectly captures the positive, energizing effect. Correct.
- E. exasperated - Irritated intensely; frustrated. This is a negative emotion - contradicts "began pursuing new questions." Incorrect.
- F. disarmed - Won over; defused hostility. Does not fit the context of being inspired to pursue new research. Incorrect.
Blank (iii)
The display that heartened the team was one of "(iii) ______ ." The volunteers completed a century's worth of work in eighteen months - this demonstrates speed, rapidity, or promptness. The blank must mean speed; quickness; promptness in action.
- G. dispatch - Speed, rapidity, promptness in completing a task. "An astonishing display of dispatch" perfectly captures the volunteers' remarkable speed. Correct.
- H. indolence - Laziness; avoidance of work. This is the opposite of what the volunteers displayed. Incorrect.
- I. reticence - Reserve; reluctance to speak or act. This is the opposite of eager, productive volunteer participation. Incorrect.
gmatclubot
Re: The Transcribe Bentham initiative, which enlists the public to deciphe [#permalink]
24 Jun 2026, 04:00
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