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Critics have persistently regarded the final symphony of the composer
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07 Jul 2026, 10:04
07 Jul 2026, 10:04
Expert Reply
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Question Stats:
26% (00:54) correct
73% (01:13) wrong based on 23 sessions
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Critics have persistently regarded the final symphony of the composer Maria Hester Park - a work she drafted in her twenties but suppressed until her deathbed, when she reluctantly permitted its posthumous performance - as something of _______ within her oeuvre; its sunlit ebullience sits so oddly alongside the chastened, autumnal tone of everything else she produced.
| Two Answers |
|---|
| A. a precursor |
| B. a contradiction |
| C. a capstone | D. a departure | E. a hallmark |
| F. an outlier |
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Re: Critics have persistently regarded the final symphony of the composer
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08 Jul 2026, 12:29
08 Jul 2026, 12:29
Can someone explain the answers? why D and F - I chose B and F, then double checked with ChatGPT which provided the similar results.
Re: Critics have persistently regarded the final symphony of the composer
[#permalink]
08 Jul 2026, 13:56
08 Jul 2026, 13:56
Expert Reply
The correct answers are D. a departure and F. an outlier.
Explanation
- Logic: The sentence sets up a clear contrast using the phrase "sits so oddly alongside." The final symphony is defined by its "sunlit ebullience" (cheerful brightness), which is the exact polar opposite of the "chastened, autumnal tone" (somber, muted, late-career feel) found in everything else she produced. Because this specific work stands completely apart from the rest of her lifetime output (oeuvre), critics view it as a stylistic exception or a divergence from her norm.
- The Synonym Pair:
- A departure means a deviation from an accepted, normal, or expected course or style.
- An outlier means a person or thing situated away or detached from a main body or system, or a statistical anomaly.
- Using either word preserves the exact same logical meaning: the symphony represents an exception to her usual creative pattern.
Why the Other Options Fail
- B. a contradiction is a powerful trap, but it fails for two distinct reasons. First, a piece of art being cheerful does not logically contradict or invalidate an artist's somber works; it is simply different. Second, contradiction does not have a functional synonym partner in the list. Under strict GRE guidelines, the two correct choices must produce sentences that are equivalent in meaning.
- A. a precursor means a forerunner or something that comes before. Since this is explicitly described as her final symphony, it cannot be a precursor.
- C. a capstone means a crowning achievement or a finishing touch. While it is chronologically her final piece, a capstone implies it perfectly encapsulates or crowns her career, which directly contradicts the clue that it "sits oddly" with the rest of her work.
- E. a hallmark means a distinctive characteristic or signature feature, which is the exact opposite of what is needed for a piece that deviates from her usual style.
Difficulty Level
High. This question tests a student's ability to resist an individually tempting word like contradiction in favor of a mathematically tighter synonym pair (departure / outlier) that perfectly satisfies the contextual parameters.
Explanation
- Logic: The sentence sets up a clear contrast using the phrase "sits so oddly alongside." The final symphony is defined by its "sunlit ebullience" (cheerful brightness), which is the exact polar opposite of the "chastened, autumnal tone" (somber, muted, late-career feel) found in everything else she produced. Because this specific work stands completely apart from the rest of her lifetime output (oeuvre), critics view it as a stylistic exception or a divergence from her norm.
- The Synonym Pair:
- A departure means a deviation from an accepted, normal, or expected course or style.
- An outlier means a person or thing situated away or detached from a main body or system, or a statistical anomaly.
- Using either word preserves the exact same logical meaning: the symphony represents an exception to her usual creative pattern.
Why the Other Options Fail
- B. a contradiction is a powerful trap, but it fails for two distinct reasons. First, a piece of art being cheerful does not logically contradict or invalidate an artist's somber works; it is simply different. Second, contradiction does not have a functional synonym partner in the list. Under strict GRE guidelines, the two correct choices must produce sentences that are equivalent in meaning.
- A. a precursor means a forerunner or something that comes before. Since this is explicitly described as her final symphony, it cannot be a precursor.
- C. a capstone means a crowning achievement or a finishing touch. While it is chronologically her final piece, a capstone implies it perfectly encapsulates or crowns her career, which directly contradicts the clue that it "sits oddly" with the rest of her work.
- E. a hallmark means a distinctive characteristic or signature feature, which is the exact opposite of what is needed for a piece that deviates from her usual style.
Difficulty Level
High. This question tests a student's ability to resist an individually tempting word like contradiction in favor of a mathematically tighter synonym pair (departure / outlier) that perfectly satisfies the contextual parameters.
