Hi! The second blank is E, right? If yes, then the spoiler should be corrected. Please have a look. Thanks!

Shouldn't the second blank be E

The value of the study of the arts in American colleges assumes to-day a special poignancy. Without the kind of experience which
this study provides, the student is abandoned to the blind deforming influence of the mass arts-advertising, popular magazines, movies, and soon no doubt, television. Largely commercial in intent, cynical, blatant, they exert a pressure to which he would be unable to oppose a critical attitude or any sense of values. They would assume, unchallenged, the role of shaping personality which the colleges refused to accept.

The blank [ii] answer is blatant.

you want blank [ii] to be something which conveys that mass art exerts immense influence without restraint or limit, something which cannot be ignored or unseen. Blatant fits fine.

In the sentence, it is being said," he is under constant pressure that he is unable to oppose the critical attitude"
Can someone please explain why would a student oppose a critical attitude?

Mass arts-advertising, movies, and television poisoning your mind to the point you are NOT able to think critically and in an independent way

That's the meaning of that portion on the entire sentence

Regards

Thank you so much for replying.

But the point stands still. why would the student oppose the critical attitude. "unable to oppose the critical attitude" upon simplification means "he wants to embrace the non-critical attitude". Why would someone have to "oppose a critical attitude" or "embrace a non-critical attitude" in a normal world. we become uncritical of things only when we have some emotional connection with them. example our family, toys, fancy gadgets, basically sort of stuff which we hold closer to our hearts. otherwise we always try to be critical of things, basically we try to be logical.

But here in the problem,universities are telling students to behave somewhat emotionally-"value of study assumes a special poignancy". Meaning universities want students to be emotionally connected to the art and not just treat it commercial.

and which leads us to the second sentence that mass advertising, movies and televisions are commercialising it so blatantly that is so openly that students or any person perhaps can not simply ignore it. And thus students are thinking only critically without an "emotional aspect-which is taught in universities".

And thus students are unable to dodge/oppose critical attitude....which is why critical is the answer for third blank and NOT "because they are biased OR not able to think critically". Had that been the case, sentence cannot be framed like, "not able to oppose critical attitude". Universities want them to oppose the critical attitude and that's why it is said without this kind of experience they will not be able to oppose the critical attitude. If they had such such experience they would have been able to oppose it.

Poignancy is the key word. We cannot simply ignore it. Poiganacy is used here with respect to importance of emotional aspect of things.



P.S... my command over the English language is not that great as of now. So, please excuse the layman language and simple and repetitive verbiage and poor grammar . But the explanation is tenable.

The first is deforming because I think is most suitable to connect with mass advertising. I suffered on the second, I did't know what blatant means but nor unostentacious or dispassionate are synonyms of cynical or intent. The last one is critical.

Really good question !

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