I took the approach of solving it as a math strategy. The because is a support which means the first and second half of the sentence should be in similar tone. In second part I understood that she chose to criticise , hence blank D . Similarly I choose negative word for first blank - pejorative . Can someone please confirm if my approach is right or wrong?

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Why isn't B and F the answer? I am having a hard time finding the appropriate tone for this one

OE



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I am having a hard time understanding the meaning of this sentence. Can someone help me out with this?

Essentially, the sentence tells us that the opinions of the newspaper usually were good. Therefore, now, if the same opinions are different as always, they should be negative.

Before, usually they were always positive

Could someone please explain how to determine blank ii. I guessed and can't seem to understand how to come to the answer properly?

Most of the theatergoers agreed that the critic’s review had been (i)__________because it (ii)__________the cordiality of which was her newspaper’s hallmark in favor of belittling criticism.

The critics review did something to the cordiality which was her newspapers hallmark? What did it do? Did it elevate the cordiality or degrade it?

Since we are told that the cordiality was the hallmark of her newspaper in favor of belittling criticism, this comparison itself points in the direction of a criticism which "degraded" the cordiality. Further, looking at the choices gives us some clues. It does not make sense to call a review magnanimous because it coincided with the cordiality of the newspaper. Such reviews which coincide with or allude to the cordiality can only be called "expected". Neither can a review be called magnanimous or diffuse because it dispenses with the well-known cordiality of the newspaper. This leaves us with pejorative and dispensed with as the correct choices. They are our only options. Dispensing with the cordiality is almost the same as degrading the cordiality, "degraded" being our own word for the first blank.

The correct choices are A and D.

It is correct.