OE


C The blank refers to a perception that some people, those, did not have toward seafood. The clue is prepared with… care and found the meal to be delicious. The transition words such… even indicate that finding the meal to be delicious is somehow extreme. Since the meal was prepared with… care, it would be normal to find it delicious, so the blank refers to the perception of people who do not like seafood. Since the blank refers to a perception these people did not have, use “a fondness for” as a phrase for the blank. Choices (A), (B), and (D)— a contention with, an assurance of, a preconception of— can be eliminated because they don’t match “a fondness for.” Choice (E), an endorsement of, means a support or recommendation of seafood, which doesn’t match “a fondness for,” because it refers to how those people might describe seafood to a third party, so eliminate (E). The correct answer is (C), a penchant for.