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No less ______ than his predecessor, the new prime minister alread
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27 Jan 2026, 23:54
27 Jan 2026, 23:54
Expert Reply
00:00
Question Stats:
45% (00:51) correct
54% (01:04) wrong based on 31 sessions
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No less (i) ______ than his predecessor, the new prime minister already faced opposition from those who charged that he refused to (ii) _______ even on trifling issues.
| Blank (i) | Blank (ii) |
|---|---|
| A. obdurate | D. budge |
| B. impertinent | E. stonewall |
| C. munificent | F. intervene |
- Part of the project: GRE Hard and Tricky Verbal Practice: NEW Questions Daily
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Re: No less ______ than his predecessor, the new prime minister alread
[#permalink]
08 Feb 2026, 09:24
08 Feb 2026, 09:24
Expert Reply
The correct choices are (A) obdurate and (D) budge.
The Logic Breakdown
- The Clue: The second half of the sentence describes the Prime Minister's behavior: he "refused to [blank ii] even on trifling issues."
- Blank (ii): Someone who is being criticized for refusing to change their mind or move their position, even on small (trifling) matters, is refusing to budge (D).
- Stonewall ( $E$ ) means to delay or block by refusing to answer; while similar, it doesn't fit the context of "refusing to change a position" as cleanly as budge.
- Intervene (F) means to get involved, which doesn't fit the "trifling issues" context of stubbornness.
- Blank (i): The phrase "No less [blank i] than his predecessor" establishes a comparison. Since he is accused of not budging, he is being described as stubborn.
- Obdurate (A) means stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or course of action. This is a perfect match.
- Impertinent $(B)$ means rude or irrelevant.
- Munificent ( $C$ ) means extremely generous.
Why the others fail:
The sentence structure suggests that the "opposition" is based on a specific flaw. If we chose munificent (generous), it wouldn't make sense for people to "charge" (accuse) him of it as a negative trait, nor would it lead to a refusal to budge.
The pair Obdurate and Budge creates a perfect logical circle: he is stubborn (obdurate), therefore he refuses to change (budge).
The Logic Breakdown
- The Clue: The second half of the sentence describes the Prime Minister's behavior: he "refused to [blank ii] even on trifling issues."
- Blank (ii): Someone who is being criticized for refusing to change their mind or move their position, even on small (trifling) matters, is refusing to budge (D).
- Stonewall ( $E$ ) means to delay or block by refusing to answer; while similar, it doesn't fit the context of "refusing to change a position" as cleanly as budge.
- Intervene (F) means to get involved, which doesn't fit the "trifling issues" context of stubbornness.
- Blank (i): The phrase "No less [blank i] than his predecessor" establishes a comparison. Since he is accused of not budging, he is being described as stubborn.
- Obdurate (A) means stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or course of action. This is a perfect match.
- Impertinent $(B)$ means rude or irrelevant.
- Munificent ( $C$ ) means extremely generous.
Why the others fail:
The sentence structure suggests that the "opposition" is based on a specific flaw. If we chose munificent (generous), it wouldn't make sense for people to "charge" (accuse) him of it as a negative trait, nor would it lead to a refusal to budge.
The pair Obdurate and Budge creates a perfect logical circle: he is stubborn (obdurate), therefore he refuses to change (budge).
gmatclubot
Re: No less ______ than his predecessor, the new prime minister alread [#permalink]
08 Feb 2026, 09:24
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