1. Blank (i): indirect
- The second half of the sentence explains the nature of the cultural response: "artists preferring appropriation, allegory, and satire as critical strategies." These are all forms of indirect commentary, where a message is conveyed symbolically or through analogy, rather than plainly or explicitly.
- Forthright (direct and outspoken) and perspicuous (clearly expressed/easy to understand) contradict the evidence provided by the strategies used.
2. Blank (ii): not to toady to
- The phrase describes the artists' choice regarding the politicians responsible for the war. The artists were in protest, suggesting a critical stance. The blank is followed by a "but" contrasting this choice with their approach to museums.
- The strongest fit is not to toady to (not to excessively flatter or show servile deference to). This fits with the theme of protest by suggesting artists refused to cooperate with or praise the politicians.
- To interrogate (to question formally) is possible but less specific than the political action implied. Not to confront would contradict the general idea of protest.
3. Blank (iii): ambivalent
- The artists targeted museums because they were seen as both (iii) _______ and implicated in the war. The structure suggests that (iii) must be a characteristic that, when paired with being "implicated in the war," justifies the artists' criticism.
- Ambivalent (having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something) suggests the museums took an unclear or non-committal stance on the war. This neutrality, combined with being "implicated," made them a suitable target for criticism by the protesting artists.
- Pragmatic (dealing with things sensibly and realistically) and atrocious (horrifyingly wicked) do not fit the context of an institution's public positioning on a war.