GRE Prep Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.
Customized
for You
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
The critic for the leading broadsheet has acquired a reputation as som
[#permalink]
25 Jun 2026, 08:23
25 Jun 2026, 08:23
Expert Reply
00:00
Question Stats:
50% (00:49) correct
50% (01:09) wrong based on 8 sessions
Hide Show timer Statistics
The critic for the leading broadsheet has acquired a reputation as something of a (i) ________. Consider his excoriation of the blockbuster retrospective at the National Gallery, an exhibition the public and most reviewers deemed utterly (ii) ________.
| Blank (i) | Blank (ii) |
|---|---|
| A. pedant | D. interminable |
| B. dissenter | E. riveting |
| C. iconoclast | F. derivative |
- Part of the project: GRE Hard and Tricky Verbal Practice: NEW Questions Daily
- Also replying to the unanswered questions
- The Definitive GRE Vocabulary Masterclass - 3,000 Words List
- GRE Beginner: The Definitive Guide
Re: The critic for the leading broadsheet has acquired a reputation as som
[#permalink]
25 Jun 2026, 11:45
25 Jun 2026, 11:45
Iconoclast, riveting. Starting with second sentence. 'consider' though it is not a strong contrast word. The author points to weigh the critics pov. The critic excoriates - censures, condemns. while audience find the retrospective spectacle as exciting. For the first blank. Question about whether is about authors persistent state. pedant ( author could have been pedant to point out too much flaws), dissenter( argue, militate against. - we do not have evidence). Iconoclast - yes, people are on one side, him holding contrast view. pedant vs iconoclast. iconoclast is the winner.
Re: The critic for the leading broadsheet has acquired a reputation as som
[#permalink]
26 Jun 2026, 04:00
26 Jun 2026, 04:00
Expert Reply
To solve this, we must identify the relationship between the critic's reputation and their specific action (excoriating a popular exhibition).
Logic Breakdown
1. Analyze the Context: The critic is known for a specific type of behavior (Blank i). We see this behavior in action through their "excoriation" (harsh public criticism) of a blockbuster exhibition that everyone else liked.
2. Blank (i): Because the critic goes against the grain-disagreeing with the public and "most reviewers"-the word must reflect someone who challenges established norms or popular consensus.
- A. Pedant: Someone overly concerned with minor details or rules. This doesn't fit the context of rejecting a popular opinion.
- B. Dissenter: Someone who expresses disagreement with official or popular sentiment. This is a strong candidate.
- C. Iconoclast: Someone who attacks or mocks cherished beliefs or institutions. This is even stronger than "dissenter" in the context of a "leading broadsheet" critic taking down a major retrospective.
3. Blank (ii): We need to describe the exhibition that the public and other reviewers liked. Since the critic "excoriated" (harshly criticized) it, the public's view must be the opposite of harsh. We are looking for a word that means "exciting" or "engaging."
- D. Interminable: Endless or tiresome. This aligns with the critic's view, not the public's.
- E. Riveting: Completely engrossing; compelling. This describes why the public and other reviewers loved it.
- F. Derivative: Based on other sources; unoriginal. This would be a criticism, which contradicts the fact that the public/reviewers enjoyed it.
Final Selection
- Blank (i): C. iconoclast (The critic challenges popular consensus).
- Blank (ii): E. riveting (The exhibition was highly regarded by others).
Logic Breakdown
1. Analyze the Context: The critic is known for a specific type of behavior (Blank i). We see this behavior in action through their "excoriation" (harsh public criticism) of a blockbuster exhibition that everyone else liked.
2. Blank (i): Because the critic goes against the grain-disagreeing with the public and "most reviewers"-the word must reflect someone who challenges established norms or popular consensus.
- A. Pedant: Someone overly concerned with minor details or rules. This doesn't fit the context of rejecting a popular opinion.
- B. Dissenter: Someone who expresses disagreement with official or popular sentiment. This is a strong candidate.
- C. Iconoclast: Someone who attacks or mocks cherished beliefs or institutions. This is even stronger than "dissenter" in the context of a "leading broadsheet" critic taking down a major retrospective.
3. Blank (ii): We need to describe the exhibition that the public and other reviewers liked. Since the critic "excoriated" (harshly criticized) it, the public's view must be the opposite of harsh. We are looking for a word that means "exciting" or "engaging."
- D. Interminable: Endless or tiresome. This aligns with the critic's view, not the public's.
- E. Riveting: Completely engrossing; compelling. This describes why the public and other reviewers loved it.
- F. Derivative: Based on other sources; unoriginal. This would be a criticism, which contradicts the fact that the public/reviewers enjoyed it.
Final Selection
- Blank (i): C. iconoclast (The critic challenges popular consensus).
- Blank (ii): E. riveting (The exhibition was highly regarded by others).
