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The conductor Elena Allegra possessed a well-known and almost
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19 Jul 2026, 02:47
19 Jul 2026, 02:47
Expert Reply
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Question Stats:
54% (01:04) correct
45% (00:53) wrong based on 22 sessions
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The conductor Elena Allegra possessed a well-known and almost visceral aversion to sycophancy among her musicians, yet this very hostility to flattery was perpetually at war with a private, and to her considerable embarrassment, insatiable hunger for (i) _______ ; the unresolved tension between these warring impulses meant that the instructions she issued in rehearsal were frequently so (ii) _______ that players left unsure whether they had been praised or condemned.
| Blank (i) | Blank (ii) |
|---|---|
| A. solitude | D. candid |
| B. approbation | E. oblique |
| C. candor | F. paradoxical |
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The conductor Elena Allegra possessed a well-known and almost
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19 Jul 2026, 08:14
19 Jul 2026, 08:14
Paradoxical, not a great option. The musicians were not clear. Not clear idea - No clear instruction(oblique).
Paradoxical instruction need not necessarily result in unclear idea.
Well, the question maker can argue that paradoxical is right.
I would go for oblique.
Paradoxical instruction need not necessarily result in unclear idea.
Well, the question maker can argue that paradoxical is right.
I would go for oblique.
Re: The conductor Elena Allegra possessed a well-known and almost
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20 Jul 2026, 04:00
20 Jul 2026, 04:00
Expert Reply
Answers and Explanations
Correct answers: (i) B. approbation, (ii) F. paradoxical
Blank (i)
The sentence establishes a conflict: Allegra had an "aversion to sycophancy" (flattery, insincere praise), yet this hostility was "at war with a private... hunger for (i)." The two impulses are opposed. If she dislikes flattery, what does she crave that flattery provides? Flatterers offer praise, approval, admiration. The blank must mean approval, praise, or admiration.
- A. solitude - The state of being alone. This is the opposite of what someone who craves flattery's fruits would seek; flattery is inherently social. Incorrect.
- B. approbation - Approval, praise, commendation. "Hunger for approbation" perfectly captures what flattery offers and what conflicts with a distaste for sycophancy. Correct.
- C. candor - Frankness, honesty, openness. If Allegra craved candor, she would welcome honest criticism, and her aversion to sycophancy would be perfectly consistent with that desire - there would be no "war." Incorrect.
Blank (ii)
The "unresolved tension" between hating flattery and craving praise produced instructions that left players "unsure whether they had been praised or condemned." Such signals are selfcontradictory, internally inconsistent, or paradoxical. The blank must mean seemingly contradictory but possibly true; self-negating.
- D. candid - Frank, honest, straightforward. This is the opposite of what the internal conflict would produce - candid instructions would be clear, not confusing. Incorrect.
- E. oblique - Indirect, evasive, not straightforward. While oblique instructions might confuse, the confusion here is specifically about contradictory valence (praise vs. condemnation), not about indirectness. "Oblique" misses the self-contradictory quality. Incorrect.
- F. paradoxical - Seemingly self-contradictory; containing conflicting elements. "So paradoxical that players left unsure whether they had been praised or condemned" perfectly captures the effect of the warring impulses. Correct.
Correct answers: (i) B. approbation, (ii) F. paradoxical
Blank (i)
The sentence establishes a conflict: Allegra had an "aversion to sycophancy" (flattery, insincere praise), yet this hostility was "at war with a private... hunger for (i)." The two impulses are opposed. If she dislikes flattery, what does she crave that flattery provides? Flatterers offer praise, approval, admiration. The blank must mean approval, praise, or admiration.
- A. solitude - The state of being alone. This is the opposite of what someone who craves flattery's fruits would seek; flattery is inherently social. Incorrect.
- B. approbation - Approval, praise, commendation. "Hunger for approbation" perfectly captures what flattery offers and what conflicts with a distaste for sycophancy. Correct.
- C. candor - Frankness, honesty, openness. If Allegra craved candor, she would welcome honest criticism, and her aversion to sycophancy would be perfectly consistent with that desire - there would be no "war." Incorrect.
Blank (ii)
The "unresolved tension" between hating flattery and craving praise produced instructions that left players "unsure whether they had been praised or condemned." Such signals are selfcontradictory, internally inconsistent, or paradoxical. The blank must mean seemingly contradictory but possibly true; self-negating.
- D. candid - Frank, honest, straightforward. This is the opposite of what the internal conflict would produce - candid instructions would be clear, not confusing. Incorrect.
- E. oblique - Indirect, evasive, not straightforward. While oblique instructions might confuse, the confusion here is specifically about contradictory valence (praise vs. condemnation), not about indirectness. "Oblique" misses the self-contradictory quality. Incorrect.
- F. paradoxical - Seemingly self-contradictory; containing conflicting elements. "So paradoxical that players left unsure whether they had been praised or condemned" perfectly captures the effect of the warring impulses. Correct.
