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So (i)_______ had the cheap printed book become in the decades
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07 Aug 2026, 02:36
07 Aug 2026, 02:36
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Question Stats:
50% (01:17) correct
50% (01:09) wrong based on 16 sessions
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So (i)_______ had the cheap printed book become in the decades following Gutenberg that even a modest artisan's household, the kind that had never before possessed more than a Bible and an almanac, might now own a small and growing library; yet before the press, such a thing was all but (ii)_______, for the hand-copied manuscript, painstakingly produced over many months, remained the preserve of monasteries and the very wealthy — a barrier that had stood unchallenged for a thousand years.
| Blank (i) | Blank (ii) |
|---|---|
| A. abundant | D. inconceivable |
| B. refined | E. unattainable |
| C. obsolete | F. clandestine |
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Re: So (i)_______ had the cheap printed book become in the decades
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09 Aug 2026, 10:50
09 Aug 2026, 10:50
Expert Reply
Explanation
Blank (i): A. abundant
The sentence says cheap printed books became so plentiful that even modest households could own a library.
Blank (ii): E. unattainable
Before the printing press, owning many books was essentially out of reach for ordinary people because manuscripts were expensive and labor-intensive.
abundant = plentiful --- fits the rise of cheap books
unattainable = impossible or difficult to obtain ---- fits ordinary people’s access before printing
inconceivable = unimaginable, but the sentence is about access, not whether the idea could be imagined
clandestine = secret/hidden --- clearly doesn't fit
Answer: A and E.
Blank (i): A. abundant
The sentence says cheap printed books became so plentiful that even modest households could own a library.
Blank (ii): E. unattainable
Before the printing press, owning many books was essentially out of reach for ordinary people because manuscripts were expensive and labor-intensive.
abundant = plentiful --- fits the rise of cheap books
unattainable = impossible or difficult to obtain ---- fits ordinary people’s access before printing
inconceivable = unimaginable, but the sentence is about access, not whether the idea could be imagined
clandestine = secret/hidden --- clearly doesn't fit
Answer: A and E.
gmatclubot
Re: So (i)_______ had the cheap printed book become in the decades [#permalink]
09 Aug 2026, 10:50
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