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Chapter 4: Problem 5

Increasingly, the boundaries of congressional seats are drawn in order to protect incumbents, as legislators engineer the demographics of each district such that those already in office can coast to (i)____________ victory. Of course, there is always the possibility that the incumbent will face a challenge from within his or her own party. Nevertheless, once the primary is over, the general election is (ii)____________ . Blank (i) a. an ineluctable b. an invidious c. a plangent Blank (ii) a. seldom nugatory b. remarkably contentious c. merely denouement

Short Answer

Expert verified
The correct choices for the blanks are: (i) an ineluctable (ii) merely denouement

Step by step solution

01

Understanding the context

In this sentence, the blanks refer to the assured victory of incumbents due to the gerrymandering of district boundaries. This suggests that whatever the option chosen for blank (i) must describe a certain victory and whatever is chosen for blank (ii) needs to show that the general election is more of a formality or concluding event rather than a real contest.
02

Analysis Of Options For Blank (i)

Looking at the options: 'ineluctable' means inevitable, 'invidious' refers to something that provokes envy, 'plangent' means loud or resonating. Based on the context, the most fitting word to describe a definitive victory would be 'ineluctable'.
03

Analysis Of Options For Blank (ii)

'Nugatory' means of no value or trivial, 'contentious' means controversial or disputed, 'denouement' is a term used to describe the final resolution of a story. Given the context of the sentence, the general election is presented as a formality or a conclusion to an already assured victory, hence the most fitting word would be 'denouement'.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

As Molly was (i)____________ Spanish with her friends before their trip to Chile, she discovered that although she could comprehend her friends, she could not (ii)_____________ her thoughts in the (iii)____________ language. Blank (i) a. mastering b. disregarding c. practicing Blank (ii) a. acknowledge b. articulate c. disencumber Blank (iii) a. inherent b. objective c. unfamiliar

The human race is a very (i)___________________ species, as the facade of calm that covers our anxiety and (ii) ______________ is flimsy and effortlessly ruptured. Blank (i) a. fragile b. purposeful c. daring Blank (ii) a. terror b. vulnerability c. humor

People accustomed to thinking that the human lifespan (i)____________ the outer bounds of animal longevity tend to dismiss tales of musket balls being found in the shells of living turtles. Samantha Romney, however, argues that while such stories may be (ii)____________ , some turtles do indeed exhibit a phenomenon known as “negligible (iii)____________ ,” showing no signs of aging even as they pass the two-century mark. Blank (i) a. belies b. demarcates c. antedates Blank (ii) a. apocryphal b. authentic c. heresy Blank (iii) a. rejuvenation b. superannuation c. senescence

The practice of purchasing books was primarily a (i) ____________ of the well- to-do until the late 1800 s, when the increased popularity of dime novels, the expansion in the number of bookstores, and the introduction of the paperback made books (ii) ____________ the average man. Blank (i) a. conduit b. prerogative c. plight Blank (ii) a. dislikable to b. excitable to c. attainable by

Political predictions generally prove fairly accurate when the presumption that the future will be similar to the past is (i)____________ . In periods with substantial (ii)____________ in the political world, however, predictions can be (iii)____________ wrong. Blank (i) a. disproved b. stipulated c. fulfilled Blank (ii) a. upswings b. insurgencies c. changes Blank (iii) a. thoughtfully b. perilously c. carelessly
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