Question

Although the initial reviews were ..............., the novel's popularity grew rapidly through word-of-mouth recommendations.

• A. lukewarm
• B. enthusiastic
• C. glowing
• D. scathing
• E. dismissive

Hint:

Watch for contrast clues like “although” to help determine the tone or polarity of the blank

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

The phrase “although the initial reviews were” followed by the novel becoming popular suggests the reviews were **not very positive** but also **not entirely negative**“Lukewarm” means mildly or weakly positive, which fits perfectlyThe other Option are either too extreme (eg, “scathing”) or overly positive (eg, “glowing”)