Surprisingly, given the dearth of rain that fell on the corn crop, the yield of the harvest was ------ ; consequently, the corn reserves of the country have not been ------.
Show Hint
- inadequate... replenished
- encouraging... depleted
- compromised... salvaged
- abundant... extended
- disappointing... harmed
The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
This sentence has a complex logical structure. It starts with "Surprisingly," which means the first blank must describe an outcome that is the opposite of what one would expect from a "dearth of rain" (a drought). The second part, starting with "consequently," must be a logical result of the surprising outcome in the first blank.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
1. Analyze the first part: "Surprisingly, given the dearth of rain..., the yield... was ------". A dearth of rain should lead to a bad harvest. The "surprisingly" tells us the harvest was actually good. So, the first blank must be a positive word (e.g., abundant, good, encouraging).
2. Analyze the second part: "...consequently, the corn reserves... have not been ------". If the harvest was surprisingly good (the first blank), the logical consequence is that the country's corn reserves would be in good shape. The phrase "have not been" means the second blank must be a negative word describing what would have happened if the harvest were bad (e.g., used up, depleted).
3. Evaluate the options based on the "Positive ... Negative" pattern:
- (A) inadequate... replenished: (Negative ... Positive). Incorrect pattern.
- (B) encouraging... depleted: (Positive ... Negative). "Encouraging" fits the surprising good harvest. If the harvest was good, the reserves have not been "depleted" (used up). This fits perfectly.
- (C) compromised... salvaged: (Negative ... Positive). Incorrect pattern.
- (D) abundant... extended: (Positive ... Positive). "Abundant" fits, but if the harvest was abundant, the reserves would not need to be "extended" (made to last longer); this doesn't fit the "consequently" logic.
- (E) disappointing... harmed: (Negative ... Negative). "Disappointing" contradicts "surprisingly."
Step 3: Final Answer:
The yield was surprisingly "encouraging," and as a result, the reserves have not been "depleted."
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