Question:
The new ---- of knowledge has created ---- people: everyone believes that his or her subject cannot and possibly should not be understood by others.
The new ---- of knowledge has created ---- people: everyone believes that his or her subject cannot and possibly should not be understood by others.
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When a sentence contains a colon, the part after the colon almost always defines, explains, or elaborates on the part before it. Use the explanation to help you determine the meaning of the missing words.
Updated On: Oct 1, 2025
- specialization.. barriers between
- decline.. associations among
- redundancy.. complacency in
- disrepute.. concern for
- promulgation.. ignorance among
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The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This sentence describes a cause-and-effect relationship. The first blank is the cause, related to a "new" aspect of knowledge. The second blank is the effect, a change in people or their relationships, which is then described by the statement that follows the colon.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The description after the colon—"everyone believes that his or her subject cannot... be understood by others"—describes a situation of intellectual isolation or fragmentation. This creates divisions or "barriers" between people in different fields. This fits the second blank.
Now, what aspect of modern knowledge would cause such barriers? The increasing focus on narrow, specific areas of study, known as "specialization," is the direct cause of this phenomenon. Experts in one field become so focused that they find it difficult to communicate their knowledge to outsiders.
Let's test the chosen pair: "The new specialization of knowledge has created barriers between people." This creates a logical and coherent sentence that perfectly matches the explanation provided. The other options do not create such a clear cause-and-effect link. For example, a "decline" of knowledge (B) or "redundancy" (C) would not logically lead to the kind of expert isolation described.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The pair "specialization.. barriers between" accurately describes the cause (increasingly narrow fields of study) and the effect (intellectual isolation between people).
This sentence describes a cause-and-effect relationship. The first blank is the cause, related to a "new" aspect of knowledge. The second blank is the effect, a change in people or their relationships, which is then described by the statement that follows the colon.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The description after the colon—"everyone believes that his or her subject cannot... be understood by others"—describes a situation of intellectual isolation or fragmentation. This creates divisions or "barriers" between people in different fields. This fits the second blank.
Now, what aspect of modern knowledge would cause such barriers? The increasing focus on narrow, specific areas of study, known as "specialization," is the direct cause of this phenomenon. Experts in one field become so focused that they find it difficult to communicate their knowledge to outsiders.
Let's test the chosen pair: "The new specialization of knowledge has created barriers between people." This creates a logical and coherent sentence that perfectly matches the explanation provided. The other options do not create such a clear cause-and-effect link. For example, a "decline" of knowledge (B) or "redundancy" (C) would not logically lead to the kind of expert isolation described.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The pair "specialization.. barriers between" accurately describes the cause (increasingly narrow fields of study) and the effect (intellectual isolation between people).
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