Question

The professor’s ________ remarks on the new policy were considered ________ by his colleagues, who felt they were unnecessarily harsh.

• A. scathing
• B. constructive
• C. mild
• D. inflammatory
• E. neutral

Hint:

Identify the tone of the remarks and how they are perceived to choose words indicating harshness or negativity

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A, D

The sentence indicates the professor’s remarks were harsh, and his colleagues perceived them negatively
First blank (describing the remarks)
- (B) scathing — means severely critical or harsh, fitting here
- (E) inflammatory — means provocative or likely to cause strong reactions, also fitting the context
Second blank (how colleagues perceived the remarks)
- (E) inflammatory — negative perception, matching harshness
- Other like conciliatory, constructive, mild, and neutral suggest gentleness or positivity, which contradict the context
Therefore, the professor’s remarks are best described as scathing and inflammatory, matching the colleagues’ negative view