BB Verbal Timed Drills #12 I TC Doubt

GRE Verbal Problem Solving
1

Hello!
Doubt in this QQ-

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I chose displayed for blank one. Here is my logic:

  1. Predicted words were “shows” and “less”; and “displayed” matches with shows, and “perfunctory” matches with less.
  2. I did not choose “feigned” because here the logic will be a little different- If 1 part of the sentence says “faked interest” <> contrast <> second part must say “actually has interest”- which is not matching with the second part of the sentence.

Can you please point me to where my reasoning is wrong?

2

Using the word “feigned” does not change the meaning of the sentence as you initially understood it.

Both feigned and displayed works in the first blank. Feigned is just a better pick because it means simulated or pretended; insincere. Thus, it is able to capture the meaning of the sentence better than displayed (which is a more neutral word).

I feel the contrast can work both ways:

  1. Although he showed (fake) interest ; in reality he was not interested
  2. Although he showed fake interest ; in reality he was sincerely interested —> I think this is the way you interpreted it. This interpretation in the context of this question is wrong because the sentence says ‘…..as to be almost non-existent’.

Does this make sense to you or am I way off?

3

Doesn’t “feigned” in the first blank ruin the contrast here?

  1. Johnson “feigned” great enthusiasm for his employee’s project
  2. His interest in the project was so “perfunctory” as to be almost non existent

These phrases are supporting each other. Shouldn’t “displayed” be the better choice? Even though it is neutral, it holds the contrast I guess?

4

Yes I think I am grasping a bit of your explanation of how this contrast could work both ways. Still internalising this though, maybe I’m thinking about it too mathematically, i.e.,

Actual interest if low + (support) fake interest is high
Actual interest if low - (contrast) actual interest shown is high

Do you think this makes sense?

5

I think you’re right because what you said makes sense to me.

Can you try to approach this by understanding its meaning as well?

Sometimes it helps to decode the meaning first and then apply math strategy to confirm if we got the right answer.

6

How can ‘display’ hold the contrast that ‘feigned’ can’t?

I also, I agree with the support part.

He faked interest (support) he wasn’t interested

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7

Yes, I understand, just going back to your earlier detailed explanation on how this could work both ways. Thanks for engaging in detail on this!

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