Please help explain this question!

New research on technology and public policy focuses on how seemingly _____ design features, generally overlooked in most analyses of public works projects or industrial machinery, actually _____ social choices of profound significance.

(A) insignificant … mask
(B) inexpensive … produce
(C) innovative … represent
(D) ingenious … permit
(E) inopportune … hasten

I have read this sentence so many times and still have trouble understanding what it’s saying.

“how seemingly Insignificant___ design features” It does not seem to make sense to me. Isn’t it missing a verb?

“generally overlooked in most analyses of public works projects or industrial machinery,” I suppose this part is a description of the design features? And that’s how people get insignificant for blank 1?

“actually _____ social choices of profound significance.” I don’t understand why it’s mask :frowning:

Can someone help me please?

I’d use the word overlooked, actually = support, the other options don’t support overlooked.

Here’s my take:
Q: “how seemingly Insignificant ___ design features” It does not seem to make sense to me. Isn’t it missing a verb?
A: For the first section of the sentence the subject is the “new research”, the verb is “focuses” and the object is “design features” the blank is describing the object.

Q: “generally overlooked in most analyses of public works projects or industrial machinery,” I suppose this part is a description of the design features? And that’s how people get insignificant for blank 1?
A: yes, I’d say the comma after features indicates supporting ideas. The first description (blank one) of design features should match the supplemental description of generally overlooked

Q: “actually _____ social choices of profound significance.” I don’t understand why it’s mask
A: The seemingly and actually work together here to tell you that how the design features are viewed is not in line with reality. Something is happening to them to make their significance not show in the perception. Masks works here because it explains why, despite there being profound significance, the features are overlooked.
Even if you’re taking the test and not quite convinced, lets look at the other options:

  • Hasten has to do with speed, there’s no mention of speed/timing - No Evidence
  • Permit has to do with authorization, there’s nothing to do with allowing or permission - No Evidence
  • Represent can mean to state something clearly, this contradicts with the seemingly and actually
  • Produce can mean to make or cause, I think if you plug it in it sounds like it could be right (this is a trap), but there isn’t much evidence in the sentence to support a causality, Masks is much better supported with context. And if there is still doubt, you can see produce is paired with inexpensive for which there is no evidence.

Remember, Greg is showing us multiple tools. If one isn’t working for a problem, try another and keep eliminating until you are left with the final answer.