Query about (2024 Edition with ETS Material) TC and SE Strategy - Session 8B

I have a question about this particular exercise in Week 2 Day 2 - (2024 Edition with ETS Material) TC and SE Strategy Series - Session 8B.

I noticed the support phrase “as … as …“ like in the Excel sheet, thus I thought the blank is something relevant to “controversial” or at least having a bad connotation. But this will lead me to wrong answer choice only.

Where was I wrong? and is the Excel sheet correct all the time, if it’s not, how can I know whether the question is an exception?