The recent rise of violent crime in the town had everybody living in fear.
What do you notice about this sentence?
- What are the two ideas?
- Do they support each other or contrast each other
- How do you know?
Idea 1: Recent rise of violent crime in the town
Idea 2: Everyone Living in Fear
Support eachother due to the word “had”.
Similarly, in above question
Idea 1: Honest and incorruptible Cato the Censor had the laudable design of …
Idea 2: Decline of morals in Ancient Rome
Contrast each other due to teh word “decline”
Is this correct?
Think of it this way, the ideas are:
“Honest and incorruptible Cato the Censor”
“the laudable design of i)--------- decline of morals in Ancient Rome”
Do these ideas support or contrast each other.
They contrast each other.
Actually the word “had” would suggest they support, right? Similar to the other example.
Yes, it does. The connecting word is “had” which is a supporting words, So, the idea support each other.
I made the mistake of focusing on the meaning of the sentence and since, i did not quite know the meaning of laudable, I made the guess that it is negative. And thus, I thought the ideas contrast each other.
I made a silly mistake. 
From now on, If I am not sure about the meaning of the word I will look at the connecting word or phrases to understand whether it will support/contrast.
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