HOTSPOTIt is often the case that a certain intellectual advantage may be found by being (i) ____________ an established field of knowledge, but even if you accept the argument about the importance of (ii) ____________ thinking, it is hardly the only significant thinking there is.Hot Area:
Answer(s): A
The sentence suggests that being outside an established field of knowledge may offer an intellectual advantage. "On the periphery of" (on the edges, rather than at the center) fits well. The second part discusses a certain type of thinking, which aligns with "outsider" thinking, meaning perspectives that come from those not fully within the established field.
HOTSPOTPractical physics is usually unpredictable: a researcher will have (i) ____________ model of the way the experiment is meant to work, but when a device is first put together, the model is nearly always (ii) ____________ mundane effects.Hot Area:
"Notional" means based on a theoretical idea rather than reality, which fits the idea that the model is an initial expectation. "Confounded by" means confused or disrupted by, which fits the idea that the model does not match reality due to mundane (unexpected but ordinary) effects.
HOTSPOTThe mood of the times is no longer one of (i) ____________ over our scientific achievements. Doubts and worries beset technical and scientific specialists, as well as the public at large. I do not consider such worries (ii) ____________, though they are often based on intuitive feelings rather than on strictly logical arguments.Hot Area:
The sentence contrasts past optimism with present doubts and worries about scientific achievements. "Uncritical joy" (meaning unquestioning happiness) fits because the mood is no longer blindly celebratory. The second blank describes these worries--since they are based on intuitive feelings rather than logic, the author suggests they are not completely baseless, making "unfounded" (meaning without basis) the best choice.
HOTSPOTBecause human emotions are behavioral complexes, they presumably took a very long time to develop. Therefore, a complete lack of any (i) ____________ human emotions in ancestral species is (ii) ____________.Hot Area:
The sentence suggests that human emotions evolved over time, so it would be unlikely that ancestral species had no precursors (antecedents) to human emotions. Therefore, the idea of a complete lack of such antecedents is improbable.
HOTSPOTOften, developing new methods for scientific research demands a willingness to reach across disciplinary boundaries, something that is notoriously difficult to carry out. Therefore, even though interdisciplinarity is often proclaimed to be (i) ____________, there are many structural reasons why it remains (ii) ____________.Hot Area:
The sentence acknowledges that interdisciplinary research is often praised as a worthy or commendable goal ("a laudable goal"). However, it also points out that, in practice, it is often difficult to accomplish, suggesting that it is not always feasible due to structural challenges. This makes "a laudable goal" and "feasible" the most fitting choices.
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