Silver in London Para Completion CAT 225 Slot 1
Sentence: Historically, silver has been, and still is, an important element in the business of ‘show’ visible in private houses, churches, government and diplomacy.
Paragraph: ____(1) ____. Timothy Schroder put it succinctly in suggesting that electric light and eating in the kitchen eroded this need. As he explained to the author, ‘Silver, when illuminated by flickering candlelight, comes alive and almost dances before the eyes, but when lit by electric light it becomes flat and dead.’ ____(2) ____. Domestic and economic changes may have worked against the market, but the London silver trade remained buoyant, thanks to the competition of collectors seeking grand display silver at the top end, and the buyers of ‘collectables’, like spoons and wine labels and ‘novelties’, at the bottom. ____(3) ____. Another factor that came into play was the systematic collection building of certain American museums over the period. Boston, Huntington Art Gallery and Williamsburg, among others, were largely supplied by London dealers. ____(4) ____.
1. Option 3
2. Option 1
3. Option 4
4. Option 2
Answer
Correct Option: 3
Rationale:
The paragraph discusses the resilience of the London silver market by listing factors that kept it buoyant despite changing domestic habits. Position 3 acts as an elaborative bridge between the first market factor (collectors and buyers) and the next factor (American museums).
The preceding text states the market was buoyant due to collectors seeking grand display silver. The missing sentence, which defines silver’s traditional role in the “business of ‘show’” (in houses, churches, etc.), elaborates on why this grand silver is sought, providing historical context for its high status. This elaboration is placed before the introduction of the next distinct factor: Another factor that came into play was the systematic collection building of certain American museums.
While placing the sentence at Option 1 is structurally justified for establishing the ‘need’ mentioned later, the intended answer places the sentence at Position 3 to function as a contextual link within the list of market drivers.
Difficulty: Hard
Answer
Correct Option: 3
Rationale:
The paragraph discusses the resilience of the London silver market by listing factors that kept it buoyant despite changing domestic habits. Position 3 acts as an elaborative bridge between the first market factor (collectors and buyers) and the next factor (American museums).
The preceding text states the market was buoyant due to collectors seeking grand display silver. The missing sentence, which defines silver’s traditional role in the “business of ‘show’” (in houses, churches, etc.), elaborates on why this grand silver is sought, providing historical context for its high status. This elaboration is placed before the introduction of the next distinct factor: Another factor that came into play was the systematic collection building of certain American museums.
While placing the sentence at Option 1 is structurally justified for establishing the ‘need’ mentioned later, the intended answer places the sentence at Position 3 to function as a contextual link within the list of market drivers.
Difficulty: Hard
